Matawa Pulls Out Of Judicial Review Too

First it was Marten Falls First Nation, now it's the entire Matawa First Nations that has decided to end it's court review of Cliff's Natural Resources Chromite Project.  The case was set to be heard by the Federal Court in mid-September.  The organization says they never wanted a judge to decide their future.

T.Bay Man Charged In Rainy River Area

A Thunder Bay man is in trouble with the law after Fort Frances OPP stopped him on Highway 11 in Couchiching First Nation.  Police learned that he was travelling to the Rainy River District to sell drugs and seized 126 grams of marihuana and drug paraphernalia.   He's charged with trafficking, possession of drugs, and possession of a prohibited weapon when police seized a butterfly knife.

Collision On Highway 11/17

OPP are charging a 22 year old with following too closely after a multi-vehicle collision on Highway 11/17 this morning.  The driver of a south bound vehicle struck another that was stopped at a traffic light.   The southbound vehicle sustained heavy front end damage.

Children's Aid Talked About At Q.P.

The opposition parties are bringing up recent funding cuts to the Children's Aid Society across the Province and in Thunder Bay.  Minister Children and Youth Services Teresa Piruzza defended her party and says there haven't been any cuts.  Piruzza says the funding formula was based on historical figures but now it will be based on community factors.

Marten Falls Withdraws From Court Review

Marten Falls First Nation is withdrawing from the Matawa Tribal Council's court review of the Cliffs Chorimite Project.  The community officially withdrew from the review on August 27th.  A community official says the project could be a tremendous opportunity for first nation communities.  The community says it's looking forward to working with the business to create a community based environmental assessment.

Pickle Lake Get Fed $

Federal funding for the Township of Pickle Lake. Minister of State for FedNor Greg Rickford announced nearly 300-thousand dollars in funding during a stop in Pickle Lake this morning. 242-thousand dollars will help the community replace an existing line to the local water tower, ensuring the community has access to clean and safe drinking water. The rest of the money will help Pickle Lake increase its bandwidth service to 100-megabytes per second. Rickford says the work will result in faster, more secure and reliable broadband services.

Energy Retailer Issues Raised At Queen's Park

Kenora Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is declaring war on door to door energy retailers.  Campbell brought the issue up during Question Period and asked the Provincial Government to take action against companies that sign residents up for higher electricity rates.  The Minister of Consumer Services says she's been in discussions on how they can better inform the public about what they are purchasing when they sign a contract with the retailer.

Driver Died Of Natural Causes

An autopsy has confirmed that Vermilion Bay stock car driver Bill Reimer died of natural causes. Provincial Police were called to the Emo Speedway around 8 o'clock last Saturday night. Police say Reimer was pronounced dead after his race car left the travelled portion of the raceway. No other details are being released.

No Booze For CLE?

A city council member of the CLE board of directors thinks it may be time to rethink having alcohol available during board meeting nights.   Speaking on Giant Mornings with John Ongaro, Ken Boshcoff reaffirmed his stand that alcohol is not served during actual meetings, but admitted, there's merit to discussing removing it altogether.  He says in changing times it's something that should be considered and he was planning on raising it.

Quiet Hiring Climate Expected

It doesn't look like the coming months will be good for job seekers in Thunder Bay.   In the latest Manpower Employment Outlook Survey local employers felt it was going to be a slow fourth quarter of 2013.  10 percent of employers plan to hire, while 13 percent expect to make cutbacks.  Another 73 percent plan to maintain their current staffing levels and only four percent are unsure of their hiring intentions.

Welcome Path Video Launched

Thunder Bay's Youth Suicide Prevention Task Force is launching a new video they created to welcome first nation students from the far north to the City.  The orientation video entitled "Welcome Path" was created after consulting over 250 youth.  The video was created with the hopes of addressing and alleviating some of the students anxiety being in a new place away from home.

Council Speaks About CLE Issues

The City is going to review the fine print in its lease agreement with the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition.  The decision comes after Council was briefed on the recent controversy surrounding the CLE's Board of Directors. Councillor Ken Boshcoff who sits on the CLE Board says he's never seen anyone drink in the Cardinal room or during a board meeting.  However, he doesn't rule out people drinking after the meeting.Boshcoff says it's legal for members to drink after the meeting in a bar that is paid for by the general revenue of the CLE Board.

New Green Space Project Underway

The City is getting ready to start work on a new green space project this fall.  The property is located at the corner of Memorial, Beverly and High Street.  Part of the project is being funded through a grant and the rest will be covered by the City.

Approval For New Laptops

The City is approving the purchase of a new Panasonic laptops and tablets for City Police.  Council gave its approval Monday night.  The cost of the new technology is over 95-thousand dollars.