Thursday, August 9, 2012

Election Day Next Week For NAN

Election Day is coming up next week for Chiefs with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation. Delegates at the Keewaywin Conference in Kashechewan First Nation will be voting for NAN's executive council. August 15th is election day.

Afternoon Mishap

No one is injured following a three vehicle accident at the intersection of Tupper and High Street which happened just after 3:30 this afternoon.  There's no word on any possible charges.

Joe Van Koerverden Happy For Son

Dryden City Manager Joe Van Koerverden is feeling nothing but pride for son Adam.  Adam Van Koerverden grabbed a silver medal in Men's Kayaking at the Olympic Games yesterday.  Father Joe was in the stands for the race and says there was nothing but celebration afterwards.  Joe says Adam wanted gold but is content and happy with silver.

Rickford New Gig

Kenora M.P. Greg Rickford's summer just got busier.  Rickford has been appointed to a five member panel which will decide who will become the next justice on the Supreme Court of Canada.  The panel will review a list of qualified candidates from the Province of Quebec and submit a list of three people to the Prime Minister for review.  The all-party panel was appointed today by Justice Minister Rob Nicholson.

NOTO Talks Summer Tourism

The Northern Ontario Tourist Outfitters Association is reporting a slightly better tourist season this summer.  Executive Director Doug Reynolds says camp owners are seeing better turnout than in previous years.  Reynolds says it seems American anglers are less nervous about their economy and are coming back to vacation in Northwestern Ontario.

New Tim Hortons Camp Underway

A long time coming for local kids!  Officials say a Manitoba First Nation has backed off its opposition to a Tim Horton children's camp near Pinawa.  Dave Newnham of the Tim Horton Children's Foundation says it recently signed a lease for a site on Sylvia Lake in Whiteshell Provincial Park.  This would become the closest camp for disadvantaged Northwestern Ontario children who attend camp on a yearly basis.

Metro & Quality Market Raise Cash

Thunder Bay's Metro and Quality Market Stores are jumping in to help area residents impacted by the May 28th flood. Metro Spokesperson Brian McNamara says during the September long weekend they'll be asking for a dollar from their customers at the till. McNamara says they decided to help fund raise for the Disaster Relief Fund since many of their employees are still without proper accommodations.

No Basement Flooding Says City


Cars re-routed on Fort William Rd.
 There are no reports of basement flooding in the city as the result of the overnight and morning rainstorm. City official Kerri Marshall says the storm sewer system seems to have held up well especially in the East End which got socked in the May 28th storm.  Marshall says however that there has been some roads that have flooded in fact a sewer back-up forced the closure of a portion of Fort William Road.

HMCS Ville De Quebec To Visit City

Tourism officials with the city are hoping to see 2,000 to 4,000 visitors per day when the HMCS Ville De Quebec visits Thunder Bay. The active naval ship will dock at Pool 6 on Wednesday of next week and is more than 400 feet in length, weighs more than 5,000 tonnes and has a crew of more than 200. Admission is free and they are offering free transportation from the Auditorium and the Heart of the Harbour.

The End Of An Era

It's the end of an era in the local shipping industry. At the end of this month the local office of the Canadian Ports Clearance Association will close. It has directed ship traffic in the port for over a hundred years. Local shipping official William Hryb says the company doesn't have the clout it used to. Hryb says the association's job will be left to the grain companies.

Housing Starts Up Again

The number of housing starts in Thunder Bay continues to be above normal. Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says there were 42 total Thunder Bay starts in July surpassing July of last year. 28 homes, 2 duplexes and 12 condominium starts were reported last month which beats the 34 starts compared to last year during the same time period. Market Analyst for C.M.H.C. Warren Philp says "Rising prices in the resale market are encouraging more denser forms of housing construction that offer more choice to consumers."

Thunder Bay Plays For National Title

The Thunder Bay All-Stars were giant killers yesterday at the Canadian Junior Little League Championships in Lethbridge. The #4 seed team from Thunder Bay advanced to the tournament final with a 12-4 win over #1 seed B.C. in the semi-finals. Thunder Bay now takes on Alberta in the final today at 3:00 p.m. for the right to move on to the Junior Little League World Series in Taylor, Michigan.

Border Cats Blast Huskies

The Thunder Bay Border Cats are playing loose right now. They crushed the Duluth Huskies 13-3 at Subway field last night to keep their slim playoff chances alive. The Border Cats have to win their 4 remaining games, have Willmar lose all of theirs and hope that nobody else within the North Division gets to 19 wins. Game two of their 3 game series is tonigh at 7:05 p.m.