Port achieves another first

Another first for the Port of Thunder Bay. This time it's a ship that came with one load of cargo and left with another unrelated load. CEO Tim Heney says it arrived from Germany with a load of 50 wind turbines and left with a load of flax for Belgium.  Heney says it's two way service they hope will continue.

Accident sends two to hospital

Highway 61 to the U.S border is open again after being closed for a short time today  because of an accident. OPP say it was a 3 vehicle mishap that took place around quarter to 10 this morning just south of Highway 130. They say all three vehicles sustained major damage and two of the drivers were taken to hospital with minor injuries.

Road Closure Thursday

The City of Thunder Bay is closing down Lakeshore Drive on Thursday.  The roadway from Hodder Avenue to Spruce River road will be closed from 8:30 until 4 Thursday.  Crews will be repairing a watermain.

Riverfest 2010 this weekend

Fort William will be hopping this weekend. A number of festivals will be taking place in the south core including Elkfest, Doors Open Ontario, the Fort William street festival and Riverfest. Street Festival Chair Laury Alexander says downtown Fort William is thriving. The Kam River Heritage Park will also play host to a variety of local musicians, food vendors and a youth fishing derby. For more information log onto www.thunderbay.ca/riverfest

Municipal nomination deadline

Friday is the last chance for would be politicians to file their nomination papers.  The deadline for nominations in the upcoming municipal election is September 10th at 2pm.  The latest person to throw his hat into the ring is John Radl who will be taking on incumbant Joe Virdiramo in the Westfort riding.

MPP's head back to work on Monday

Hi ho, hi ho, it's off to work they go. MPP's will open up the Ontario legislature's fall session this Monday. Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro says the fall schedule will be released in the next couple of days. Mauro adds they'll be defending the local health integration networks after the PC's spent the summer slamming them.

Sally Ann needs toys

The Salvation Army is back with it's Ride for Toys fundraiser. Major Mervyn Halvorsen says a toy will be the entry fee for a motorcycle ride on September 18. He says the toys are given to needy children all year long. Donated toys can also be dropped off at any motorcycle shop in Thunder Bay.

Foundation taking grant requests

The Thunder Bay Foundation is accepting funding request applications. Executive Director Paul Wolfe says the organization has about 3 million dollars of money to grant to local charitable groups. He says there are very few restrictions on which groups can apply. The deadline for grant applications is October 11th

Shuniah Reeve seeks re-election

Maria Harding is seeking re-election as the Reeve of Shuniah. The reeve filed her nomination application last month. Harding says she wants to continue to maintain a position of balace and reason while making decisions for the community.

T-Wolves start training camp

Hockey training camp is underway for the Lakehead University Thunderwolves. Coach Joel Scherban says there are over 25 players trying out including 19 returnees. Scherban hopes to pare down the roster rather quickly.   He says the earliest would be this Friday, but realistically it's likely to come by the end of next week.  Seven players will not be returning from last years team.

Katimavik helping in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay is welcoming a Katimavik group of volunteers. 11 young Canadians will begin volunteering in the community starting this weekend.  Sarah Tamosetis is heading up the project and says they're looking forward to doing some good.  The Katmivak team is made up of 17 to 21 year olds.  The group of volunteers will be working with Habitat for Humanity, United Way, and the Salvation Army.

OPP lay additional charges

Further investigation has lead to Thunder Bay OPP laying additional charges in a drug and money seizure dating back to December.  Last year, police searched a Mapleward Road residence and seized 1.2 million dollars and 22-thousand dollars worth of drugs.  Marcel Breton is charged with possession of proceeds of crime and laundering proceeds of crime.  Breton will appear in court on October 22nd to answer the new charges.

Police looking for good samaritan

Thunder Bay's Criminal Investigations Branch is on the lookout for a good samaritan who helped two young men after they were assaulted.  Someone driving a pickup on Blucher Avenue in the early morning hours of August 27th stopped during the incident. Police would like to speak to the individual to further their investigation.

FASD Awareness Day

It's Fetal Alcohol Syndrome Awareness Day. The NorWest Community Health Centre is holding a full day workshop on FASD at the Airlane Travelodge. FASD Coordinator Maureen Parkes says people living with FASD don't necessarily understand the consequences of their actions. Lawyer David Boulding will be discussing how to help FASD clients when they are involved in the legal system.

Mining program helps Aboriginals

Aboriginal students in Northwestern Ontario are learning the ropes of the mining industry. It comes in the form of a school program backed by the industry and Cambrian College. Jonathan Kakegemic is the Principal at Cromarty High School in the city and thinks it's exciting. He says it gives Aboriginal students an incentive to continue their education once they see the program is directed towards them. 175 students are enrolled in the program at the school.

Methane gas provides renewable energy

There's more green energy on tap in the city. It comes from Thunder Bay Hydro at it's generating station on Mapleward Road. President Rob Mace says it comes in the form of methane gas from the city dump. In partnership with the city, Hydro is buying the gas that the landfill produces and turning it into electricity. Mace says the amount of energy generated can power up to 3 thousand homes in the city.

Methane machines built for safety

The city is hoping to reap the benefits of renewable energy. Two new machines are capturing methane gas from the city dump and turning it into electricity. Bruce Baxter, of Toromont Energy, helped to design the machines and says safety is priority one. He says temperature and pressure are monitored on a regular basis and that if any thresholds are exceeded it will lead to a shutdown. Thunder Bay Hydro president Rob Mace says there is potential for a third machine to be built on the site.

Ontario introduces activity tax credit

The Ontario Government is making it a little easier for parents to get their children involved in after school activities.  The province is introducing legislation creating a tax credit for those activities.  Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says its going to help both the families and kids.  If the legislation is passed, parents will be able to claim up to 500 dollars of expenses per child.

Another Candidate for Councillor at large

Former CBC host Gerald Graham will be joining the fray for this year's municipal election. Graham retired in June after 25 years as a journalist in the city and will be up against 10 other candidates for councillor at large.

Thunder Bay Kayaker sets new record

Thunder Bay's own Joe O'Blenis is the new record holder for the fastest paddling around Vancouver Island. The Kayaker made the trip in 16 days and 12 hours which beat the previous record by half a day. O'Blenis could have done even better but ran into some equipment trouble during the one thousand 140 kilometre voyage.

Police release woman's name

Thunder bay police have released the name of a woman who was found dead Friday at the Travelodge Hotel on West Arthur.

She's been identified as Verna Patricia Sturgeon of Big Trout Lake.

Police have arrested Joanee Vivier and Michele Morris in connection with the death. The two women have been charged with first degree murder.

Police airport arrest/ George Burke vandalized

Police arrested a man at the Thunder Bay Airport around 9:30 last night. They say it was in connection with a domestic dispute. They needed to use four officers in the arrest in case he refused to cooperate. The man was handcuffed at the top of the escalator without incident.

Also, police recovered a stolen, fire damaged vehicle at the George Burke baseball diamond yesterday. The vehicle was used to damage the ball field early Saturday morning before it was set on fire. Police are looking for information regarding the incident.

Anti-tobacco industry activist visits city

Errol Povah has been running and walking his way across Canada since he left Victoria, B.C . on May 31st. Povah says he's been traveling 42 kilometers a day on foot to raise money and create awareness about the dangers of smoking.

His eventual destination is Montreal and possibly New York where he plans to visit the offices of tobacco companies. Povah says someday he'd like to see the tobacco industry gone altogether.

Thunder Bay group Youth Engaged in Tobacco Free Initiatives welcomed Povah to the city Saturday morning at Marina Park. YETI brought their nine foot high puppet "Big Tobacco" to the event.

Traveling alone, Povah moves his van (which serves as his shelter) up the highway as he goes and doubles back so he can cover the distance on foot. He expects to reach Montreal by October.

 http://www.tobaccofreeworld.ca/

Police investigate murder at Travelodge

The Criminal Investigations Branch is investigating a homicide at the Travel Lodge. The murder investigation began just after 10 Friday morning, when staff discovered a 30 year old woman dead in one of the rooms. The room is being held as a crime scene and evidence at the location indicates the woman's death was related to foul play. The exact cause of death is still to be determined pending a postmortem exam. A 33 year old woman is in custody and charges are pending. The name of the victim will be held until the next of kin are notified. 

Local man takes part in Sears National Kids Cancer Ride

A Thunder Bay Man is riding his bike across Canada. Harry Fediuk is taking on the cross country trek in honour of his 2 year old son, Braeden who has cancer. He leaves Monday for Vancouver where he will join 41 other cyclists as they ride across Canada to raise money and awareness for kids with cancer. Fediuk is taking part in the Sears National Kids Cancer Ride, his profile can be viewed by googling the cause.

Sudbury company awarded construction contract

A Sudbury company is the winner of a 41.9 million dollar contract with the Ontario Government. Teranorth Construction and Engineering will be improving a six kilometer stretch of highway from Hodder Avenue to east of Highway 527. Other highway improvements will include the construction of a new interchange at Hodder Avenue, and the realignment of the Terry Fox access road.

Two more file for nomination in municipal election

There is now a two horse race in the Current River ward. Andy Wolff filed his nomination forms yesterday and will be taking on incumbent Andrew Foulds in Current River. Wolff says he thinks crime will be the number one issue in the Municipal election.  In the Neebing ward its being a crowded ring with a fourth candidate filing their papers today.  Henry Wojak is up against current councillor Linda Rydholm, former councillor Gary Shchepanik and Don Sinclair.

NOSM and OPSEU will continue negotiations

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine and OPSEU are heading back to the bargaining table. NOSM staff have been on strike since August 16th and are still picketing at the university. The talks will be taking place September 14th to 17th.

Strike date set by transit union

Bus services in Thunder Bay could halt in two weeks. The amalgamated transit union has announced a firm strike date of September 17th. Members voted 96 percent in favour of strike action Sunday. There is no word on whether more talks have scheduled.

Shipments down at Thunder Bay port

Coal and Potash shipments are on the rebound according to the Thunder Bay Port Authority. Overall the port has seen a drop of 8 percent so far this year mainly due to a decrease in grain shipments. CEO Tim Heney adds they're gearing up for a busy fall with project cargo being shipped starting this weekend.

HST Exemption at till

The Union of Ontario Indians is making calls to companies informing them they need to provide HST point of sale exemptions. Companies are now required to provide the tax exemption at the till for first nation residents.  Judy Currie is with the local Union of Indians Office and says they've received only one complaint from this region.

Accident on Fort William Road and Harbour Expressway

Thunder Bay Police are on the scene of a motor vehicle collission this afternoon. Two vehicles are involved, and some injuries were reported. It happened around the intersection of the Fort William Road and the Harbour Expressway

Conmee EMS station closed

The Conmee EMS Station is closed temporarily because of mould. Deputy Chief Don Stokes says they've moved their operations into the Kakabeka Falls fire station. Stokes says they're old facility is a trailer, and they think it may be cheaper to just replace the trailer than repair it.

Diabetes DVD released on Friday

The Dilico Anishinabek Family Care group wants to help put an end to diabetes. The group created an educational video that aims to prevent the disease from overtaking Northern Superior First Nations. The dvd provides information about Type 2 Diabetes and will be made public on Friday. 94 percent of first nations people living in the Robinson-Superior Treaty area have type 2 diabetes, which is preventable.

Rural broadband expanded

Rural communities around Thunder Bay will see improvements made to their high speed internet connections. The money was set aside by large telecommunication companies after the CRTC made them allocate some of their money to rural broadband services.  Dorion, Pass Lake, MacDiarmid, Armstrong, Nakina and Marathon are slated for upgrades this year.

NAPS seizes drugs

Nishnawbe Aski Police executed a search warrant of the Fort Hope First Nation. Police seized a street value of approximately 14-thousand dollars worth of OxyContin prescription drugs. 32 year old Linda Josephine Wabano and 32 year old Normand Sidney Shawinimash have each been charged with Possession for the Purpose of Trafficking. Wabano and Shawinimash have both been released on conditions and will appear in court on November 4th.

It's coffee break month

Thunder Bay's Alzheimer Society is celebrating 15 years of "coffee breaks". The fundraiser is being held throughout the month of September. Spokesperson Jason Paul Rasevych says anyone interested in holding a coffee break can pick up a kit from the Alzheimer Society office.

Global Sticks targetting an October start up

Global Sticks is now targeting October for its grand opening. The wooden stick manufacturing factory was originally slated to start up in July but spokesperson Hans-Erik Aamand says there were some issues that slowed up work but the facility should be up and running sometime next month.  The company will build sticks for ice cream bars, popsicles and paint stirring.  When in full operation the facility will employ around 80 people.

Summer Company comes to an end

Thunder Bay's entrepreneur centre is heralding the benefits of the Summer Company program.  Director of the Community Economic Development Commisssion Rebecca Johnson says youth that take part in the program could help guide the city's future.  Johnson notes if they can run a successful business in Thunder Bay now, they'll be more likely to do it again when they've completed their schooling.  A wrap up ceremony was held on Thursday for the local students who took part in this summer's program.

Federal funding rolled out

The Federal Government is helping employ disabled people in the Thunder Bay area. Parliamentry Secretary for Official Languages Greg Rickford was in town yesterday and announced over 200 thousand dollars for the Independent Living Resource Centre. The organization will use the money to provide their program to an additional 90 people. The program helps people living with disabilities gain the skills they need to obtain jobs, prepare for self-employment or return to school.

Get ready for some rain

Get out your rain gear! Its going to get wet in Thunder Bay. Environment Canada's Geoff Coulson says a low pressure system is moving into the area that could bring 20 to 30 millimetres of rain. Coulson says if there is any thunderstorm activity there could be even more rain and some areas could see rainfall warnings. The weather will turn around for the weekend, with sunshine and temperatures nearing the 20 degree mark for Saturday, Sunday and Monday.

Thunder Bay Votes 2010

Thunder Bay's returning officer is gearing up for the upcoming municipal election.  John Hannam says the city is the first in the country to offer a mobile polling station.  Hannam says they'll be driving the voting van around the city during advance polls.  The van will be parked for a full day at both Confederation College and Lakehead University as a way to promote the youth vote.  If you're not sure if you're registered to vote in the upcoming municipal election; you can find out by checking the voter's list at City Hall or any of Thunder Bay's libraries.  More information on the upcoming 2010 municipal election is available at http://www.thunderbay.ca/

Industry Minister vists Northwest

It was a campaign-style visit to Northwestern Ontario this week for Industry Minister Tony Clement. Clement spoke to a group of area leaders asking for their help in electing Maureen Comuzzi-Stehman. Clement is backing Stehman who is carrying the Conservative banner in the Thunder Bay-Rainy River riding. Clement criticized MP John Rafferty for the decisions he's made in Ottawa, suggesting they're not consistant with the values and principals of the riding. Meanwhile, seven groups around the Thunder Bay area are receiving FEDNOR dollars to hire youth interns. Clement says the organizations are taking advantage of a program that helps give young people some much needed work experience.

Focus North Forum comes to end

Canada's Northern Development Ministers are leaving Thunder Bay with a better sense of how they can help the north. Ontario's Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle says they're going to tackle the north's infrastructure deficit.  Gravelle says many communities have a hard time coming up with their share of funding for infrastructure projects.  Each provincial minister had the opportunity to speak with Federal Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan earlier in the day.  Gravelle used his time with the Minister to discuss the Northern Growth Plan.

Rogers and TBayTel are making strides on a Northwestern 3G network

TBayTel and Rogers are making progress on their joint project that will see a 3G network cover the region. Starting this month Rogers customers will start their transition into TBayTel coverage. TBayTel President Don Campbell says work on turning over the 3G network is on target and should be operational in Thunder Bay and other bigger centres in the region by November. Campbell says the partnership will also give customers a greater selection of hand held devices and services.

The Waterfront Project is facing cost overruns

The Prince Arthur landing project has seen a few ups and down recently on the financial front. A number of tenders have come in over budget forcing some alterations and postponements. Project Manager Katherine Dugmore says costs overruns are being dealt with by removing portions of the tenders or putting off  work to later dates. Dugmore says if council adds to the budget, 50 percent of the additional costs would come from taxpayers.

Terry Fox's parents remember

Today marks the day Terry Fox was forced to put an end to his cross Canada Marathon for Hope.  It was 30 years ago when Fox stopped in Thunder Bay.  His parents say today is bittersweet, and they'll be using the anniversary to pay tribute to him.  No official ceremony is planned in Thunder Bay.

Harvey wins conservative nomination

Richard Harvey needed two tries but he was finally chosen as the conservative representative for Thunder Bay Superior North at yesterday's party nomination meeting. Harvey lost last year to Michael Auld but had another chance after Auld bowed out due to health problems. Harvey defeated Richard Longtin for the federal nomination.

City unveils new voting machine

A new voting machine will make it easier for people with disabilities to cast their ballot during the municipal election. The City unveiled the unit at city hall yesterday. The machines cost between 35 and 40 thousand dollars to lease and support services for the machines will cost around 80 thousand.