Last minute candidates enter election

Nominations are now closed for the October 25th municipal election. City Clerk John Hannam says the next move is to make the list official. Some highlights from the last minute include a sixth candidate for Mayor, Colin Burridge, and one withdrawal, Sargon Khubyar from Northwood.  Also added Friday were Laury Alexander in Red River Ward, Robin Rickards in McKellar, former councillor Bill Scollie in Neebing, Frank Armiento in Northwood along with Chris Watkins in McIntyre and Tyler Woods in the At-Large category.

Tainted burgers not in Thunder Bay

The Health Unit is letting people know that there have been no cases of e-coli found in hamburgers sold in Thunder Bay. The Ministry of Health is reporting four cases of e-coli found in Leadbetters Cowboy beef burgers. The local health unit has been contacting food vendors about this product, and it has not yet been identified in local food stores.

There will be a Tighe in Shuniah race

There is now a race for Reeve in Shuniah Township. Retired business person Peter Tighe is going up against incumbent Maria Harding. Tighe believes it's time for a change. Tighe says he wants to work with all levels of government to promote Shuniah.

Union rallies prior to strike

Striking medical school workers at Lakehead University are looking forward to next week. That's when bargaining continues to resolve their labour dispute. Union boss Yuk-Sem Won tried to rally the members today with reminders of why they are on strike and to stay united. The union is upset the talks were held up for two weeks.

Specialist skills for high school students

More Thunder Bay high school students will get a career edge with the expansion of the Specialist High Skills Majors program.  Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle announced the expansion of the program on Friday.  The secondary program helps students earn credits towards their high school diploma, gain sector certifications and gives hands on work experience.  Superior Collegiate, St. Ignatius and St. Patrick High School are offering the new specialized courses in aviation and aerospace, arts and culture, health and wellness and transportation.

Caribou Charity Ride

380 cyclists will be taking part in the second annual Caribou Charity Ride on Sunday.  The fundraiser is in support of the Northern Cancer Fund.  100 km route participants start the day at 9:30 at the Norwester Best Western, while 50 km route bikers start an hour later.

Solar project for Pikangikum

The Provincial Government is spending nearly 22-thousand dollars to help two Northwestern Ontario camps go solar. The Pikangikum First Nation's Whitefeather Waters Tourism Association is developing solar powered systems at the fishing and hunting camps. The project includes installing solar panels, storage batteries and water pumps. The move will modernize operations and reduce costs.

Sioux Lookout has youth hostel

The Sioux Lookout First Nations Health Authority officialy opened the doors to its new Hostel on Friday.  The Hostel is spacious, modern and celebrates local First Nations culture and traditions.  The 2-storey, 38-thousand square foot facility holds 100-beds, food services, a family lounge, games area and children's play area.  Planning for the 14-million dollar Hostel began in June 2004 and Health Canada provided 10-million  in funding.

Highway upgrades announced

Another tender has been awarded for the upgrades being made to the Trans Canada highway. Pioneer Construction won the 5.9 million dollar contract. A section of Highway 11 east of Longlac will be paved. 40 jobs will be created through this project.

Housing starts up in Thunder Bay

Single detached housing starts are up in Thunder Bay.  The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation is reporting 35 units being built in August, up from twenty starts in August of 2009.  Single family home starts were almost evenly split between McIntyre, Neebing and Red River wards. Meanwhile, the price of new homes fell 1.9 percent between June and July.

Go Green this weekend

Earthwise Thunder Bay wants you to go "green". The first ever "Go Green" expo is being held this weekend. Chair Ruth Cook says they'll be offering a number of environmentally friendly workshops. Cook says they'll also hold an exhibit featuring local green companies.

Multiplex process rolls on

Over 800 people had their say when it came to the proposed Multiplex.  The input from a series of preliminary consultation sessions on the multiplex will be presented to council Monday night.  Most people polled were worried about the cost of the project and how many activities could be held in the centre.  The next stage of the multiplex consultation process is a feasibility study.

Bike lanes popular

The City of Thunder Bay loves it's bike lanes.  That's the message from Active Transportation Manager Adam Krupper.  Krupper says they have hard facts proving the success of the new bike lanes.  Krupper will be making a presentation to council Monday night.

Library use up

Things are moving along at the construction site of the Mary J.L Black Library. That's part of a 2009 review on Thunder Bay's libraries that will be provided to city council on Monday. Chief Librarian Gina La Force says they have positive news to pass on to council. User rates are up once again at all library braches. La Force notes 2010 is looking positive for the library as well.

A search is underway for missing man in Quetico

OPP are looking for a missing man in Quetico Provincial Park. Police say they received an emergency GPS locator beacon yesterday afternoon and have been searching McAree Lake for the man. The OPP's underwater search and recovery team has been called in.

Special Olympics get support

Local organizers of this winter's Special Olympics are over half-way to their 800 thousand dollar fundraising goal. Chairman J-P Levesque says they are working on added support for the games. The latest donation is 75 hundred dollars from Molson Brewery.

Jobless rate increases in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay's unemployment rate saw a big jump last month. Our rate went from July's 5.7 percent to 6.6 in August. It still puts us well below the national average which rose to 8.1 percent last month, up from July's 8 percent.