Watermain break on south side

There's a watermain break on the south side of the city. City Works official Mike McLeod says it's affecting an area around South Edward and Begin. He says a contractor struck a water pipe with a drill.
McLeod says the work to restore water service to the area near the Tim Hortons and Burger King may also cause traffic disruptions.

MS Society warns of scam

Officials with the MS Society of Thunder Bay are warning of a phone scam.   Thunder Bay police say three residents have received phone calls from somone claiming to be soliciting on behalf of the organization.  The MS Society says it is not conducting a phone fundraising campaign.

Warnings posted at Boulevard Lake

If you're planning to swim at Boulevard Lake you do so at your own risk. The Health Unit has placed the three beaches under a swimming advisory. Officials say that water quality tests at the main beach, Sandycove and Sunnyside, show higher than acceptable bacteria levels. Warning signs are now posted.

Westfort Community Centre could close

Thunder Bay City Council is considering shutting down the Westfort Community Centre. A report from administration will be presented to council on Monday night. A five year structural review of the centre was recently completed that states its reaached the end of its life cycle. Administration is recommending the centre be demolished before the winter snow season.

Warmer water in Lake Superior

A warmer winter and spring means Lake Superior's water temperature is warmer as well.  Environment Canada Climatologist David Phillips says anyone who went swimming this summer felt the temperature difference.  Lake Superior's water temperature went up 8 degrees this summer and sits at 21 degrees.

Mountain bike bandit caught

A 48 year old parolee is now charged thanks to a sharp eyed plain clothes police officer. After receiving tips about a man with a mountain bike breaking into homes in Westfort, the officer spotted a suspect entering a home. He later confronted the man and chased him down and made the arrest. The suspect was apparently on parole at the time for previous break and enters.

Tuchenhagen wants Shaw black out

City Councillor Robert Tuchenhagen wants Shaw to black out city council meetings in September and October. The move is being proposed for the city council meetings leading up to the 2010 municipal election.Tuchenhagen feels incumbant councillors will have an unfair advantage being on tv on a regular basis while there competition won't have that opportunity. Council will be discussing the matter at their Monday meeting.

SUV burned in Hillcrest park

Thunder Bay police are investigating after an SUV was set on fire this morning in Hillcrest park. Spokesperson Chris Adams says it appears to be arson and the people involved first used the SUV to drive though some park benches. No arrests have been made and there appears to be no injuries.

City police deal with overnight stabbing

One man is in serious condition after being stabbed multiple times this morning. Police responded the call just after 3 o'clock on Jean Street and the Victim was taken to the Health Sciences Centre.  Officers also dealt with a separate assault in the Brodie Victoria Avenue area where three people were sprayed with mace just after 3 o'clock as well. Meanwhile police took two young boys into custody in the Huron and Balsam area after they were caught breaking into vehicles in the area.

Waterfront work continues

Work continues on the Prince Arthur landing. Waterfront Project Manager Katherine Dugmore says they awarded four tenders including electrical, sewage and landscaping contracts. The foundation for the water garden pavilion, skating rink/splash pad and water feature has been installed .

Lac De Illes' future is bright

North American Palladium feels the Lac De Illes Mine has a bright future.  A study on the Thunder Bay area mine was presented to its shareholders on Tuesday.  President Bill Biggar says the mine could be producing 250-thousand ounces of Palladium by 2012.  The company says it has 150 million dollars in cash for future projects and has no long term debt.

Municipal election weeks away

Tick tock, the municipal election is just under three weeks away. Thunder Bay Returning Officer John Hannam says the deadline to register is 2pm on Friday, September the 10th. A list of registered candidates can be found on the Thunder Bay votes website.

Airport passengers up in July

Thunder Bay's Airport has recorded record breaking July traffic volumes. Last month saw an 8.8 percent increase with over 63 thousand passengers flying in and out of the local airport.  President Scott McFadden says the addition of Porter Airlines played a part in bringing more passengers into the airport.

OPP lay charges in 80's cold cases

An Ignace man is charged with 19 offences in connection with sexual assaults in the Thunder Bay area dating back to the 1980's. 62 year old Donald Milani was originally charged back in 1987, but those were discharged. But according to Sgt. Shelley Garr the cases were resurrected because of new evidence. Milani has been released from custody and will appear in court in Thunder Bay on August 30th.

City buses won't cross picket line

City buses will not cross the Northern Ontario School of Medicine strike picket lines. The City Transit Department has set up a temporary stop on Oliver Road across from the Agora entrance. Anyone wanting to enter Lakehead University will have to cross the picket line by walking or in their own vehicle.

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.