No playing favourites

Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle is clearing the air.  The Thunder Bay Superior North MPP says he's not playing favourites when it comes to the future site of a Ring of Fire processing plant.  Gravelle is reacting to the Mayor's recent comments saying the MPP should heavily promote Thunder Bay.  Keith Hobbs stated recently that Gravelle should push for his riding rather than the entire North.

Two charged with robbery

Two people are facing charges after the Memorial Avenue Shoppers Drug Mart was robbed on January 4th. Police Spokesperson Chris Adams says officers arrested a 24 year old woman last night and a 26 year old man this morning.  A large quantity of pills was seized as well.  The two are charged with a variety of offences including robbery with threats and possession of a controlled substance.  Adams says officers are still investigating the robberies of Jansen's Pharmacy and the Red River Shopper's Drug Mart and have released a picture of the suspect of the Red River Suspect.

Atikokan Renewable Fuels waits

A partner in the company Atikokan Renewable Fuels says they were forced to lay off most of their employees.  The company is still waiting for a wood allocation from the Province so they can make pellets for the OPG plant.  Ed Fukishima says the process is flawed and he's disappointed.  Fukishima says time is working against them and they continue to wait to hear word on the allocation.

Meetings streamed online well received

75 people have tuned into the first four City Council meetings broadcast online.  City Clerk John Hannam says they're tracking unique visits to the live streaming site.  Hannam says the next step will be to narrow down where the viewers are from.

TBAY Medical Hostel proposed

A member of the Atikokan General Hospital board feels there's a need for an affordable place to stay in Thunder Bay for regional patients and their families traveling for medical purposes. Marlene Davidson says a medical hostel could be an alternative to those who can't afford the 75 to 100 dollar a night hotels. Davidson envisions the hostel being similar to one in Thunder Bay set up for aboriginal patients.

Horwath makes election promise

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath continues to attack the McGuinty Government's failure to remove the HST from hydro, and home heating bills. Horwath says Northerners are struggling and need a break. Horvath says if her party is elected she would remove the HST from home heating oil and natural gas.

Air Bravo deal falls through

A deal between Air Bravo to purchase Thunder Airlines has fallen through.  President Ken Bittle says Air Bravo was unable to meet the deadlines and stipulations set out in the contract.  The two companies announced the deal in November. Bittle says it will be business as usual.

Accused teens in court

The two teenage girls who are accused of second degree murder will be back in court next month.  The 14 and 15 year old were lead into court in hand cuffs Thursday morning.  The accused were remanded into custody until their next court date.  The charges stem from the death of a 16 year old Sachigo Lake First Nation girl

Another attempted robbery at local drug store

No one was hurt after a third armed robbery of a drug store.  Police say a woman tried to rob the Shoppers Drug Mart on Red River at about 7 o'clock last night. The woman was armed with a syringe and when she was denied pills she fled on foot.  At this time police are not connecting this with a similar robbery that happened Tuesday night on Memorial.

Ndrangheta expert sheds more light on organization

Thunder Bay's cocaine trade could be on the rise. Italian Author Antonio Nicaso has written several books on Ndrangheta and in an exclusive interview with our newsroom says this organization is one of the biggest cocaine traffickers in the world and view Canada as a great place to invest money and as a conduit to the US cocaine market. Nicaso says Thunder Bay's port could be very attractive to Ndrangheta because laws and regulations in Canadian Ports are Lax in comparison to the US.

Charlton case ends

The trial of a Thunder Bay driver involved in a fatal car accident has come to a close. Thomas Charlton is charged with the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.  The charges stem from an accident that claimed the life of a 14 year old boy two years ago.  Judge Helen Pierce will make her verdict on February 14th.

Tainted Turkey cause of illness at Slovak Legion

It was tainted turkey that caused many holiday goers to become ill after dining at the Slovak Legion.  The Thunder Bay Health Unit found bacteria in the samples collected earlier in the month.  34 people came down with stomach flu like symptoms after eating a Christmas dinner on December 14th.

NAN Grand Chief in New Zealand

The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation is traveling to New Zealand next week.  He'll be taking part in a conference that will look at environmental issues.  He'll be one of the panel speakers representing First Nations living in the boreal forest.

Bombardier's LRT favoured in report

A national think-tank is favouring Bombardier's light rail transit over extending Toronto's subway line. The Pembina Institute compared costs and benefits of the proposed subway with the LRT plan in a recent report.  Author Cherise Burda says she hopes Mayor Rob Ford will take heed and see the LRT plan provides better service for less money.  The report says the four L-R-T projects would deliver more than twice as much service for every dollar invested than the proposed subway extension.

Council updated on pricey lawsuit

The Horizon Wind lawsuit was the main topic of a closed door session of city council Tuesday night.  City administration provided an update on the 126 million dollar claim.  Councillor Ken Boshcoff says the meeting dealt with the legal processes available to the City.  Meanwhile, Boshcoff says they are looking at ways of letting people know what their closed door sessions are about.  An arbitration hearing in Toronto will be held next Wednesday.

Another armed robbery at a local drug store

No one was hurt in another armed robbery of a drug store.  Police say a woman armed with a syringe made off with some pills after holding up the Memorial Street Shoppers last night just before 6 o'clock.  The robbery followed a similar one December 28 involving a man at the Janzen's Pharmacy in Westfort.

Passengers stranded in White River for 14 hours

Greyhound passengers are upset with the company after being stranded in White River for over 14 hours on Sunday. Thunder Bay resident and passenger Elaine Legarde describes the situation as abuse. She says they didn't receive any information from Greyhound itself, and notes she received updates by chasing down OPP officers and talking to locals. Some passengers are considering a lawsuit. Greyhound is vowing to review its protocols.

Gravelle provides an update

A Thunder Bay office for the Ring of Fire should be open by February or March.  Minister of Northern Development and Mines Michael Gravelle provided the update on Tuesday.  Gravelle adds he'll be creating an advisory council that will include aboriginal stakeholders, the mining industry and post secondary institutions.  The aboriginal consultation stakeholder Director will be announced in February or March as well.

Charlton in court

Three days have been set aside for the Superior Court Case of a Thunder Bay man.  Thomas Charlton is charged with the dangerous operation of a motor vehicle causing death.  The charges stem from an accident two years ago that claimed the life of a 14 year old boy.

Ramped up Festive RIDE program comes to an end

The Festive RIDE campaign has come to an end and almost 24 thousand vehicles were stopped in the Thunder Bay area. OPP Sergeant Dave Bell says its disappointing to see people still drinking and driving.  Bell says between the OPP and Thunder Bay police 17 people were charged with impaired driving. 

School Bus Accident update

Charges have been laid in connection with yesterday's bus accident.  Thunder Bay Police Traffic Sergeant Glen Porter says one man was charged. The incident involved a stopped bus at the intersection of River and Algoma.  Porter says the driver of the vehicle which rear ended the bus is charged with careless driving.

Cold weather with us for a while

2010's weather turned out to be mild compared to normals for the region. Thunder Bay's average temperature for the year was the warmest it's been in 10 years. Meterologist Bill Laidlaw says unfortunately the New Year isn't going to be warm. The wind chill will make temperatures around minus 30.

Busy RIDE Program

It was a busy holiday season for Thunder Bay police.  Over 17-thousand vehicles were checked with 10 people being charged with impaired driving.  6 people received 3 day licence suspensions and one person was nabbed for driving under the influence of a drug.  More people were checked and charged in 2010 than the previous year.

RCMP charge Dryden men

The RCMP have charged 2-Dryden men in relation to last month's weapons seizure.  RCMP say 71-year-old Robert McGillivray faces a total of 66-charges including unauthorized possession of a prohibited weapon and possessing a prohibited weapon for the purpose of trafficking.  70-year-old Roger Nordlund faces 1-count of possessing a prohibited weapon for the purpose of trafficking.  The two were arrested at a gun show in Brandon, Manitoba, where police seized several illegal and improperly registered knives and guns.  Dryden Police laid 11-charges against McGillivray in an investigation and search of a Park Crescent home.  A total of 150-weapons were seized in Dryden and Brandon.

Baby Boomers at risk of getting Alzheimers

Baby boomers turn 65 this year, and according to the Alzheimer Society they're not ready to fight against the disease. Alzheimer's Society Spokesperson Jason Rasevych says over half of Thunder Bay's population is at risk. Rasevych encourages people to visit their office or website for information on the early warning signs of the disease.  January is Alzheimer Awareness Month.

Ring of Fire update on the way

We'll know more about a local office for the Ring of Fire later today.  Minister of Northern Development Michael Gravelle is in town today to provide an update on the mining project.  In early December it was announced that an office was to be opened and staffed starting this month.

Stolen vehicle lands 4 in jail

Thunder Bay police arrested 4 people this morning after a short car chase.  Officers spotted a car just before 3 o'clock and found that it had been reported stolen.  Officers signaled the car to pull over but the driver kept driving.  After following the car for a few blocks the car stopped and the driver fled on foot.  Officers managed to arrest the 36 year old Thunder Bay man and also arrested 3 women who were in the vehicle.  The driver is charged with possession of stolen property and driving while disqualified.  

School Bus Accident

There was a traffic accident this morning at 8 am involving a school bus. The school bus struck another vehicle at the intersection of Algoma and River. Thankfully no injuries were reported. The school bus had to be towed off the scene, and police are advising motorists to stay clear of the scene until cleanup is completed. The Magic news room will have more on this story as it develops.

Accident on Dawson Road

There was an accident last night on Dawson Road involving a small car and a transport truck which was reportedly carrying explosives. 3 pumper units and 1 hazmat unit were called for assistance. The fuel tank of the transport had been ruptured. Approximately 25 gallons of fuel was spilled and no injuries were sustained. The fuel leak was controlled with sand dikes and no fire occurred. Dawson road was closed until clean up was complete and damaged vehicles were removed.

A Happy New Year for Union Gas Customers

Union Gas customers in northwestern Ontario will see a slight decrease in their bills starting January 1st. Spokesperson Kerry Dudley Tatsu says it's good news especially during the cold winter months. Customers in Northern area should see a decrease of about a dollar per year on their average gas bill. The Ontario Energy Board approved a decrease in the cost of natural gas of about 2.3 cents per cubic metre.

Seat belt law turns 35

Ontario's seat belt law is turning 35. The law went into effect January 1st, 1976. Ontario was the first province to make it mandatory to buckle up and since then it's estimated seat belt use has saved more than 8,000 lives. OPP Traffic Sergeant Ken Mantey says fastening your seat belt is the most important thing you can do when you get into a motor vehicle. Nearly 93% of all Ontarians use seat belts; that's up from just 17% when the law came into effect. Mantey says he's perplexed by  those who still don't take the simple precaution.

Police beefing up New Year's patrols

City police will be out in force this New Year's Eve.   32 extra officers are being deployed this evening.  There's also additional support staff to handle extra files and other administrative work.   Plans are to heavily patrol both downtown cores. 

Food delivery prepares for rush

New Years Eve is one of the busiest nights of the year for the food delivery business. Local eateries are gearing up by getting huge quantities of ingredients ready and calling in extra staff. Papa Piccolino's Pizza owner David Falvo says it's a good idea to order early and that he's expecting about double the normal business. Golden Bakery owner Angelo Perna also suggests planning ahead and ordering much earlier in the day if you know you'll want food at a certain time.

Cabbies set for busy New Year's

If you are out partying Friday night  and plan to get a cab ride home, call well head of when you plan to leave. Dennis LeBeau of Roach's Taxi says New Year's is always busy.   He says the wait times for a cab will be about an hour.   LeBeau says they'll have all 42 taxi's on the street New Year's Eve.

Snow rings in 2011

It's going to be a snowy start to the new year. Meteorologist Alyssa Young says a second Colorado low is about to bear down on us. She says depending on how intense the ice pellets are, we could get 10 to 15 cm by New Years Day. Meantime to our west Atikokan, Fort Frances and Dryden have been getting hit with up to 15 cm and up to 20 cm more is expected.

Police save drunk from himself

A city snowplow operator has a story to tell today.  Police say he was working overnight on Court Street near John when a man walked in front of his machine and wouldn't let him pass.  They say the man was drunk and wanted to be run over.   The man spent the night in police custody

Wind farm debate tops local news

2010 was another busy news year in Thunder Bay.  There was no escaping the wind farm debate at city council. The proposal to build wind turbines on the Nor' Wester escarpment caused a major stir and was felt by our newsroom to be the top story in Thunder bay for this year. Keith Hobbs victory in the mayor's race came in second.

Hoad says it's about time for new warning labels

A local health official says he is relieved warning labels on cigarette packages will finally be bigger and more graphic. The Health Unit's Simon Hoad says the government's decision to change the warnings should have been done sooner.  Hoad says the newer images are necessary because the older ones aren't as effective anymore.

Adam Leon's legal saga continues

A law enforcement official in Thunder Bay says Adam Leon could be returning here soon.
Thunder Bay RCMP Detachment Commander Norman Roy says Leon will be released from federal jail today in the States and will next appear in U-S immigration court.  At that time he says a judge will determine whether he should be deported to Canada or not.   As well there is an outstanding warrant for his arrest in Thunder Bay.  Leon is the Confederation College student who took a Cessna from the college flying school and flew it illegally in American airspace.

Injuries in snow machine accident

One man is hurt following an early morning snowmobiling mishap in Shuniah Township Thursday.   OPP say it was a collision between two snow machines on West Loon Lake.   They say one of the victims may have sustained two broken legs. 

Citizen's arrest attempt

A local man got more than he bargained for when he tried to make a citizen's arrest last night on East Empire Street. The 22 year old chased two people after he saw them break into his truck. He caught up to one of them--a teenage girl--but quickly backed off when her male accomplice pulled out a knife. The two suspects then ran into a laneway. The K-9 unit was called into to track the pair; no arrests have been made. Thunder Bay Police say making a citizens arrest can be risky and that it's often better to call 911 and just keep an eye on the suspects.

Operation Red Nose wraps up

Operation Red Nose has wrapped up for the year. While the exact numbers are still being calculated, Honourary Chair Ken Boschcoff calls this year's program a success. He says there was an increase in sponsorships, volunteers, kilometers traveled and rides given. Boshcoff says he hopes community groups consider partnering with the program next year to help offer more rides and expand the service. The program currently isn't able to run on New Year's Eve. However, Boshcoff says it's only the second year for the program and New Year's Eve service is something they'd like to offer in the future once more volunteer support is in place.

Future health pros look to work here

It appears local students studying in the health profession want to work in Thunder Bay. Many of them were at a city reception held just for them. A common theme appeared to be the desire of many students there to find work at home after their studies are complete. It was the 10th annual affair

Hunt continues for robbery suspect

Police are still looking for  the person responsible for Tuesday's robbery at Jenzen's Pharmacy in Westfort.  They say A man wearing a mask and armed with a knife and syringe, entered the store and demanded oxy's and morphine.  He ran off and hasn't been seen since.

Surveillance cam follows drunk driver

City police have a man in the cells this morning who gave them a bit of a video show overnight.   They say the man was spotted on the Eye on the Street surveillance system getting out of a south side bar drunk and getting in his vehicle.  Officials followed him on video for about 5 minutes as he returned to the bar, relieved himself and was taken into custody.

Stevenson Getting Down to Business

2011 is going to be a pivotal year for Brian Stevenson. The new president of Lakehead University says he has a number personal goals. Developing an international strategy and establishing scholarships for aboriginal students are a few of Stevenson's goals he would like to see started by this time next year. Stevenson says there were no surprises when he arrived to take on the new position this year and that he is ready to make positive changes for the school and the community.

2010 Successful for Crime Stoppers

Thunder Bay's Crime Stoppers program is reporting another successful year. Constable Jerry Tabucci says they've received over 700 tips in 2010 with over 1400 dollars worth of awards for tips being given out. Tabucci says even though tips declined from 2009 they're still pleased with the program.

Boxing Day Madness

Thunder Bay experienced one of its busiest boxing days in recent years with hundreds of customers flocking to Future Shop, Wal-Mart and the Intercity area. The most popular of items being sold were electronics specifically big screen T.V's, but the most surprising item flying off the shelves were frying pans some that were price reduced up to 100 dollars. One associate store manager said this year it seems shoppers are taking advantage of the economic downturn and are buying more for themselves.

Christmas Tree Disposal

Christmas Tree chipping sites are open starting December 26. City Spokesperson Jason Scherband says there are five locations on both the North and South sides of Thunder Bay. Trees are brought from recycling locations to composting sites at which they are shredded up and turned into soil and compost that is offered back to residents in the spring. You must take all ornaments, tinsel and plastic tree bags off of the tree to have it chipped.

Kettles stuffed this year

The work put in by volunteers for the Thunder Bay Christmas Kettle Campaign is paying off. Over 147 thousand dollars was raised in this year's campaign: a new record. The Salvation Army's Major Mervyn Halverson says he's grateful for the generosity of city residents. The money will go towards the charity's food bank and other programs as well, such as mobile feeding and anti-bullying education.