International Blues Fest

The Thunder Bay Blues Society is bringing the funk to the city Friday and Saturday night.  An International Blues Challenge is taking place tonight which will see competitors vie for a trip to Memphis. Vice President Murray Armstrong says it's a wonderful opportunity for local artists.  The event is taking place at the Apollo.

Military Training At East Dog Lake

Training will be taking place in East Dog Lake area this weekend for the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment.  The soldiers will be practicing land & water training.  Captain George Romic says there will be blank ammunition fired while troops cross the river.  Romic adds, don't be surprised if you see military vehicles travelling in the Dog Lake area.

Warden Avoids Scherban Talk

The fallout continues for Lakehead University's hockey program as they continue to answer questions as to why Head Coach Joel Scherban was fired yesterday.  Speculation has players refusing to play for Scherban despite getting off to a 3-and-1 start.  Athletic Director Tom Warden has named Mike Busniuk as Interim Head as the team plays on the road tonight in Waterloo.  Warden won't comment on the firing but does hold Scherban in the highest regard.  Jeremy Adduono and Colin Zulianello have also stepped in to help Busniuk as Assistant Coaches.

Inflation Rate Goes Down

The cost of living in Thunder Bay has gone down. The inflation rate went from  0.3 percent in August to negative point one in September.  Meanwhile, Canada's inflation rate last month stayed the same.

Strat Plan For TBRI

The research arm of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is out with its four year strategic plan.   CEO Michael Wood says the top priority is to focus on advances in medical imaging like MRIs, X-Rays and PET scans.

OLG Casino Makes Payment

The OLG Casino is paying the city it's latest share in slot machine revenue.  This time around the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission is providing just over 609-thousand dollars to Thunder Bay.

TSB Still Investigating Fatal Accident

The Transportation Safety Board is still working on the early stages of its investigation into a fatal plane crash in Pickle Lake.  Peter Hildebrand says crews are still trying to get through the heavily dense wooded area and get the plane upright.  He says that's when the true investigation can begin.  Three men from Quebec died in the crash.

Talk4Healing Live

Aboriginal women in Northern Ontario can now access a new help line. Talk4Healing Coordinator Robin Haliuk says it's often hard for these women to get support services.  The hotline is open 24 hours a day; 7 days a week and offers service to Northern Ontario women.  The help line is being funded by the Ontario Native Women's Association for the next 3 years.

Text HOPE

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation is teaming up with Tbaytel on a new fundraising initiative.   A 10 dollar donation can be made for breast cancer research by texting the word "Hope" to the number 20222.  Foundation President and CEO Glenn Craig says the donation will appear on your next cell phone bill.

Aboriginal Business Day

The Entrepreneur Centre wants aboriginal business to expand.  They're celebrating aboriginal business day today by bringing in a slew of guest speakers.  Spokesperson Ron Humphreys hopes more people will inquire about their services.  To check out the guest speakers including CBC's Wab Kinew you can stop by the Victoria Inn.

Jasper Place Anniversary

Seniors home Jasper Place is celebrating it's 20th anniversary today.  Spokesperson Donna Ostram says their facility is one of a kind.  Jasper Place is home to over 100 seniors.

Food For Thought

The city is receiving 100 thousand dollars in provincial tax money towards a study on the local food system. The city's Leslie McEachern is co-ordinating the research project which will see if its possible to supply locally grown food to city institutions.  The study will be completed early in the new year.

Woman Runs Red Light

A 42 year old Brampton woman is charged with driving through a red light after a collision at the intersection of the Harbour Expressway and Highway 11/17.  Two vehicles were at the intersection when the left turn signal for west bound traffic turned green.  A driver across the road going southbound, then ran the red light and collided with the west bound vehicle.  No one was hurt.

Scherban Sacked

Officials with the Lakehead University Thunderwolves Hockey program have fired Joel Scherban as Head Coach. Wolves’ Assistant Coach Mike Busniuk has been named as the team’s Interim Head Coach, effective immediately.  The team's Board of Directors decided that a change was necessary if the team was to achieve its goals for this season..

Wequedon Lodge Grand Opening

The Wequedon Lodge is now open to area First Nation patients visiting Thunder Bay for doctors appointments.  The Lodge's new 110 bed facility was officially christened Thursday.  Executive Director Charles Morris says the new building has been 12 years in the making.  The Lodge sees an average of 140 clients each week.

Police Look Into Naked Teen Pics

Thunder Bay Police are looking into reports of nude photos of teens being sent to fellow teens in the city.  Police are working with school officials to deal with this issue appropriately. Lakehead Public School Board Spokesperson Charlie Bishop calls the incident troubling.  Officers say any nude image of anyone under the age of 18 years is considered to be child pornography.

Explosion Update

The investigation is underway to find out what may have caused a huge explosion that ripped apart a house on the 800 block of St. Claire Avenue this morning. One person was hurt and is in stable condition in hospital. Fire inspector Eric Nordlund says it's a scene like he has never witnessed before. Nordlund says there's windows and doors lying on neighbouring properties.  Nordlund says the explosion was likely caused by what he calls a huge expansion of gas, but whether it was a natural gas blast, he couldn't say.

O.P.P. Release Names In Fatal Plane Crash

O.P.P. are releasing the names of three people who died in a small plane crash Tuesday night near Pickle Lake. All three people were residents of Trois Rivières, Québec. Dead is the 57 year old pilot Michel Nadeau, 54 year old passenger Bernard Mailloux and 27 year old passenger Yanick Fournier. A 53 year old male passenger also of Trois Rivières, Québec remains in a Winnipeg-area hospital in stable condition.

Boaters Rescued From Breakwall

Two sailboaters are witnesses to the quick response of the Coast Guard. They were called just after 7:30 p.m. last night to a report of a sailboat that had run aground on the breakwall near the entrance to the Kaministiquia River. Two people were rescued from the vessell with no major injuries and brought back to the coast guard station. The sailboat was left for the time being and will be recovered later. 

House Explodes On St. Claire Ave.

Police and fire crews are currenly at the scene of a house fire on the 800 block of St. Claire Avenue. Police say they received a call about a house exploding just after 4:00 o'clock this morning. One man has been taken to hospital with unknown injuries. Four pumper trucks, a ladder unit and a platoon chief were all called to the scene. Police say they will be on the scene for several hours as they look into the cause of the blast.