Fire Hits Vacant House

No one is hurt following a fire in a vacant house on the 100 block of Finlayson Street just off of Simpson Street behind the old Gilbert's Furniture store.   Firefighters were called to the scene at around 8 o'clock this morning.   The cause is not known, but it is the second fire in an abandoned building in that area of the city in the last week.

Driver Of Mini Van Dies

The 21 year old man involved in a serious accident on Wednesday morning has died from injuries sustained in the crash.  Police are reporting Matthew Hakala of Thunder Bay died in hospital after his mini van collided with a front end loader on John Street Road Wednesday. Officers are continuing with their investigation of the incident.  

OSSTF Could Resume After School Activities

We soon could see after school activities back at area high schools.  The Ontario Secondary School Teachers' Federation released a statement Friday afternoon says local leaders voted to suspend political action related to its labour dispute with the Liberal Government.  The OSSTF is encouraging members to consider resuming extracurricular duties.

First Northern Cabinet Meeting March 1st

Sault Ste. Marie is the location of the Provincial Government's first cabinet meeting in the North.  The meeting will be held March 1st and will address northern issues. Mayor Keith Hobbs had wanted the Premier to hold the meeting in Thunder Bay.

Commisso Says Staff Receiving Threats

City staff are receiving serious threats.  City manager Tim Commisso says in the past year there have been threats made and they've called the police to look into the matter.

Rickford Says He's A Team Player

A bit of a surprise on the federal government front.  Prime Minister Stephen Harper has named Bernard Valcourt as the new Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development, leaving Kenora MP Greg Rickford remaining standing on the side-line.  Rickford says he's a team player and will continue in his role as Parliamentary Secretary for Aboriginal Affairs.

Boys & Girls Club Taxes Up For Debate

City Council could decide what to do with the Boys and Girls Club and their outstanding property taxes Monday night.  They'll vote on whether or not to explore funding options for the group through the City's Charitable Rebate Program.  Councillor Paul Pugh says it's a tough decision to make.  The charity is facing taxes for the first time since the Municipal Property Tax Corporation didn't exempt their new Windsor Street property.

Leadership Training For Aboriginal Youth

15 aboriginal students are enrolled in the Urban Aboriginal Strategy's new leadership training course.  Spokesperson Frances Wesley says they hope the program will be successful and be back for another session in September.  Leadership Thunder Bay is a partner in the training and the Ontario Trillium Foundation provided 43-thousand dollars towards the pilot project.

Local Sports Roundup

Lakehead's track team will be in action at the OUA Championships today.  In total 12 Thunderwolves will be competing in various events in Windsor.  Meanwhile, Lakehead University Men’s and Women’s Nordic Ski teams are excited to be on home turf vying for another OUA Championship title this weekend at Lappe Nordic Ski Centre.

Province Announces Addiction Services

The provincial government wants to improve access to addiction services for First Nations communities.  Ontario will provide 1.5 million dollars in ongoing annual funding to support five new Community Wellness Development Teams, and to increase the use of tele-medicine equipment in treatment centers.  This will allow health care providers to conference with patients in remote communities to enhance addictions treatments.

T.Bay's Inflation Rate Stays The Same

Thunder Bay's inflation rate stayed put at 0.3 percent last month.  Statistics Canada says Canada's national annual inflation rate was 0.5 per cent in January.

Save The ELA Picks Up Steam

The provincial government is being asked to help save the Experimental Lakes area, west of Vermilion Bay.  Kenora-Rainy River M.P.P. Sarah Campbell has made that plea in the Ontario Legislature.  The ELA is scheduled to close at the end of next month unless the federal government can find a buyer or some outside agency to operate it. 

Dryden Police Cutbacks

The Dryden Police Service is looking to save where they can.  Chief Rob Davis says they were able to save 300 thousand dollars in the initial draft of the budget, but they will still be asking for a 14 thousand dollar increase.  Davis says they will be making changes to the guard position.  Davis says they also plan on extending the life of their cruisers by refurbishing them.

Jury Rolls Report Released Tuesday

A long awaited report on the jury roll system in Ontario will be released next week.  Former Ontario Superior Court judge, Frank Iacobucci was asked to look at how to better get aboriginal representation on jury rolls.  His report will be released in Thunder Bay on Tuesday.  He was asked by the Attorney General back in August of 2011 to look at ways of getting aboriginals living on a reserve included on provincial jury rolls. 

Foulds To Seek Provincial NDP Nomination

City Councillor Andrew Foulds is seeking the Provincial NDP nomination in the Thunder Bay-Superior North riding. Foulds says if he is succesful in winning the position, he'll be ready to take on current MPP Michael Gravelle.  He adds he wants to be Thunder Bay's Queen's Park champion.  The nomination meeting will be held March 14th. 

Minnesota Street Fire

Thunder Bay Fire Crews are working on a fire at a home on Minnesota Street.   Spokesperson Les Newman says the fire is in the back of the house.  The fire has moved into part of the attic and crews believe it started in an electrical panel.  The power has been turned off as a precaution.  Newman says there wasn't anyone home at the time the fire started.

Council To Consider Solar Project Support

City Council is going to hear from a solar company at it's Monday night meeting.  GTE Solar will be talking about their proposed solar facility on Dawson Road.  They'll be asking for Council's support in the Provincial Power Authority approval process.  Other topics up for discussion include continued support for the Urban Aboriginal Strategy. 

Con College Gives Out Bursaries

Confederation College is helping out 360 existing students.  An awards recognition ceremony is being held tonight and will see over 142-thousand dollars in scholarships and bursaries doled out.  The money is to be used during the upcoming school year and came from donors to the college foundation.

RBC Innovation Awards

The RBC Innovation Awards are back for another year.  This year's winners include Hero of the Year Dr. Mathew Leitch and Company of the year KBM Resources Group.  The awards were handed out Thursday afternoon.

Campbell Talks NDP Budget Demands

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says the N-D-P has a number of demands for the upcoming budget.  Campbell says their demands come from people throughout the province.  Some of the priorities include ending corporate tax loopholes, and changes to auto insurance.