Walk for memories Sunday

The InterCity Mall is going to bustle with activity on Sunday. The Alzheimer Society is holding it's Walk for Memories today with over 200 people taking part. A "memory lane" will be set up with over 450 names written in tribute to loved ones lost to the disease. The walk gets underway at 10:30 this morning with closing ceremonies at 11:15.

LHIN surgeries in area towns

Those waiting for surgery can breath a little easier thanks to the North West Local Health Integration Network.  The LHIN is providing more than 275-thousand dollars in one-time funding for the regional joint replacement program.  The money will provide 40-more hip and knee replacement surgeries in Dryden, Kenora and Fort Frances.  Wait times for these type of procedures are between 166 and 173 days, just below the Provincial target.

CWD Study wraps up

The Ministry of Natural Resources is reflecting on its 2010 chronic wasting disease surveillance program. The MNR collected deer heads for testing of chronic wasting disease.  Wildlife Research Technician Tory Buchanan says the initiative was well received in Northwestern Ontario.  362 deer heads were tested in the Dryden, Kenora and Fort Frances Districts. All results came back negative.  Chronic wasting disease is a fatal disease affecting members of the deer family.

Sudbury has early smelter lead

There is still no final selection made for the chromite smelter for the Ring of Fire development, but so far Sudbury appears to be the favourite location. According to the mining company, Cliff's Natural Resources, Sudbury has the necessary power requirements for the facility, however, Thunder Bay, Greenstone and Timmins are still being considered. The company admits though, that because of the current power prices in Ontario there isn't a place that is economically viable to operate the smelter.

DSSAB new CAO

The organization that takes care of welfare, child care and public housing in the city has a new boss. Melissa Harrison of Kirkland Lake is the new CAO of the District Social Services Administration Board. Harrison says her goal is poverty reduction through government help. Harrison takes over from the recently retired Mary Lucas.

Closson in Thunder Bay

The head of the Ontario Hospital Association is collecting feedback from area hospitals.  Tom Closson was in Thunder Bay yesterday to speak with Hospital Board Chairs and C.E.O.'s.  Closson is calling on the government to freeze hospital union salaries.  Closson will be bringing the region's concerns back to the Provincial Government.

Download caps byte

As the government ponders it's decision on capping Internet downloads, a rural Thunder Bay woman can speak first hand about the issue. Connie Nickelsen lives in Nolalu and gets Internet via satellite. She says her 20 gigabyte limit is very restrictive and even prevents her from taking an online course from Lakehead University. She says the amount of megabytes it would consume would put her over the limit very quickly and would become very expensive. Nickelsen says it's very easy to exceed your monthly limit without knowing it.

Suspicious man offering kids rides

Thunder Bay Police are on the lookout for a middle aged man.  Police say a 13 year old girl was offered a ride by the suspicious man in the area of Regina Avenue and Birch Grove Drive. The vehicle is described as a blue two door pick up.

Fort Frances Man back from Cairo

A Fort Frances father of three is happy to be home after a harrowing trip to Egypt.  Tristan Hutton was visiting his sister in Cairo when the anti-government protests erupted.  Hutton says it was a trying experience, in order to get into the airport corrupt police officials were asking for bribes.  He adds before their flight could take off officials demanded 2-thousand dollars in US funds.  Hutton says the Canadians on board were so frustrated they just delved into their pockets and handed over the cash.  Hutton took advantage of an evacuation to Germany on Monday.

NOSM Dean awarded Order of Australia

The Dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine is getting a big honour in his home country.  Doctor Roger Strasser is being awarded with the Order of Australia.  Strasser says was given the award for his work in the health care sector through teaching, research and practicing medicine.

Stabbing leaves one man in hospital

One man is in hospital this morning after being stabbed in the chest.  The incident happened on South May Street at around 9:30 last night.  Police arrested a 21 year old man and charged him with aggravated assault.  The 24 year old victim is in stable condition.

Hope Classic happens in two weeks

The 2011 Hope Classic curling bonspiel is all set for the weekend of February 18th.   The event has a history of raising a great deal of money in support of breast cancer services at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.   Last year the curlers collected 169 thousand dollars.

Rafferty's Pension Bill suffers a setback

Thunder Bay MP John Rafferty is disappointed this morning after he had a compromised proposal that was rejected by the conservative government.  Rafferty proposed a compromise to change the bill and still protect workers pensions but it was vetoed by the Harper government.  Rafferty says he's very disappointed.  The Bill will proceed as is for a final vote sometime next month.

Detox housing strategy coming to council

The Crime Prevention Council is throwing its support behind the idea of creating more detox beds.  Administration is bringing a resolution to council on Monday night calling for a short term housing strategy for those people who are addicted to alcohol or drugs.  City Manager Tim Commisso says they're going to ask council for 30-thousand dollars.  The District Social Services Board has already put 30 thousand towards the project.  Deputy Police Chief JP Levesque says police will be freed up to do more work on the street if there's more substance use beds in the City.

Youth Study launched

The needs of homeless youth in Thunder Bay are not being met.  That's the belief of the Children's Aid Society.  Spokesperson Michelle Vibert says they're conducting a study to assess the services available to street kids.  The C.A.S. is conducting focus groups with youth who are living on the street and those kids who have moved onto a better life.

Hebert set to announce intentions

It appears Larry Hebert has made up his mind. The city councillor is being courted by the Progressive Conservative Party to run for the party's nomination in the provincial riding of Thunder Bay-Atikokan. Hebert says he hopes to announce his decision on Friday. Former Lakehead University President Fred Gilbert says he 's going after the nomination which will be taking place on March 20th

Second Crime Council meeting held

The second meeting of the Crime Prevention Council covered a lot of ground.  Mayor Keith Hobbs introduced the idea of creating a community safety award.  Meanwhile, the Children's Aid Society announced they are launching a study of services available to "street" and homeless youth. 

Gravelle walking a fine line

Michael Gravelle says he's working to find a compromise in an area tourist outfitters dispute. The Northern Development Minister says he understands how upset some of the outfitters are over increased government fees, especially since it was their own association that recommended them.  Gravelle hopes to find a solution that will be agreeable to all sides

Drug strategy up for review

The city is one step away from having a new drug strategy. It has over 100 recommendations which are designed to help reduce the use of drugs in the community. However Councillor Rebecca Johnson says it'll have to be done without taxpayers money. She says organizations and individuals should be able to implement some of the recommendation by allocating their dollars more efficiently. The strategy goes to councillors for a vote in April.

Tourist Outfitters upset with NOTO

NOTO has become the Ministry of Natural Resources lap dog. That's the thought of Paul Boucher the owner of Ogoki Frontier. Boucher says many camps feel betrayed after their land use permit fees went up 800 percent. Rental fees went from 125 dollars to around 800. Boucher says they didn't receive proper warning of the change.

NOTO stands by its decision

NOTO doesn't agree with angry tourist outfitters upset with increases to their land rental fees.  The organization that looks after tourist outfitters is standing by its decision to move to a market value rent system.  Executive Director Doug Reynolds says they warned outfitters that the changes were coming.  Reynolds says they negotiated the best deal they could and feels it's unfair to say they sold the industry out. Tourist outfitters used to pay a 125 dollar administration fee and now pay 825 dollars in rent.

NAPS makes deal with RCMP

Changes are in store for a remote island near Attawapiskat. 12 Nishnawbe Aski Police officers were recently appointed as special RCMP Constables. Sgt. Jackie George says it's because it was getting hard to provide service to a nearby island. The move means NAPS can provide service to the island which falls under RCMP jurisdiction. In the past any service calls to the island had to be followed up by RCMP in Nunavut.

Local lab helps solve Winnipeg cold case

A Thunder Bay DNA lab has helped Winnipeg police make an arrest from a death back in the 80's. Warnex PRO DNA was used to test some hair samples from the case of a girl who was found tied up and frozen to death in a shed in 1984. A 47 year old man has been charged with 1st degree murder in the case.

City still looking for arbitration

The City is taking another run at moving the Horizon Wind Farm Lawsuit to arbitration.  A city official has confirmed with our newsroom that the City will be appealing the Superior Courts decision to reject Thunder Bay's bid for arbitration.  A date for the appeal has not been set.

Water rates going up

City administration is calling for a 14.3 percent increase to water rates for 2011. Environment Manager Kerri Marshall says water and sewer rates are still affordable. Based on the consumption of 200 cubic meters; the average customer will see an extra $8.07 on their monthly bill. The annual cost would be $774.10.  Councillor Mark Bentz raised the point that the Province is no longer allowing municipalities to put of maintenance upgrades due to health and safety concerns over drinking water.

City behind on infrastructure spending

The City of Thunder Bay is behind on investing in its infrastructure.  Administration told councillors Tuesday night they have a 15 million dollar infrastructure shortfall.  Pavement rehabilitation is behind four million; road network improvements are down 3 million and storm sewers are in need of 1.8 million dollars in upgrades.  City Councillor Mark Bentz says they need to start spending more on these types of projects noting its a safety concern.  The 2011 budget proposes putting an extra million dollars towards roads bringing the total amount of infrastructure spending this year to 10.1 million.

Future Property Taxes Projected

The City of Thunder Bay is looking into the future.  Administration is forecasting the 2012 property tax increase to be between 2.8 percent and 4.1 percent for the average residential property.  Treasurer Carol Busch says the city needs to decrease costs, increase revenues and grow the assessment base through economic development in order to bring the 2012 tax rate down.

City releases debt figures

The City of Thunder Bay is 179 million dollars in debt. That's one of the figures found in the 2011 budget overview. Borrowing money for capital projects accounts for 68 million dollars of the city's total debt. Water and Wastewater loans for the treatment plants is 96.9 million; and the remainder of the debt is from debentures made for TBayTel. For every dollar the City has in its reserve funds it has a dollar ninety in debt. Municipal credit rating agencies recommend having a debt to reserve ratio of a dollar for dollar.

First budget meeting held

City Councillor's are getting an earful on the 2011 budget.  Administration provided a budget overview Tuesday night.  The Health Unit, H.A.G.I. Transit, Parking Authority, Library and Victoriaville Centre are just some of the boards and agencies that are asking for more money from the city. City staff also found 7.8 million dollars in cost savings in department budgets, and the District Social Services Board levy.  Budget meetings are being held throughout this month.

Law School gets boost

A Law School for Lakehead University got a huge boost. The Ad Hoc Committee on the Approval of New Canadian Law Degree Programs recently made a recommendation to the Council of the Federation of the Law Societies of Canada to approve Lakehead University's proposal for a new law degree program.

Rafferty urges rejection of CRTC decision

Thunder Bay MP John Rafferty says the government must reject a CRTC decision allowing Internet Service Providers to charge more money. The broadcast regulator says it's okay for ISP's to put a cap on data downloads. Rafferty says the move is on to get the government to reverse the policy. Rafferty says such a policy will be disastrous for people in northern Ontario who rely on the Internet for business and entertainment

Hyer ready if budget triggers vote

Finance Minister Jim Flaherty says the federal budget will be brought down next month. It's a budget that is expected by many to trigger an election this year. Thunder Bay MP Bruce Hyer says...bring it on.   He says while not "dying for an election" he's ready for one.  Hyer won't make any prediction's on how he feels the whole scene might play out.

NWO still not heart smart

Northwestern Ontario is getting a poor grade when it comes to our opionion of our heart health. If you think you are healthy, eat enough vegetables and are active enough, chances are your sadly mistaken. A new survey done by the Heart and Stroke foundation shows 90 percent of Canadians think they are healthy but the same number live with at least one heart disease risk factor. Northern Hearts President Doctor Christopher Lai says Thunder Bay is one of the least active communities in the province.

Unrest in Africa and the Middle East is spreading

With over a quarter million protesters flooding the streets in Cairo today a Lakehead University Professor is predicting the unrest to spread. Laure Paquette says with Jordon announcing today that its government has been fired, things could spread even further. Paquette says Syria is the next country to keep an eye on. She says with the potential of democratic reforms leading to extremists being elected, tensions in Israel are on the rise as well.

Suspended officer makes court appearance

A city police officer, charged with breach of trust, dreturns to court next month.   43 year old Constable Toni Grann appeared in court Tuesday on the 12 charges which police say involved falisfied local records in the Ontario Sex Offender Registry.  The 11 year veteran of the Thunder Bay Police Service is suspended with pay.  Marc Huneault is a prosector from Sudbury who is handling the case which is due back in court March 28th

Thundewolves team up with Cancer Centre

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The Lakehead Thunderwolves men's hockey team are standing up for the fight against Prostate Cancer. Executive Director Jason Mallon says players will be wearing special Jerseys Saturday that include the Prostate Man emblem.  Fans will get to take part in a silent auction and the winning bidders will have the Jerseys presented to them at the end of the game.  All proceeds are going to the Northern Cancer Fund.

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No injuries in early morning fire

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue dealt with a small fire this morning. Three pumpers were called to a house at Fox Court on the Thunder Bay First Nations. No one was hurt and the damage was confined to a storage shed.

Youth Services Board proposed

Councillor Iain Angus wants to create a Youth Services Board for organizations that provide activities for area youngsters.  Angus says he came up with the idea for a board after the Underground Gym asked for municipal funds.  He says it's a way for Council to show leadership.  Councillor Rebecca Johnson says there are already a number of youth committees; so why would they reinvent something they already have.  Councillor Joe Virdiramo and Mayor Keith Hobbs
said they like the idea of the board but they don't think it's the right time to embark on the project.  The proposal is being put on hold and will be discussed again during the Strategic Planning Process.

Council approve 1.9 million dollars in grants

Thunder Bay City Council has doled out almost 2 million dollars to 16 community groups.  The cash flows from the Community and Cultural Funding Program.  The Community Auditorium, Museum, Art Gallery, and Symphony Orchestra are just some of the organizations who received grants.

Black Path to be examined

Thunder Bay's Mayor Keith Hobbs is vowing to turn the McIntyre area's "black path" into a safe path.  Councillors asked a variety of questions to the 17 year old who started the petition to get the walkway lit and monitored by video cameras.  Hobbs feels community policing would help make the pathway safer.  Councillor Andrew Foulds says lighting makes residents feel more confident and safe.  Administration will be providing a costing report to council on February 9th.

90.5 FM wants municipal cash

Thunder Bay's Information Radio Station is looking for cash from the City of Thunder Bay.  90.5 FM is a broadcasting service that repeats a steady loop of local weather, road and emergency information.  The group wants 18-thousand dollars from the city as a lease payment.  The money would be used to pay the employees who update the radio feed.  The station began broadcasting in the fall of 2010.  If the city doesn't provide the cash the company will either apply for a commerical licence or pull the radio station out of the City.

T-Wolves defenceman retires

Pierre-Marc Guilbault has left the Lakehead Thunderwolves hockey team after deciding to retire .The defenceman is an engineering major from St. Julie, Quebec.  He only played 14 games this season after suffering a November concussion. While he's been cleared by doctors to play, he's decided to focus on his studies so his can graduate from Lakehead this spring

Police Inspector faces misconduct charge

A member of the Thunder Bay Police is suspended after being charged with misconduct relating to an alleged neglect of duty.  Police say that Inspector Dan Taddeo is facing Police Services Act charges in connection to how he supervised a worker.  He will be in court February 16th when police say details of the case will be made public at that time.  The investigation was conducted by Toronto police at the request of Chief Bob Herman.

Daycare case back in court

It's back to court in March for a former daycare worker charged with fraud.   Sherrel Pucci is also charged with theft and passing off forged papers after Footsteps Daycare reported to police that the organization had been missing 15 thousand dollars.  Police say Pucci was the daycare's Executive Director at the time of the alleged fraud.  Pucci will make a court appearance March first when some of the evidence is presented in a hearing prior to the actual trial.

ARF gets millions to renovate

Thunder Bay's Ed Fukushima is on his way to developing a wood pellet plant in Atikokan. It comes with today's announcements of a wood allocation from the government. MPP Bill Mauro says Atikokan Renewable Fuels is also getting a grant from the provincial taxpayer through the Northern Ontario Heritage Funding totalling 1 and a quarter million dollars.  The wood allocation is worth 180 thousand cubic metres annually.

Beardy welcome Rickford's appointment

It's a thumbs up from Nishnawbe-Aski Grand Chief Stan Beardy. Beardy says Greg Rickford's appointment as parliamentary secretary in the Indian Affairs department is a welcome move. The Grand Chief says the Kenora MP is very familiar with NAN issues and has all the information he needs to lobby for them in Ottawa.

Cairo museum worth protecting: Tronrud

Egypt's National Museum is being protected from looters during this time of political unrest and Thunder Bay's Tory Tronrud  says that's a good thing. The curator of the Thunder Bay museum says the exhibits in Cairo are some of the most valuable in the world.  He says that includes the artifacts of King Tutankhamun. Tronrud says he's happy to see ordinary citizens are helping to guard the museum

Rickford gets INAC slot

The workload for Greg Rickford is now a bit heavier.   The Northwestern Ontario Conservative MP is now the parliamentary secretary to the Indian  and Northern Affairs Minister.

Masters says royal invite is in order

A former Thunder Bay mayor says our new mayor should invite Prince William and Kate Middleton to the city. A report in London says the couple plan to visit Canada in July. Former mayor Jack Masters says all it would take from Keith Hobbs would be a letter to Buckingham Palace. For his part, Mayor Hobbs says he will look into the idea.

Anglers get fined for breaking rules

The Ministry of Natural Resources is fining three Michigan men $1,350 for catching too many Northern Pike. Back in August when a M.N.R. officer came across the men they had 27 pike; that's nine over the legal limit. The men were fishing near Geraldton (where the case was heard in court last week).