Hockey Day in Canada hits Thunder Bay

Its Hockey Day in Canada and Thunder Bay is taking part in the festivities.  The National Hockey Leagues Players Association with the support of our local NHL players is donating 120 sets of hockey equipment to 11 minor hockey clubs in the area.  NHLPA Spokespeople say the equipment worth over 60 thousand dollars will allow a number of kids who wouldn't normally get a chance to play hockey, to lace em up.  The festivities kicked off yesterday with a banquet in Murrilo. 

Marriott eyes Thunder Bay

Looks like a  new hotel is coming to Thunder Bay.   City planner Robert Eady says Marriott Hotels wants to buy about 1.6 hectares of land next to the Superstore to build 142 Marriott Town Place suites.   Total project cost is about 18 million dollars.  The land is also expected to include a Harvey's Restaurant along with an Earls or a Milestone Restaurant and a convenience store.

Daredevils ski the city streets

Here's a video of some local skiiers turning Thunder Bay's Streets into a freestyle course.  The video has been making waves on Twitter and could be on the verge of going viral. 

Population drop doesn't faze Brown

Atikokan's Mayor Dennis Brown is putting on his best face in the wake of a census report showing a 15 per cent drop in the towns population. Brown however, sees a positive trend developing as more young people are returning.   Brown adds,  the population can fluctuate with mining activity in the region.

Harvey talks population

No panic from Nipigon's Mayor Richard Harvey over census figures showing the community's  population dropped about 7 per cent.   Harvey says the figures don't take into account some recent factors that indicate more people are moving into the town.

L-U trumpets another research grant

It's research and innovation week at Lakehead University. To kick it off, a Government of Canada science grant of nearly 1 and a half million dollars was given to professor Ellie Prepas for her natural resources study. Prepas says she feels proud working with some of the best young minds in the country on the project which will be funded for five years.

Mauro on ORNGE

Members of Ontario's Opposition Parties continue to dog the Government over it's handling of the Province's air ambulance service. Some members of the Opposition have suggested the Government should allow private companies to operate the service. MPP Bill Mauro disagrees. The Province recently put a not-for-profit air ambulance coordinator in place after firing former CEO Chris Mazza.

OPP survey

How do you feel about the level of policing in your community?  That's the question the OPP is trying to answer.  Sergeant Shelley Garr says they have hired a consultant to conduct a Community Satisfaction Survey.  Garr says the telephone survey is confidential and will be used to help develop OPP business plans for each of the detachments in Northwestern Ontario.

Di Matteo talks population

A Lakehead University professor is not surprised Northwestern Ontario has less people than it did 5-years ago. Livo Di Matteo says its a reflection of the state of the region's forest industry. Di Matteo says while urban communities lost people, several First Nations communities experienced growth.

Rickford on Aboriginal education

The Federal Government is promising to take a good look at a report on Aboriginal Education.  The Federally appointed panel released its final report earlier this week.  Parliamentary Assistant for Aboriginal Affairs, Greg Rickford says they've already committed a lot of money towards improving the aboriginal education system.  The National Aboriginal Education Panel visited a number of communities across the country last year, including Rat Portage.

MP begins budget town halls tonight

MP Bruce Hyer is going on the road. He'll be hosting a series of town hall meetings to give taxpayers a chance to discuss what they'd like to see in the federal budget. Tonight it's Thunder Bay. It takes place at the Prince Arthur Hotel starting at 7:30.   The town halls will also be held in Marathon, Nipigon, Greenstone and Terrace Bay. 

Police nab suspect in Shoreline Stabbing

A 22 year old man is being charged in Wednesday's stabbing in front of the Shoreline Hotel. Constable Julie Tilbury says they picked the man up yesterday when they were called to a south side home about an assault. Tilbury says he's charged with assault with a weapon and breach of probation.

Petro Can Gas Bar Robbery

Police are releasing pictures of the man who robbed the Petro Can Gas Bar on Dawson Road Wednesday morning. Constable Julie Tilbury says the man had his hood pulled up to hide his face. He approached the till and pulled a syringe out of his pocket and demanded money. He's described as being in his early 20's with a medium build. He was wearing a two tone grey winter jacket with a hood, blue jeans and white runners.