Gas Pipe leak

Union Gas has repaired a section of pipe that broke early Monday morning. Spokesperson Andrea Stass says they're looking into what happened.  Construction crews were working in the area when a two inch section of the pipe was damaged. Stass reminds residents to always call before you dig.

Horwath to make more promises

The province's NDP leader is going to make some election promises in the city Tuesday relating to forestry and mining. Andrea Horwath will announce her plan to protect jobs in those sectors in Northwestern Ontario.

Canoeist Safe

Red Lake OPP have been able to rescue an injured canoeist from Woodland Caribou Provincial Park. Police say the 51-year-old man from Florida severely injured his knee on the first day of his planned 15-day canoe trip. Officers received the call on Friday and it took 5-hours for Police to locate and rescue the man.  OPP say the tourist is in good condition.

Million Dollars to Play Program

The Provincial Government is pledging another million dollars to expand the Right to Play initiative in Northern Ontario.Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Chris Bentley says initially they are expanding the program.

Bentley says communities will have to apply for funding.

Electricity program expands

The Provincial Government has started to roll out its Northern Industrial Electricity Rate Program. The ILevel Timberstrand Mill in Kenora was the latest recipient of a two cent per kilowatt hour subsidy.  Minister of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry Michael Gravelle says the program is to help local mills remain competitive. The program was launched last September.

Time to vote for P-A Stadium

The push is on to make Port Arthur Stadium the favourite baseball park in Canada. City Tourism spokesperson John Cameron says the designation would just be another notch on our tourism belt on the heels of last year's World Baseball Championship. You can vote for Port Arthur Stadium by clicking on this link

Another drug bust in Thunder Bay

More illegal drugs have been taken off the streets of Thunder Bay.  Officers searched a house on Wentworth Crescent Friday and found around 9 thousand dollars worth of Cocaine and over 8 thousand dollars in cash.  A 32 year old woman was arrested and is facing charges.

Pukaskwa closes backcountry portion of park

Officials at Pukaskwa National Park have closed the entire back country portion of the park.  The move comes after last week's bear attack on a visitor.  Acting Park Manager Robin Heron says an investigation found no mistakes made by the visitor, making this a problem bear situation.

It's time to start thinking about locking in your mortgage

The US Debt rating drop could jack up interest rates.  That's the prediction from Thunder Bay Investment Expert Blake Cameron who says it could be a smart move to get locked in at a low interest rate on your mortgage. 
Cameron says in the short term expect more market volatility.

The Sheepdogs to play Thunder Bay

Organizers of the Superior Youth Festival must be living right because they've managed to snag an act that is currently one of the hottest in North America.   The Sheepdogs from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan are on the cover of  Rolling Stone magazine after they were chosen as the first winners of the annual "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star" contest.   The band was booked for the August 24th event at Marina Park prior to the band receiving the accolades.

Man arrested for drugs after traffic stop

Dryden Police have laid 2-charges against a Quebec man after a traffic stop outside of Dryden.  Officers stopped the 19 year old man yesterday for speeding and found drugs.

Atikokan is trying to enhance reputation

Atikokan is challenging its residents to help build on its reputation as the Canoeing Capital of Canada.  Paula Sanders of the Atikokan Economic Development Corporation says funds will be provided for residents to come up with ideas. The contest ends August 31.

No let up in Forest Fire activity

Some rain is expected in Northwestern Ontario today, which could help reduce the number of new fires as well as dampen existing fires. Lightning strikes ignited about two dozen more fires in the region over the weekend, raising the total to almost 130. The Ministry of Natural Resources says smoky conditions continue to be a concern for communities in the far north. Smoke from Red Lake Fire 124 was expected to drift in the communities of Red Lake and Pikangikum..

Still waiting

Time is running out to work a deal between Bombardier Transportation in Thunder Bay and members of Canadian Auto Workers Local Union 1075. Local Union 1075 President Dominic Pasqualino says this is not an ideal time to deal with uncertainty. Pasqualino also says its frustrating because with a strike they would lose time and fail to deliver to customers on schedule. The deadline for a new settlement is Tuesday at 4 PM. The union would strike immediately if a deal couldn't be reached. Pasqualino says he hopes the two sides can meet somewhere in the middle.

Forest fires remain active

The forest fire situation continues to be very active both with existing fires and new ones being discovered. Currently there are 112 active fires in North Western Ontario burning close to 600,000 hectares in the province. About 2000 fire personnel and over 100 aircraft are engaged in fire suppression.

Not the ending they hoped for

It looks like the Chill have cooled off quickly. The Thunder Bay chill lost to the Kitsap Pumas 3-1 in the Premier Development League final four held at Bremerton Memorial Stadium; in Bremerton, Washington. The Chill could not contend with Kitsap's offensive firepower. The Pumas scored three clutch goals in the second half, two by Matt Friesen, to come back from their 0-1 halftime deficit. Thunder Bay’s Gustavo Oliveira scored the only goal for the Chill on a penalty kick in the first half. The Kitsap Pumas will be playing in it's first USL PDL Championship game Saturday night against the Laredo Heat.

Shaw to fight for Minneapolis TV

Shaw Cable says it supports the concerns of it's Thunder Bay subscribers who want to get back the Minneapolis TV stations. Spokesperson Greg Pultz says that's why they're applying to the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission to get them back.   Pultz says the CRTC forced them to take the stations off in the first place.

Tory hopeful emerges in Kenora-RR

The manager of the Kenora Forest Products Mill in Kenora is looking at a shift in career to provincial politics. Rod McKay has indicated he plans to run for the Conservatives in the upcoming Provincial election. McKay says the decision by Howard Hampton not to run again, didn't really affect his decision. McKay is also a member of Kenora City council.

MNR flies band members over fire

It appears the concerns of Whitewater Lake First Nation residents may have been premature. Their Chief was complaining that they were ignored by the Ministry of Natural Resources during forest fire evacuations. However ministry staff flew some band members over the fire near their community and they were satisfied the MNR acted properly.

Communities in NWO get NOHF grants

Nine communities in Northwestern Ontario are sharing 5.4-million provincial dollars.  The Minister responsible for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, Michael Gravelle says these projects are deserving of the funding.The money will be used for projects ranging from a sawmill to a recreation centre