Sidewalk contract in limbo

A one million dollar city sidewalk contract is on hold right now. It's because a handful of northside residents don't want a portion of that contract to include a stretch in the High Street and Parsons area. Councillor Brian McKinnon agrees with them.   He believes that if the majority of residents don't want it, why build it?  Councillors will revisit the issue next week.

Easement a major headache for Northwood homeowner

A Ryerson Crescent homeowner appears to be stuck between a rock and a hard place.  Don Cooper says he unknowingly had his new garage built over an easement. He has been ordered to tear the garage down.    While Coopers' plight may have the sympathy of some on City Council and administration it appears to be out of their hands.   Other companies like Shaw Cable and TBayTel say they want to keep their rights to the easement property.  Adminstration will come back to councillors with possible options next week.

Navy wants name change for Marina Park Drive

The city is considering a proposal to change the name of Marina Park Drive. A request has been made by the Commanding Officer of the HMCS Griffon, Lieutenant-Commander John Bell. He suggested the street should be called Naval Heritage Drive to honour the men and women who served in the Canadian Navy. Bell says the switch could be made as part of the changes being brought about by the new waterfront development. Administration will study the proposal and report back to council in July.

MNR says it was right to lift fire ban

The Ministry of Natural Resources is defending it's decision to lift a fire ban in Northwestern Ontario. Spokesperson Mitch Miller understands some in the Thunder Bay District think it was a premature move, but says the rest of the northwest got a good soaking.  Meantime the Thunder Bay Fire Service says its fire ban remains in effect inside the city limits

Cops bust hookers as young as 15

Women and girls as young as 15 years of age are facing prostitution charges in connection with a recent undercover sting operation run by the city police. Spokesperson Chris Adams says it's not unusual to see 15 year olds turning tricks in Thunder Bay. He says the high risk lifestyle attracts people with addictions or other issues. A total of 10 arrests were made in last weeks operations in the Court, McKenzie and Simpson Street areas.

Not all northerners to get energy cheques

The provinces Finance Minister says not everyone can be eligible for the Northern Ontario Energy Credit. Speaking in Thunder Bay Dwight Duncan says it's only low and middle income people who will get government cheques to offset higher hydro costs. Duncan says it's because people with lower incomes have more difficulty conserving energy. He says they don't have as many choices as people with higher incomes do. The cheques are expected to start being mailed out in the fall.

April port stats up

Some encouraging news from the Port of Thunder Bay early in the shipping season. Statistics for April show that there was more cargo shipped from the port this year than last year at the same time. The increase was a modest 2 and a half per cent. There were also 9 more ships that came to the city in April of this year

Woodcrest students sing sing.

The 500 students at Woodcrest Public School are proud of their latest accomplishment. They joined with other schools in Canada in singing the same song at exactly the same time. Grade 6 teacher Jacqui Soulias  organized the event and says it was to celebrate music and school spirit.  Students at Holy Family Catholic School also took part in the nationwide sing-a-long.

Local Soldiers return home

Two Thunder Bay Soldiers landed on home soil after a 6 month tour in Afghanistan. Corporal Richard Cranton and Sergeant John Conrad returned home this morning to a small group of friends and family at the Thunder Bay airport. Cranton says he never thought he'd be this happy to return home and says his tour was a really rewarding experience and is proud to have helped out the Afghan people. This was the first tour for both soldiers.

Spelling help wanted

It's a mistake worthy of the Jay Leno Show.   This Red River Road take out food outlet may be in need of more than management after showing this job posting on the weekend

Tree falls on south side house

There is no one injured after a tree fell on a three story house on Syndicate Avenue following a windy weekend.

Fatal fire in Terrace Bay

Nipigon OPP are investigating after a fatal house fire in Terrace Bay. The fire happened early yesterday morning just before 5 o'clock. Crews responded and found a body in the house. Dead is 31 year old Kevin Daniels. The cause of the fire hasn't been released.

Folklore Festival another success

Thunder Bay's Culture was on display once again at the Fort William Gardens. That was the scene for the annual Folklore Festival. There was food, dance and many other attractions Saturday and Sunday. Thousands made it through the doors for this years event to take in the entertainment and fine cuisine.