Strike is on

Thunder Bay's 700 Bombardier Plant employees are walking the picket line. Company Spokesperson Marc Lefebvre says they were unable to reach a deal. Union Spokesperson Dominique Pasqualino is hoping for a very short strike.

Pukaskwa Park Bear may be dead

The Ministry of Natural Resources thinks it may have killed the bear that attacked a Pukaskwa Park visitor. The bear matches the physical and behavioural description provided by the victim.  Tests are being conducted to determine if the DNA of the killed bear match evidence collected from the scene.

Great Lakes getting warmer

The Great Lakes are getting warmer.  Over the past thirty years the water temperature has increased 1.5 degrees.  That's going to impact Lake Superior's fish population according to Dr. John Casselman.  Rock bass, and Sunfish will increase while Lake Trout populations will decline.  Casselman says all we can do to help our fish population is adapt to change.

Horwath makes mining and forestry promises

The NDP are promising to scrap the current wood allocation process in the north if they form the next government at Queen's Park.   In unveiling a part of it's northern election platform in Thunder Bay,  leader Andrea Horwath also says the NDP would force mining companies to process the minerals they mine in Ontario.

Bombardier contract talks continue

We are just hours away from a possible Bombardier Strike. A source tells our newsroom the company and the Canadian Auto Workers Union negotiated throughout the night and are continuing ahead of today's 4pm deadline. Company Spokesperson Marc Lefebvre says they're hoping for a resolution to be reached by this afternoon. The Union has said workers will strike if a deal is reached by then.

Firefighters hopeful for rain

Ministry of Natural Resources fire managers are nervous as a low pressure system treks across Northwestern Ontario. They are hoping for rain but may get more lightning as the storm passes over the region. Successful initial attacks by fire crews and aircraft have kept new fires small and easier to extinguish.  More than 2-thousand fire personnel and 100 aircraft continue to work on forest fires in the area.

Service cuts in Thunder Bay are not out of the question

Could Thunder Bay follow in Toronto's foot steps in cutting operating costs?  According to our mayor everything is on the table.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says he wants to make the city leaner and no option is out of the realm of possibility.  Hobbs says at this time he thinks cut backs to the public library system isn't an option. 

Time of Use Rates put off

Thunder Bay Hydro customers are getting a temporary reprieve from time of use rates. Spokesperson Tim Wilson says the new rates were to start in August, but will now be pushed off until October. Wilson says the billing program still has some bugs that need to be worked out.

Housing starts rise again

Housing starts in the city continue to rise.  Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation Analyst Warren Philp says there were 34 single detached starts last month up from 28 in July of last year.  So far there has been 99 single detached starts in 2011 down from last year's 101.  On the multi family side of things there has been 34 starts compared to last year's 8. 

PC Party Race in Kenora Rainy River

It looks like there will be a race for the Conservative nomination in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding. Louis Roussin has confirmed that his nomination papers have been accepted by the party. Roussin is a member of Kenora City Council and is the seat mate of the other candidate seeking the Conservative nomination, Rod McKay. Roussin is a former real estate agent in the City of Kenora. Still no word as to when a nomination meeting will be held.

Two people fall off Dryden Bridge

A case of a rescue attempt gone horribly wrong.  Dryden Police, paramedics and firefighters were called just before 10 o'clock last night after receiving a report that two people fell of the bridge platform at the Roy Wilson Suspension Bridge.  Police say an intoxicated woman fell into a fenced-in compound, 5-metres down from the bridge platform.  Her drunk friend tried to rescue her, but he ended up falling into the compound, badly breaking his leg. Personnel spent one hour cutting the fence, treating the victims and loading them up to the Ambulance. The woman suffered serious injuries. There is no word on if charges have been laid.