Highway 17 closure lifted

A road closure on Highway 17 near Nipigon has been lifted. The OPP closed the highway early this morning after a collision involving a Tractor Trailer. Only minor injuries were reported.

Westjet flight makes impromptu landing in Thunder Bay

A 27 year old is in Police custody after a scary incident during a Westjet flight from Vancouver to Toronto. Police say the man became agitated during the flight, forcing the crew to make an emergency landing at the Thunder Bay Airport. The other 118 passengers who were on the flight will continue their scheduled flight to Toronto today.

Hundreds enjoy Parade of Lights

The holiday spirit is certainly alive in Thunder Bay.  Hundreds of people lined Memorial Avenue Saturday evening to watch the annual Parade of Lights. 

Ambulance involved in three vehicle collision

No one is hurt after a collision involving an impaired driver and an ambulance last night. Police say a woman attempted to pass an ambulance, but hit a parked car and proceeded to hit the ambulance before coming to rest on a homes front lawn. Extensive damage was done to both vehicles, along with the ambulance and the house.

Strong November for the Port of Thunder Bay

A big milestone has been reached by the Port of Thunder Bay. The port shipped over one million tonnes of cargo in November, making that the most cargo shipped in one month since May of 2009. Nearly 900,000 tonnes of grain was shipped throughout the month.

Council to talk about selling golf courses

Council is going behind closed doors Monday to speak about the possibility of selling the municipal golf courses.  Recently Mayor Keith Hobbs said, he wants to see the course break even and if that doesn't happen selling them is an option they could look at.

Waste Management Strategy ontap at council

City Council will be getting a report on the development of a Solid Waste Management Strategy at Monday's meeting.  Councillor Andrew Foulds says its a great way to plan for the future and help divert more waste away from the landfill.

Osisko concerned about potential mine workforce

A worker shortage could be one of the obstacles facing Osisko Mining. The company has started a study to determine the impact a proposed open-pit gold mine near Atikokan might have. Senior Advisor Mark Boller says having enough well-trained employees is one area the company is looking at. The company says it might need up to 2-thousand workers for construction and 500 in the mine.

Lawyers concerned over crime bill

With the advent of the Harper Government's new crime bill, changes are coming to the criminal justice system. Kenora MP Greg Rickford says he recently had a chance to sit down with concerned Kenora lawyers.  He feels he was able to alleviate some of the worries they had about the new legislation.

Feds say no to Multi-Plex funding

Disappointing but not a setback is what City Manager Tim Commisso calls the decision by the federal government not to grant the city money in the current round of funding for the proposed Multi-Plex. Commisso says the project will go on adding council has already approved the feasibility study.  He says we were one of 120 applications for the so called P-3 funding.

Mac's Mart is making changes to prevent robberies

Uniformed Security Guards could soon be patrolling our local Mac's Marts.  The Company announced today that they are making a number of changes to deter the rash of armed robberies plaguing their stores in Thunder Bay.  The company will also be reducing the hours at certain locations and clearing the lines of site with in the stores.

Make way for the Parade of Lights

The popular Parade of Lights happens Saturday night. About 50 or so trucks will be decorated for the event. Organizer Marshall Erickson says it will move down Memorial from the Harbour Expressway to Queen Street.  The parade begins at 7 o'clock and is expected to last about 45 minutes.

Jobless rate climbs again

Our jobless rate edged up last month.  Thunder Bay's rate went from 6.9 percent to 7 percent in October.  That's still lower than the national and provincial rates which sit at 7.4 and 7.9 percent respectively. 

RFDA seeks $

Thunder Bay residents are being asked to open up their wallets for the Regional Food Distribution Association. Board Chair Kelly Hicks says they're trying to raise about 400 thousand dollars to put the finishing touches on the new Syndicate Avenue headquarters, specifically completing work on the kitchen by purchasing new equipment.  The campaign will run until June.

NAN talks Attawapiskat

The Grand Chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation says chronic Federal underfunding is to blame for the housing crisis in Attawapiskat.  Stan Beardy says it's shameful that the Harper Government is trying to absolve itself from its responsibilities.  Beardy says many of the communities in the Far North would allow people to use their traditional lands in exchange for basic human rights like clean water.

Humane Society staying open for now

Thunder Bay's Humane Society is going to continue to operate until March 31st. Executive Director Maryann Kleynendorst says they'll continue to evaluate their financial situation on a month to month basis. The organization announced earlier in the year that they were facing a 180 thousand dollar operating shortfall and would be forced to close their doors on December 31st if things didn't improve.

Man stabbed on May and Williams

2 teens are charged with aggravated assault after a man was stabbed at May and Williams Street.  Police received a 911 call around 10:20 last night of a male being being stabbed.  The victim was transported to hospital and is in stable condition.  A knife was located further down on Williams Street.  Both accused will attend bail court in the morning.

Highgate Road Fire

A chimney fire forced a family of four out of their Highgate Road home last night.  Firefighters from Junot, North Central Mapleward, James and Neebing Stations battled the blaze that spread to the attic.  The fire department is reporting extensive water and smoke damage.  Investigators will be looking into the exact cause later today.

Third party management is not for Attawapiskat: Fontaine

The problems in Attawapiskat go beyond band finances according to the former head of the Assembly of First Nations. Speaking in Thunder Bay,  Phil Fontaine said the government decision to appoint a third party to manage the community will not get to the root of the problem. He says "third party managers cannot approve housing initiatives, because it's beyond their mandate."  Fontaine was in Thunder Bay to get an honourary degree from Lakehead University.

False security scare at the airport

 There's a red faced vehicle owner in Florida right now.   Thunder Bay Airport officials say an SUV left running in front of the airport terminal caused a bit of a security stir yesterday.  They had to call police after security spotted it running without anyone in it.   It turns out the owners were already on their way to a sunny Orlando vacation when the vehicle was discovered.   They'll get to pick up the keys and a parking ticket when they arrive

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