Venezuela not coming to World Junior Baseball Championships

The World Junior Baseball Championships kick off today and it'll start down one team. Organizers announced yesterday Venezuela will not attending the tournament. Warren Philp says teams scheduled to face Venezuela will show up and practice and interact with fans. International Baseball Federation officials say it appears Visa and Passport problems are the reason Venezuela is a no show. In Accordance with IBAF rules teams scheduled to face the team will automatically earn a 9-0 win.

Shelter House still needs food

Once again Shelter House needs your help.   Officials with the homeless facility say there's still a need for food donations.    They say priority items remain canned and dry goods.    Shelter House normally experiences a lull in donations during the summer months.

Bear frees itself from plastic trap

Thunder Bay's Rob Paterson is relieved it's over. Paterson helped to bring the publics attention to the plight of the bear with the plastic jug on his head on Lambert Island. The Ministry of Natural Resources is confirming that a jug found floating in Lake Superior, near the island, Wednesday night by canoeists, was indeed the one the bear was wearing. His fate is not known.   Paterson says that the bruins plight attracted international attention with the BBC picking up the story.

The Shad kids say goodbye

Another Shad Valley program at Lakehead University has come and gone. Students from across Canada are leaving after spending the last month in the program. Anika Smithson says she's going back to Orangeville a changed person.  She says it opened her eyes to new ideas and taught her how much stress she's able to cope with.  Smithson adds it gave her an idea of which direction she wants to take in university.  This years program attracted 65 students

Mauro hasn't given up hope for Big Thunder

The Ministry of Tourism has rejected six proposals to reopen the Big Thunder National Ski Training Centre.
Thunder Bay – Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro says it all comes down to one thing and that's money.  In the end none of the people behind the proposals had enough money to run and operate the Big Thunder ski area.  Mauro says he hasn't given up the fight yet, and notes he has one last proposal left that he hopes will be accepted.

New Consolidated Court House Update

The Attorney General paid a visit to Thunder Bay today.  Chris Bentley says he doesn't have any firm times as to when the construction contract will be announced for the new consolidated court house.  Currently, demolition work is being completed to clear the area for the new building which will house both the Ontario court of justice and the Superior court of justice.  The new court house will be located between Brodie and Archibald streets, south of Miles Street.

Ring of Fire co-ordinator position still not filled

There's not much known about the provincial government's "Ring of Fire" co-ordinator position. Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says the candidate selected for the position could be announced sometime in the fall. Gravelle adds they're not sure where that job will be based. The Minister says it could be in Toronto, Thunder Bay or both.

Bentley visits Thunder Bay

Northern Ontario residents who want to train for a new job can say thanks to the McGuinty Government.  A partnership program between the government, training facilities, and business was announced in Thunder Bay today.  Aboriginal Affairs Minister Chris Bentley says the money will help train people for resource based jobs.  Bentley adds its a 45 million dollar three year project.

City closes park bridge

The Trowbridge Falls pedestrian bridge is closed. The city is making the move because of safety concerns. Parks Manager Paul Fayrick says they hope to have it fixed before next summer. The closure will mostly affect hikers and cross country skiiers.

Thunder Bay Hydro wants dibs on solar projects

Thunder Bay Hydro is asking city council to make them the exclusive developer of solar power.  Council will decide the matter at Monday night's meeting.  The agreement would mean Thunder Bay Hydro would be given first dibs on city owned buildings that could host solar panels on their rooftops.

Police cruiser in a smash up

A city police cruiser is out of commission after being involved in a traffic accident. Police say that the cruiser collided with a car at the corner of Tupper and Peter at around 11:30 Tuesday night. Police were responding to an emergency call at the time. A woman and a baby were taken to the Health Sciences Centre as a precaution. The officer driving the vehicle was not hurt, but has been charged.

OPG updates workers on plant's future

Ontario Power Generation is being tight lipped about the immediate future of its coal powered station in Thunder Bay. Spokesperson Ted Gruetzner says employees were given a wide range of scenerios this week, on how the plant will be winding down its coal operations. Gruetzner wouldn't say if possible layoffs were discussed with the workers, but stresses no decisions have been made.

Habitat cashes in with celebrity shoes

Habitat for Humanity is back with a new fundraising event. It's called Champagne and Shoes and it's a both a designer shoe sale and an auction of celebrity shoes according to CEO Dianne Mitchell. She says that includes shoes from Governor General Michaëlle Jean, Jessica Simpson and Mike Weir. The event takes place October 6th.

Jack Irving dies in New Brunswick

A sad note to pass on about the parent company of Northwoods Broadcasting today, its chairman Jack Irving passed away in Saint John New Brunswick after a short illness. He was 78. Among other accomplishments, Jack Irving was a member of the Order of Canada. In 1952 he joined his father's businesses and worked all his life, along-side his brother Arthur in Irving Oil. In addition, he was a Director of all Irving businesses and was responsible for and managed a number of the companies within the varied Irving enterprises.

Highway Improvements on the way

The McGuinty Government has increased the funding for the Northern Highway program.  An extra 125 million dollars was added to this year's budget.  Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says four laning the highway will help our economy and our safety.  Highway 61 between Broadway Avenue and the Neebing River, and Highway 11/17 between Balsam Street and the Current River are next to be improved.  Bruno Contracting won the 9.9 million dollar tender.

New scoreboard highlights stadium improvements

Preparations continue at Port Arthur Stadium for the World Junior Baseball Championship. The tournament begins on Friday with games at the stadium and at Baseball Central. The new stadium scoreboard has now been installed and there are other numerous preparations that are taking place to get both locations looking good for the event.

Bad news for an unfortunate bear

Residents on Lambert Island are on the lookout for an unfortunate Black Bear. The bear was seen yesterday wandering around with some sort of container stuffed over his head. Rob Peterson says the MNR has been called in to rescue him but he's proving to be rather illusive. The MNR has set up  traps in the area in an attempt to capture the Bruin.

City ranks number 2 for murder rate

The latest crime study from Statistics Canada has Thunder Bay with the second highest homicide rate in the country. Deputy Police Chief J.P. Levesque says it's a result of the 6 murders last year which was very unusual. He says the way the Stats Can survey is done it tends to put heavier weight on more violent crimes.
The study shows an increase of 17 per cent in violent crime.

Terrace Bay Pulp close to starting up again

Terrace Bay Pulp could be out of creditor protection by next Tuesday. That's the day the company will have a hearing on the matter. Lawyer Yves Fricot says they've been allowed to prepare the mill for restart. The company is also purchasing material that is needed for the start up of the mill.

City get 594-thousand dollar payment from OLG

The latest payment to the city of Thunder Bay from the provincial government casino is 594 thousand dollars.  That's 22 thousand dollars more than the last quarterly payout.  The money represents 5 per cent of the slot machine revenue from the facility. It was the cash collected from April to June.

Province scraps eco-fee

The province is scrapping the controversial eco-fee. The McGuinty government admits consumers and businesses were not properly informed about the fee. The province says it's re-evaluating the program that's designed to fund waste diversion.  Thunder Bay's Ellen Mortfield of EcoSuperior calls it a surprising move and hopes it can be re-introduced in the near future.

Man running across Canda for equal parenting reform

An Ontario man is attempting to break the Guiness World Record for the Fastest Crossing of Canada on Foot.  David Nash is also trying to raise awareness for family law reform. A private members bill is before the house of commons and looks to avoid pitting parents against eachother.  Nash is making his way to St. John's Newfoundland.

Alzheimer's Cross Country fundraiser

Two Guelph university students are cycling across Canada in support of Alzheimer's research.  Ian Whatley and Ben Love hope to raise 25 thousand dollars through their cross country trek.  The duo will stop in Thunder Bay this weekend and then continue their journey to Victoria, B.C.

Innova Business Park upgrades

Innova Business Park is going to get some upgrades thanks to Thunder Bay city council. Taranis Contracting came in with the lowest bid at over 1.5 million. Sewer and water will be extended on Golf Links Road to Innovation Drive. Several roads will also be built linking up the business park to Golf Links Road, the Harbour Expressway and the Lakehead Expressway. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund is helping to pay for part of the project.

More money spent on gas collection system

The City of Thunder Bay will be spending a little more on its gas collection system at the Solid Waste and Recycling facility.  The construction costs and other assorted fees have come in greater than expected.  Council is putting an extra 100 thousand dollars towards the project.  The gas collection system will eventually be used to generate power.

New test questions on pleasure craft operator test

Some changes are in store for the test to get a pleasure craft operator card. That card is now needed to operate a boat. Cameron Taylor of Boat Smart Canada says Transport Canada is looking at new test questions. The new tests, which include a total of 50 questions, will be administered starting in September.

MNR talks Moose Tags

The Ministry of Natural Resources is looking to prohibit hunters from passing moose tags onto others in consecutive years.  Wildlife Management Coordinator Tosh Gierick says the M-N-R has been seeking public comment on the proposal with input coming to an end Thursday.  Gierick says the regulation was based on input from hunters who expressed concern with the increase in tag transfer in past hunting seasons.

OBA board has a Thunder Bay face

A Thunder Bay lawyer is now on the board of directors for the Ontario Bar Association. Peter Mrowiec will represent Northwestern Ontario lawyers. The OBA represents more than 17-thousand lawyers, judges, law professors and law students in the province.

A transit strike could be heading our way

Thunder Bay transit employees could be headed for a strike. Negotiations with the city and the amalgamated transit union have fallen through. Local 966 President Charlie Brown says the city isn't offering up anything remotely reasonable.  Brown says the city has so far only asked for a number of concessions.  Brown says the next step will likely be a strike vote.

Harvey wants another shot at nomination

Nipigon Mayor Richard Harvey is taking the plunge again. Harvey is seeking the Conservative nomination for the federal riding of Thunder Bay-Superior North. Harvey believes he can make a break-through where other Conservatives candidates have failed.   He says most of the people in the riding hold small "c" conservative values.   The Torites haven't set a date for the vote

Temporary Bus terminal stays at city hall

Council has voted in favour of keeping the temporary bus terminal at city hall. The temporary bus terminal at City hall came in number one in a consultant report.  ENTRA consultants compared the city's options and they feel its in the city's best interest to keep the temporary site where it is.  Dennis Fletcher says city hall scored 108 points higher than their other options on Violet and Miles Street.

Late night last minute deputations on bus terminal

The temporary bus terminal brought last minute deputations at city council last night.  Several downtown residents who attended the meeting decided to speak up about the temporary terminal.  John Livingston lives in the condo building near city hall and says he's not happy with the site.  Livingston feels the temporary terminal should only be allowed to stay at city hall for two or three months not two or three years.

Sleeping Giant will welcome visitors to Thunder Bay

Lee Koopman has been hired to design and build the city's welcome signs.  3 signs will be placed at gateways to the city, including the Highway 11/17 entrance at Shabaqua, the Highway 61 North-bound entrance, and the Thunder Bay Airport.  All three signs show the sleeping giant, but each one showcases a different natural attraction.  The Thunder Bay airport sign will showcase boats on lake superior, the highway 61 sign will show the boreal forest and the highway 11/17 will showcase the northern lights.  Many councillors were upset that Dawson road was excluded from the project.

Tamarack needles cause trouble

Mohawk Crescent residents want the City to get rid of the Tamarack trees planted on city property behind their homes. Donna and Fred Johnson made a deputation to council last night telling them the trees are bothersome because their needles clog eaves troughs, and get into vehicle engine compartments.The Johnsons were speaking on behalf of their neighbourhood and want council to remove the trees and if possible plant coniferous trees. City Parks Manager Paul Fayrick says to do what the residents want could cost up to 80 to 100 thousand dollars. Fayrick adds they would have to clear cut the trees because removing just the Tamaracks would cause the other trees in the area to die.

City's cultural plan is a work in progress

The City's cultural plan is a work in progress. Office for Urbanism the company hired to create the plan provided an update to councillors last night. Spokesperson Reid Henry says they understand that the community has different unique neighbourhoods that need to keep their names and calls them historic cores. Henry adds they want to show off the community's diverse background of first nation and finnish culture. Council will hear again from the group about what steps to take next. An open house on the cultural plan will be held on September 23rd. A final plan has yet to be completed.

Police and Fire help out at G8 and G20

Thunder Bay Police and Fire fighters helped out during the G8 and G20 summits in Huntsville and Toronto. 
Twenty members of the fire department's Chemical Biological Radiological Nuclear response team took part.
Police helped screened vehicles and people entering restricted zones of the conferences.
Fire Chief John Hay made a presentation on the topic at city council last night.

Gas leak capped, danger over

Life can get back to normal for the people in the Machar Avenue area after an afternoon scare on Monday.
About a dozen homes in the area of the 100 block of Machar were evacuated around 3 o'clock.  It followed a gas leak. Police say that a construction accident caused the problem. Gas company officials were able to get the situation under control before 5 pm. Emergency crews were on the scene as well.  Pictured:  Union Gas workers try to get gas leak under control.

NOMA slams census plan

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is adding its name to the list of groups expressing concern about the Federal Census. The Government  has scrapped the mandatory long questionnaire in favour of a voluntary survey. NOMA President Anne Krassilowsky says the voluntary response will be unreliable.

"Disturbing" graffiti probed

City police are looking into several incidents of offensive graffiti. Spokesperson Chris Adams says one was a racist slur spray painted on a sign at Fort William Road and Main Street, the others, in Current River, were anti-religious and satanic.  He says the Current River messages had a name tag of "The Hesh".    Adams calls it disturbing and says they are hoping for some tips

Salmon derby breaks a record

Expect to see the Thunder Bay Salmon Association keep it's derby format for next year. President Bob Hoogsteen says the derby ran for 8 days this year and it attracted 327 participants which is a record number of anglers. Hoogsteen says organizers are happy with the outcome.

Rendezvous overcomes setbacks

Another successful Great Canadian Rendezvous for Fort William Historical Park. Spokesperson Marty Mascarin says that inspite of some setbacks last week due to the weather, it still attracted thousands.   Mascarin says organizers will soon discuss what worked and what didn't.  He says one thing that worked was the RV park that they experimented with.  He says there were quite a few recreational vehicle users that took advantage of it.

City councillors hold summer session tonight

The fate of the south side city bus terminal is in city councillors hands tonight. They will be deciding whether to keep the City Hall location the temporary site until the new courthouse is built,  or move it to Violet Street. Also this evening councillors will deal with a request by the Woodcrest School Council to have Woodcrest Road widened to ease traffic congestion.

Dragon Boat festival another success

It was another successful end to the Dragon Boat festival. Executive Director Rob Barrett says the weather was great and an estimated 60 thousand dollars was raised for local charities. He says the official total will be released this afternoon.

Historic plane landing in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay will get a visit from a piece of history next week. A second world war Lancaster MK 10 Bomber will be making a stop in the city Tuesday until Thursday. The plane will be open to the public Wednesday from noon to 5 at the Confederation College Hangar at the airport.

CMHA report shines light on northern youth problems

Junior and senior high students in the province are showing high rates of physiological distress according to the Center for Addiction and Mental Health.  Author Doctor Robert Mann says about 30 per cent of students indicated feeling anxious, stressed or depressed.  Twenty-four per cent of students surveyed indicated having sought out mental health care over the past year.

Council set to look at traffic on Woodcrest road

City Council is set to receive a study on traffic congestion on Woodcrest road.  Woodcrest School Council wants the city to widen the road in front of the school or add sidewalks.  Co-Chair Shelly Helget says she fears for her daughter's safety when she walks to school.  A road traffic study on Woodcrest road will be presented at tonight's council meeting.

Northern Lights Credit Union goes solar

The Northern Lights Credit Union in Thunder Bay is going to be feeding electricity back into the power grid. A solar panel was installed on the Amber Drive location on Friday, and power generated will be sold to the Ontario Power Authority. Credit Union Spokesperson Brian MacDonald says they could start a similar program at their other regional facilities. The Thunder Bay credit union project is tied into a solar project at the neighbouring Dufresne Furniture store.

Fatal Crash on Highway 17

A Mississauga woman is dead following a 2-vehicle collision on the Trans-Canada Highway west of Dryden.
OPP say a westbound car and an eastbound pickup truck collided yesterday afternoon near the Highway 622 junction.  Both vehicles were sent off the road and struck a rock cut.  The driver of the car, 45-year-old Kaneez Zehra, died as a result of the crash.  The driver of the truck was transported to Dryden Hospital with non-life threatening injuries.  The collision forced the complete closure of the Highway for 5-hours.  The cause is under investigation.

Deer Lake case update

Additional charges have been laid against a 26-year-old Deer Lake First Nation man. Jason Miller was originally charged with attempted murder after 27-year-old Neilson Meekis was injured in an unknown incident at the Deer Lake Nursing Station, North of Sioux Lookout. The July 10th incident also resulted in the death of 27-year-old Joey Crow. OPP have now charged Miller with second degree murder in relation to Crow's death. Police continue to investigate

Lock it up

A recent break and entre has led to Thunder Bay police to remind residents to lock their doors. Earlier this week a man came inside from gardening and found a buglar inside his home. Police say would be thiefs are combing neighbourhoods looking for targets of opportunity, and if see someone acting suspiciously call the police.