Murder prelim underway

The preliminary court hearing is underway in connection to the murder of a 36 year old man last year. The hearing in Thunder Bay is expected to last two weeks. It will determine if there's enough evidence to send Christopher Gregorchuck and Eric Lindstrom to trial on second degree murder charges. The charges followed the death of 36 year old Richard Quimet in March of last year.

Ready, set...vote

Voting for the World Fishing Network's ultimate fishing town contest starts today.Thunder Bay closed the day yesterday with 118 submissions promoting itself. The top 10 communities will be based on how many votes each community garners.

Fishing survey out in January

Anglers are being asked to keep track of their fishing experiences this year.  The Ministry of Natural Resources will be sending out a survey in January asking a variety of questions relating to fishing. The survey is conducted every five years and is mailed out to 15 hundred anglers.

Police charge teen after accident

Thunder Bay Police have charged an 18 year old man from Oliver Paipoonge after Police received a tip that a pick up had been involved in a collision and rolled in a field in Neebing Township and had not been reported. Police then discovered there were several passengers in the truck, and an 18 year old had been thrown out. The passenger in the back sustained serious injuries.

Charge follows weekend fatality

A 69 year old Indiana man is facing a careless driving charge in connection with a weekend fatality. Police say he was the driver of a pick up truck that went off the highway near Nipigon and resulted in the death of a 70 year old passenger. He too was from Indiana.

Kitchener woman victim of fatal accident

A 35 year woman from Kitchener is dead following a traffic accident near Dryden. She was the driver of a car that collided with a pick up truck on Highway 17 in Eton Township yesterday morning.

NOSM staff on strike

Administration staff at the Northern Ontario School of Medicine are on strike.  Pickets are set up at all entrances at Lakehead University.  Dean Dr. Roger Strasser says they want to reach a solution with the OPSEU union.  Meanwhile, Union Chair Tyler England says they just couldn't reach an agreement after 90 hours of bargaining.  Outstanding issues include workloads, benefits and sick leaves.

Students works of art on display

The old CIBC building on Victoria Avenue is home to some student artwork. Summer students from Lakehead University are displaying their work. Assistant professor Kristy Holmes says it's different and unique. The display runs until September 18th

Metis Flag raised at City Hall

It's the year of the Metis. Thunder Bay is going to play host to the Annual General Assembly for the Metis Nation of Ontario this weekend. Thunder Bay Metis Council President Wendy Landry says they're honored to be holding the event. Northwestern Ontario is home to 2 thousand 843 metis residents. The Metis Nation of Ontario flag was raised at City Hall Monday.

CLE a hit again

Organizers of the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition are pleased today. They say this years fair was another success. They estimate that 60 thousand people came through the turnstiles, about the same as last year.

Rough season for Border Cats

The Thunder Bay Border Cats close out the baseball season at Port Arthur Stadium tonight. For owner Brad Jorgenson, 2010 could have been better, on the field and at the box office.  He says while the weather was much better this season that last year, it didn't reflect in the attendance.   He also says the World Junior Baseball Championship had a negative effect on attendance saying it went down after the games concluded.  He says it also proved hard on the team's schedule.  Jorgenson says the team will access how things went this year and make some decisions from there, but he is not ruling out the team returning next year.

Motorcycle collides with bear

A Thunder Bay man is not hurt badly after the motorcycle he was driving collided with a bear on the weekend. OPP say it happened on Saturday on Highway 11/17 in Conmee Township. Police say the driver was taken to the hospital, treated and released. As for the bear, it ran off into the bush.

American man victim of fatal accident

A 70 year old Indiana man is dead following a weekend traffic accident. OPP say that it was a single vehicle mishap that took place on the Trans Canada Highway near Nipigon. They say the pick-up truck the man was a passenger in, drove off the highway and struck a rock cut.

Memorial sinkhole fixed

A water main break and subsequent sinkhole closed off a section of Memorial avenue yesterday. The break happened in the morning at Memorial and First causing a several meter wide hole in the street.
A crew began repairs after the water main break was brought under control.

MMA Comming to Ontario

Ontario will be allowing Mixed Martial Arts to take place for the first time. The province could be hosting the popular sporting events as soon as next year.

Premier Dalton McGuinty previously declined the idea of allowing mixed martial arts inside the province, saying it wasn't a priority for Ontario families.

It seems the money was the motivation in the debate. It's estimated M.M.A events could generate nearly six million dollars a year into Ontario's economy.

CLE drawing crowd

The Canadian Lakehead Exhibition continues today at the fairgrounds by Silver City.

CLE president Lawrence Timko says attendence is looking good so far and the couple cloudy days didn't seem to hurt much, although exact numbers won't be known until the close of the fair.

The CLE will be happening until midnight, tomorrow is the last day for the exhibition.

Comuzzi-Stehmann nominated

It's now official, Maureen Comuzzi-Stehmann is the Conservative candidate for Thunder Bay-Rainy River.
The announcement was made yesterday by Patrick Doherty, president of the Thunder Bay-Rainy River Conservative Electoral District Association.Comuzzi-Stehmann will most likely face Ken Boshcoff for the Liberals as well as sitting NDP MP John Rafferty in the next election.

Police release more info on robbery suspect

Thunder Bay Police are still trying to find the person responsible for a Mac's store robbery from August the 8th.   That's when the Simpson Street store was robbed by a man wearing a disguise.  Police say he confronted the clerks and demanded money.  They say the man had a weapon but no one was hurt. Police describe the suspect as Native Canadian, 17-22 years old,  just over 200 pounds and over 6 feet tall with an open scab below his left eye. A surveillance picutre of the incident has also been released.

Social Services Board CAO retires

Thunder Bay's Social Services Board's CAO has announced her retirement. Mary Lucas spent 35 years working in Thunder Bay, and joined the DSSAB in April of 1999. An executive search firm has been hired to look for Lucas' replacement.

Mayor set for AMO conference

The City of Thunder Bay has a number of meetings set up with ministers at the coming Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference. Mayor Lynn Peterson says they're asking the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs to set up a regional office in Thunder Bay. Other sit down meetings with ministers include: Energy and Infrastructure, Northern Development and Mines, Natural Resources, and Transportation. Peterson is joined by councillor Joe Virdiramo and City Manager Tim Commisso.

Four new officers join city force

There's a new breed of constable that is working with the Thunder Bay Police Service. The four newest constables are a little older than what the service used to hire even 10 years ago according to Deputy Chief J-P Levesque, having what he calls "life experience". He says they are seeing more and more of this as people are choosing second careers. The newest officers were sworn in at the Ontario Court of Justice. Pictured: Andrea Megan MacInnis is one of four new city constables.

Ignatieff NWO tour a no go

Tragedy in the Liberal family has resulted in the cancellation of a scheduled trip of Michael Ignatieff to Dryden and Kenora. Mario Lague, Ignatieff's top aid, died Thursday when his motorcycle struck an SUV. Kenora Liberal Candidate Roger Valley says despite the cancelled trip, Ignatieff remains committed to this area. The Grit leader was scheduled to arrive in Dryden Saturday night.

Terrace Bay Pulp slight delay

Terrace Bay Pulp is going to start up before the end of the month.  It's a slight delay since 400 employees were expected to start back on the job on Monday.  United Steelworkers Union Spokesperson Herb Daniher says their plan is not off track.  Equipment needed for the start up is arriving at the mill this week.

NAPS graduates cops

The Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service is welcoming 6-new Graduates. The constables were sworn in at a ceremony in Thunder Bay Friday. The new recruits will be stationed in Moose Cree First Nation, Fort Severn, Sachigo Lake First Nation, Attawapiskat and Fort Albany.

Hudak wants to get rid of LHINS

Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak is making a number of election style promises.  Hudak says if elected premier he will scrap the local health integration networks.  The Ontario PC Leader was in Thunder Bay on Thursday.  Hudak says the decision making progress is taking place at Queen's Park and McGuinty is using the LHINS as a shield.

NAN wants far north act scrapped

Nishnawbe Aski Nation communities could put up blockades and protest in the far north. Grand Chief Stan Beardy says that's what will happen if the McGuinty Government pushes the Far North Act through. Beardy says they do not like the proposed legislation and want the Liberal government to scrap it altogether. NAN communities are concerned about how the act lays out jurisdiction of land.

Worst Roads Campaign back for another year

CAA is looking for nominations for its annual worst roads campaign. Spokesperson Kory Kennedy says its a very successful and popular program, with over 90 percent of the roads nominated since 2003 being repaired or are slated to be repaired. You can cast your vote by visiting the CAA website.

Forest firefighting crews return home

The first of 41 Ministry of Natural Resources personnel working in Saskatchewan are expected back home later today.  Forest Fire fighting crews and support staff from Northwestern Ontario have ended their deployment.  A second group from Northeastern Ontario will be sent home Friday.  The MNR still has 288 personnel helping with the fire fight in British Columbia.

Wanted man may be in the area

City Police believe that a man wanted in Southern Ontario may be in the Thunder Bay area. Spokesperson Chris Adams says 22 year old Troy Moulton is wanted in connection with an attempted murder in Brampton.  Adams says if you see Moulton you should not try to apprehend him, but call police immediately.  Police say Moulton may be driving a Grey 2000 Chevy Impala.

Minister of Natural Resources visits Tbay

Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jeffrey is defending her governments far north act.  Jeffery paid a visit to Thunder Bay on Thursday and spoke with the Nishinawbe Aski Nation.  Jeffrey says she had a good discussion with NAN and they hope to come up with a document that both the government, business and first nations are comfortable with.  NAN is holding a news conference about the issue on Friday.

Hudak promises to scrap Far North Act

Ontario's Opposition leader says if he's elected, say good-bye to the Far North Act. Tim Hudak is promising to scrap the controversial legislation if it's passed. Hudak says the act does nothing for job creation.  He says if the act would have been passed years ago we would never have heard of the the Ring of Fire or the Victor Mine.  He says Dalton McGuinty basically wants to turn the far north into a park and kiss all those opportunities good-bye.  Hudak says the bill has been rammed through the Legislature without consultation.  Pictured:  Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce President Harold Wilson speaks at news conference as Conservative leader Tim Hudak looks on.  Meanwhile, Minister of Natural Resources Linda Jeffrey disagrees with Hudak and notes she's willing to alter the act to accomodate first nations and northern businesses.  Jeffrey was in Thunder Bay on Thursday.

Aviation camp comes to close

Confederation College is hosting a group of aboriginal high school students interested in learning about flight. Aviation Dean Joe Vieria says they hope to inspire students to become pilots. There's a lack of first nations people in the skilled labour force. 26 local first nations youth took part in the week long camp. Wasaya Airways, Local First Nation Councils, and the Kenney Family Foundation help fund the week long flight camp.

Local dogs flying high at Canadian Dog Agility Nationals

A pair of Thunder Bay dogs had a successful showing at the Canadian Nationals for Dog Agility. The event happened in Calgary last weekend and Jessica Dubinsky says her and dog Jersey had a very solid showing winning 2nd once and 13th. Nancy Laser also of Thunder Bay and her dog placed 2nd twice, 4th once and also had a 5th place finish.

Michael Ignatieff is not coming to Thunder Bay

Michael Ignatieff's magical mystery tour is giving Thunder Bay a miss. The Liberal leader is making three stops in the Northwest during his cross country bus tour, Kenora Saturday, Dryden Sunday and Kapuskasing Monday. Ignatieff had originally planned to visit Thunder Bay Sunday.

Tim Hudak is coming to Thunder Bay

The Leader of the provincial opposition will be in Thunder Bay today to talk with the Chamber of commerce. Tim Hudak will be talking about the Far North Act. He's expected to meet with the Chamber's board of directors just after noon.

Judge reserves decision in conflict case

A Thunder Bay city councillor must wait before a judge rules on allegations that he was in a conflict of interest. Justice Douglas Shaw of the Superior Court of Justice has reserved his decision in a case that involves city councillor Robert Tuchenhagen. Tuchenhagen is being accused by city businessman Gilles Mondoux of a conflict of interest in connection with the purchase of a building on Hardisty Street

Online gambling could lead to addiction

Provincially regulated online gambling isn't sitting well with the Sister Margaret Smith Gambling addiction center.  Spokesperson Amber Trochimchuk is worried young people will be attracted to online gambling. Trochimchuk says online gambling will also make gambling available to Northwestern Ontario's remote communities.

Pot bust in Neebing Township

Another marijuana growing operation is out of business in the Thunder Bay area. Police say they executed a search warrant at a property located on Minnisto Road in Neebing Township on Tuesday. There were 265 pot plants seized that they say had a street value of over a quarter million dollars. 4 people are charged and will be in court in October.

LU gets research funding from the province

Lakehead University will be upgrading its research equipment in the water protection field. The upgrades are being paid for by the provincial government thanks to almost 172 thousand dollars in funding. Researcher Doctor Peter Lee says the upgrades are long overdue and will allow the university to keep up with industry standards.  The research is intended to help protect our waterways.

American Man turned away from border

An Ilinois man is speaking out after being denied entry into Canada at the Fort Frances border crossing last month. 55-year-old Paul Pepper was part of a bus tour headed for a fishing lodge near Dryden and was questioned about a criminal report dating back to 1972. Pepper claims charges laid were eventually dismissed, but was denied entry and forced to walk back to International Falls. Pepper has written to a variety of government agencies and the Canada Border Service Agency, but so far has not received any response.

Maple Leaf recalls Garlic Sausage

There's another food recall in Northwestern Ontario.  Maple Leaf Foods is recalling its Country Morning Garlic Sausage Ring and Olympic Fine Meats Ukrainian Garlic Sausage.  The company recalled the sausages because they have milk in them and it wasn't listed on the package.  The sausages were sold in Kenora and Thunder Bay.

Newmarket man dinged for hunting offences

A Toronto area man's bank account is 68 hundred dollars lighter. A judge in Thunder Bay has fined him for illegal hunting offences from last year. It was for firing his gun carelessly, transporting more grouse that he was allowed to and having another person's moose game seal. Conservation officers orginally charged the man after a road check near Schreiber last October.

Heart and Stroke gives money

Atikokan and Thunder Bay will share just over 8-thousand dollars from the Heart and Stroke Foundation.  Thunder Bay Heart and Stroke Spokesperson Wendy Savoy says the money will go towards advocating against childhood obesity.  Savoy says statisics show that this generation of kids likely won't outlive their parents.  The Northwestern Ontario Women's Centre received 5 thousand dollars and the Atikokan Youth Initiatives group will be using over 3 thousand dollars.

Accident sents one person to hospital

One person is recovering from an injury following a traffic accident at Highway 61 and Arthur Street this morning. OPP say that the mishap which occured just before 11 o'clock just after it began to rain. Police say that a vehicle was being towed. At the stoplight the victim went out to check on the tow when a third vehicle collided into the rear and pinned him. The extent of the person's injuries aren't known but are not considered life threatening.

Minor injuries in mishap

There are only minor injuries to report after a multi-vehicle accident during the noon hour on Fort William Road at Central Avenue.    Fire and Ambulance personnel attended along with police.  It caused some minor traffic issues for about an hour.  

Morning fire at LU

Lakehead University got a scare this morning, after smoke filled the Braun Building. Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue had to deal with a student experiment gone awry in a science lab, according to District Chief David Grant. He says that some chemicals caught on fire and ignited nearby egg cartons and the room was evacuated. There was plenty of smoke from the incident, otherwise damage is minor, with no injuries to report

Ring of Fire conference killed

Marten Falls First Nation has called off it's Ring of Fire emerging business conference. Companies were told they would have to pay for a meeting with the first nation. 5 thousand dollars gets a meeting with the first nation and 350 dollars would allow interested companies to participate in the opening presentations. Chief Eli Moonias says he doesn't like the way the fees for the conference were being portrayed. Moonias says they have no plans to reschedule the conference and if companies want to meet with them they can schedule a flight into their community.

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has a new curator

The Thunder Bay Art Gallery has a new curator. Nadia Kurd has taken over the post and made it through her first day on the job Monday. The 31 year old has a bachelor degree in fine arts from the University of Ottawa and a Masters from York University.  Kurd says Thunder Bay is a beautiful community and is enjoying her time here.

Housing starts continue to stay strong in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay is having a solid year for housing starts. So far this year there has been 101 starts, during the same time last year there was 85 starts. The Canadian Mortgage and Housing Corporation's Warren Philp says July did see a small dip in numbers with 28 single starts last month compared to 2009 which saw 37 starts. Philp says so far this year there has been a total housing start increase of just under 20 percent.

Potts apologizes to Privacy Commissioner

A senior administrator at the Health Sciences Centre is saying sorry to the Privacy Commissioner. Scott Potts says there was no intention on the hospital's part to not tell Ann Cavoukian about the private health records that were found blowing around on a city street last week.   He says if it was the expectation of her office to have been contacted about the situation earlier the hospital apologizes for that.    While there is no legal requirement to tell the Privacy Commissioner, Cavoukian was upset she had to learn about the story through media reports