T-Wolves sign fromer OHLer

The Lakehead Thunderwolves Hockey team has it's first signing for the new season. Mike Quesnele is a defenceman from Sault St. Marie . Quesnele played 5 seasons for his hometown Soo Greyhounds of the OHL, his best year coming last season where he scored 13 goals and added 41 assists for 54 points – good for fourth in team scoring.

Woman charged in police shooting

After a two week long investigation, the OPP have laid charges against a 39 year old Grassy Narrows woman, who was shot by an officer in downtown Kenora.  Helen Proulx has been charged with assault with a weapon, assaulting a police officer, uttering death threats and possessing a weapon dangerous to the public.  Superintendant Shelley Garr says members of Kenora's Crime Unit have been looking into the circustances surrounding the shooting.  Proulx is still in hospital recovering from her injuries so a court date has not been set yet.

Habs keep Pyatt top of mind

Thunder Bay's Tom Pyatt is one step closer to a possible signing with the Montreal Canadiens. The team has presented him with a qualifying offer. While Pyatt says it's a routine move....he's pleased the Habs seem interested in keeping him. He says contract talks with the team were going well before he left. The club indicated to him that he was a part of the team's future going forward. Pyatt says he's interested in continuing with the organization. Had the team not given him the qualifying offer, Pyatt would have become an unrestricted free agent as of July first.

Cabinet minister pumps HST

Thunder Bay is the latest stop for the McGuinty governments HST bandwagon. Economic Development Minister Sandra Pupatello went to a local business to promote how the tax will lower some prices. She says that over 83 per cent of goods and services will see no difference in prices, while 17 per cent will see a price increase. The HST will be introduced on Canada Day.

Business owner sings HST praises

A local business owner is touting the benefits of the new HST. Craig Urquhart of Intercity Industrial Supply explains that the tax will mean fewer costs when he buys his supplies.  For him, waiting to make his order after the HST kicks in on July First will mean a saving of 23 hundred dollars which he calls significant for his business.   Urquhart was part of a news event held with Economic Development Minister Sandra Pupatello

M.Y. Clelia visits Thunder Bay

Keep your eyes on the harbourfront. The first cruise ship to visit Thunder Bay this summer will be docking at 6am Friday. The 100 passenger boutique cruise ship the M.Y. Clelia II will be visiting Thunder Bay ten times this cruise ship season. The cruise ship will be at the docks until five pm.

Get Fresh Thunder Bay

Get fresh Thunder Bay!  The Food Action Network and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit wants people to buy locally grown food and is launching a number of initiatives this morning.  A new online local food store will be unveiled and copies of the "Get Fresh Thunder Bay" guide will be released.  The guide will now include information on local restaurants and caterers who are making a significant effort to use local food.

Sour Cherries land provincial award

Two northwestern Ontario agriculture businesses are being honored by the Government.  Mountain Fresh Farm in Kakebeka and Rainy River District Regional Abbattoir received the agri-food innovation excellence award.  James Sovren owns Mountain Fresh Farm and says their sour cherries landed them the provincial award.  Economic Development Minister Sandra Pupatello, Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle and Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro presented the awards in Thunder Bay on Thursday.

Thunder Bay's Angioplasty Unit gets an expansion

The Angioplasty Unit in Thunder Bay is getting a face lift. Tom Jones Construction has been given the tender for that will see a second Angioplasty studio built at the Health Sciences Centre. Vice President Scott Potts says right now the hospital can't meet the current demands making the Angioplasty Unit expansion greatly needed. The 12 million dollar project should be completed by next fall.

There will be no blockade

There is some confusion surrounding a possible Fort William First nation blockade of the Trans Canada Highway. CTV is reporting about 300 band members will be holding the blockade for 5 hours today, but according to Thunder Bay OPP the blockade has been cancelled.

Quake shakes southern Ontario-Thunder Bay

Folks in southern Ontario are buzzing about an earthquake Wednesday afternoon. Reports have the quake centred just north of Ottawa and measuring at 5.0 (revised) on the Richter Scale. One witness just outside of Ottawa says it lasted about 30 seconds and was "kinda scary". She says things were knocked off shelves. She says she never experienced something like that before. Meantime, there are some people who believe they felt a bit of the southern Ontario earthquake here in Thunder Bay. Susan Bushby works at the airport and says she touched a doorway and felt it moving back and forth slightly. She says they even saw hanging clothes swaying as if they were blowing in the wind. Bushby says it was a bit of a shock.

Waterfront Development equals jobs

The City of Thunder Bay is giving itself a pat on the back.  Since the redevelopment of the waterfront started; 333 local jobs have been created.  Two football fields worth of fill has been added to the Prince Arthur landing to create the land along the shoreline. Waterfront Project Manager Katherine Dugmore says 28 million dollars in contracts have been awarded to date.

Survey says-Residents approve of Wind park

The results are in from a survey on the Big Thunder Wind Park.  Horizon Wind paid for the survey and 65 percent of people polled are in favour of the project.  700 people were consulted, including residents from the Neebing area where the wind turbines will be placed.  Residents of Neebing who were polled were 59 percent opposed to the project, and 41 percent in favour of it.

Swimming advisory up at Blvd. Lake

It's a sad but true sign of summer in Thunder Bay. The Health Unit has placed Boulevard Lake's beach area under a swimming advisory. Officials say that water quality tests show higher than acceptable bacteria levels.

Survey shows a positive outlook

The annual small business survey by Thunder Bay Ventures shows a positive attitude for the local economy. Manager Royden Potvin says it appears to show we have turned the corner after the forest industry collapse. He says we have transitioned into a service based economy. Potvin says the survey shows that for the first time a majority of small business owners says the economy in the city is moving forward. 700 questionaires were sent out for the survey in May, and 115 were returned.

New candidate for McKellar Ward seat

There is another candidate vying for the council seat in McKellar Ward. David Nicholson says his priority issues will be crime...especially as it relates to drugs. He believes we have to come to terms with what he calls a "drug problem" in Thunder Bay and he believes that's leading to some of the "crime issues we are seeing on the street." Nicholson says he doesn't want to see the city go down the tubes. So far his only challenger in McKellar is Paul Pugh

Med school unveils strat plan

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine has a vision for the next five years. Officials have taken the wraps off the new strategic plan. Dean Dr. Roger Strasser says that the priorities include enhancing the schools education program and research plans. He says that can't be done successfully without improving the learning environment for the students and "fostering excellence" among the faculty. Dr. Strasser believes the goals are achievable.

Former Fire Chief dies

A World War 2 and Korean naval veteran and former city Fire Chief is dead. John Bryant was 86 years old. He passed away at the Health Sciences Centre. Les Newman is with the Thunder Bay Fire Service. He says Bryant was one of a kind, giving his working life to public service.   First as a member of the Naval Reserve and secondly as a firefighter.  A full naval funeral service takes place at 11 o'clock Wednesday morning at the Everest Chapel on West Gore Street

Power failure hits south downtown

The power is back on in the city's south downtown core. It follows an outage this morning that started at 10:12 lasted for over half an hour. Thunder Bay Hydro says about 3 thousand customers were affected. The cause was a stray bird.

Ottawa man surrenders to police

City police have a mystery on their hands. They're trying to figure out why a 52 year old Ottawa man turned himself in Monday claiming that he attempted to rob a city bank. Police spokesperson Chris Adams says they don't know what he was doing in the city or what his background is. Adams says while there was an incident at the Dawson Road TD Bank on Monday afternoon, employees never thought the suspect was any threat.