Backhoe Responsible For Gas Leak

It appears a backhoe at a city works site is the cause of a natural gas leak in the city  today.  City official Darrell Matson says the sewer and water crew was doing maintenance on Red River Road and Rupert and that the tire of the backhoe hit the gas line.  He says the extent of the damage is not known  The leak forced the evacuation of several homes and buildings in the Mariday Park area for much of the midday and forced the closure of Red River Road.

Mariday Park Emergency Is Over

The emergency is over on Red River Road.   Fire Chief John Hay says a natural gas leak at Rupert Street forced the evacuation of some Mariday Park residents for much of the midday today.  He now says however, that the leak has been stopped by Union Gas and that road repairs are underway.  He says all residents whose homes and buildings had to be evacuated can now return. A section of Red River Road had to be closed  during the emergency.

OPP Help Free Man From Heavy Machinery

A 60 year old man is recovering after a scary incident on Wednesday afternoon.  OPP say a man was moving gravel on Sunset Lake Road when his Kubota tractor rolled over and pinned him.  An officer and the man's neighbour helped free the man's leg from under the heavy piece of machinery.

Vehicle Lands In Ditch After Collision

A 60 year old man is charged with careless driving after a collision on Highway 11/17 in Oliver Paipoonge.  The driver of a west bound vehicle on highway 17 crossed the centre line yesterday afternoon hitting another vehicle in the east bound lane.  The collision caused the vehicle to become airborne and it landed on its roof in the ditch.  OPP say no one was injured.

Police Nab More Speeders On Expressway

It appears some people are not getting the message about speeding in construction zones.  City Police issued 76 speeding tickets to drivers on Wednesday for speeding in the construction area on the Harbour Expressway.  Police feel they would have pulled more people over for speeding if it had not been for the other collision related calls that pulled them away from enforcing the expressway.

Natural Gas Leak Update

A major emergency on the City's north side. A natural gas leak in the area of Red River Road and Rupert Street is causing some residents in the Mariday Park area to be evacuated.  The evacuation of local businesses and homes include a day care. Union Gas says they're working on repairing a break in their line.  In the meantime natural gas is still leaking until crews can dig a hole and reach the area damaged by excavation workers.  Red River Road is closed between Pine and Summit.   

Rafferty Not Surprised

Thunder Bay Rainy River MP John Rafferty says he wasn't surprised an Alberta MP quit the Conservative caucus over the Federal Government's lack of transparency.  Rafferty says it's not a shock to see Brent Rathgeber resign after his private member's bill was rewritten by a largely Conservative committee.  Rafferty says there are a lot of unhappy Conservative MPs and notes there's trouble in the ranks.

Natural Gas Leak Causes Evacuations

There's a natural gas leak on the City's North Side.   Fire Platoon Chief David Long says the City's public works department has hit a major gas line in the area of Red River Road and Rupert Street.  Red River Road is closed off at Hill Street.  Long says fire is evacuating some nearby buildings and homes.

City Transit Wins National Award

The City's transit service is receiving a national innovation award. The Canadian Urban Transit Association is impressed with the local transit's real time schedule and vehicle location information found on Tbaytel's Digital tv service.

Mental Health Awareness Ride In Town

A cross Canada bike ride promoting mental health and in memory of Hilary Werthmann is in Thunder Bay today. Her father Bill is riding across the country spreading Hilary's story. After Hilary took her own life, her father proposed the idea of taking her story across the country to reduce the stigma around mental health issues.

University Student Bikes Across Canada

A University Student riding across Canada is expected in Thunder Bay today. Kilderic Moroy is collecting environmental pledges. Moroy is asking people to promise they'll become more environmentally friendly.

Superior High School Donates Money To Charity

Superior Collegiate High School is wrapping up a fundraiser for the Northwestern Ontario Epilepsy  Association. They've raised almost 2 thousand dollars for the local epilepsy help group. The school is also promoting the 2nd Run for Epilepsy in August.

Children's Centre Director Steps Down

After 25 years at the helm of the Children's Centre in Thunder Bay, Executive Director Tom Walters is stepping down at the end of the year. Walters says he's excited to retire but notes he's full of mixed emotions. Walters says his greatest achievement was making their services more accessible to the public.

One Lane Open Hwy 17

The Trans Canada highway is still closed to one lane of traffic near Wawa.  It was closed around 1 this morning after a transport carrying fireworks hit a moose.  The collision caused the transport to catch on fire and ever since the highway has been closed to one lane while OPP clear the accident area.

Woman Busted For Illegal Painkillers

A 25 year old local woman is facing charges of smuggling painkillers into the country.  Canada Border Services says that she was nabbed at the Thunder Bay International Airport after returning from a trip to the United States recently.   They say she had over 140 hydrocodone pills which she did not have a prescription for.

HNO To Conform To Hockey Canada Changes

Expect more changes at Hockey Northwestern Ontario. The changes are the result of a new Hockey Canada ruling eliminating body checking from Peewee hockey. HNO General Manager Trevor Hosanna says part of the new rule is mandatory training for coaches which HNO will confirm at its upcoming annual general meeting.  Hosanna hopes to have all coaches trained in time for the new hockey season.

Educator Hopes Provincial Decision Is Thought Out

The head of the Lakehead Public School Board is reacting to provincial plans to cut down on the oversupply of teachers. The moves include cutting the number of students accepted into teacher's colleges and doubling the length of time it takes teachers to get a degree from one year to two years .  Director of Education,  Cathi Siemieniuk,  believes it's a good move if it ensures students can pick a career that will give them employment.  Siemieniuk says she trusts that the decision has been well thought out.