Cultural plan released

The City's Cultural Plan continues to grow and change.  A draft plan was presented to council Monday night.  From now until May 9th the public and council are encouraged to review the plan and comment on what they would like to see changed.  The plan recommends including cultural diversity in public places.  It also suggests fostering the city's youth entrepreneurs.

LRCA facing funding shortfall

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority is facing a funding shortfall.  The LRCA is short on cash because of changes to the Ministry of Natural Resources funding.  The group wants City Council to petition the government to provide more money for their initiatives.  The Conservation Authority is also applying for funding from another provincial infrastructure program.

More deputations on wind farm

Thunder Bay residents who are against the Horizon Wind Farm project made another plea to City Council to scrap the settlement with the company.  Three deputations on the ongoing issue were made Monday night.  Representatives from the Loch Lomond Ski area are concerned turbine parts won't fit on the Loch Lomond Road.  Another deputation made mention that Horizon Wind's renewable energy application to the Ministry of Environment was returned because it was incomplete. Council is expected to ratify the settlement agreement Monday evening.

Drug strategy presented to council

Being an addict is not a crime. That's what JP Levesque from the Drug Strategy Committee had to say to members of council. Thunder Bay's City Council spent over an hour listening and talking about the drug strategy. The committee brought the city up to speed on what they think should be done to improve the quality of life for those who are addicted to drugs and alcohol.  Council approved the strategy Monday night.  Administration will review the strategy and come back in July with recommendations.

Wilson talks forest tenure

Thunder Bay's Chamber of Commerce President isn't pleased with the Provincial Government's review of Bill 151.  Harold Wilson was in Toronto on Monday for the provincial hearings on forest tenure.  Wilson is disappointed with how the hearings and forest tenure bill were handled.  Wilson urged the committee to limit the forest management corporations and conduct a review in five years time.

Strat Plan takes shape

Thunder Bay City Council wants to hear from you.  A series of public consultation sessions on the Strategic Plan start Wednesday night.  The strategic plan guides the city's priorities for the next four years.  Wednesday night's meeting is at the DaVinci Centre from 6:30 until 9.  Thursday's is at the Italian Cultural Centre.

L-U Student Union to hold new vote

Officials at the Lakehead University Student Union are to hold new student elections. Spokesperson Chris Vaillant  says it's because the last election was ruled invalid by the LUSU board after a person was caught on a surveillance video stuffing a ballot box.  The new election will be held in September.

First "saltie" on its way

The first ocean going ship of the season is on its way to port.  Shipping official William Hyrb says the Aragonborg is to  arrive around 5 a.m Tuesday and will dock at Canada Malting. He says the Dutch ship is brand new,  only being delivered last year.  A welcoming ceremony will take place in the afternoon.

Election signs vandalized

Campaign workers for two local candidates are replacing damaged election signs. Signs for Richard Harvey and Bruce Hyer on North Court Street were vandalized sometime overnight. Hyer's spokesperson Maurice Grinstead says it's part of the campaign and he doesn't worry about it. The signs have been replaced. A spokesperson for the Harvey camp won't speculate on who may be responsible. The manager for the Yves Fricot campaign says they are dealing with similar problems throughout the city and doesn't know who is responsible for the vandalism.

No overspending for elected councillors

It appears the current city councillors have no worries over their election expenses.  Figures from the City Clerk's office show that all of them were well within what they were allowed to spend during last year's civic campaign. That goes from almost 13 hundred dollars for Mark Bentz to 12 thousand dollars for  Paul Pugh.   The deadline for submitting election costs was March 25th.  Only Mayor Keith Hobbs asked for an extension, which he's allowed to do, so he has until June to submit his expenses.

RFDA launches spring food drives

The Regional Food Distribution Association is gearing up for two major food drives. Executive Director Volker Kromm says the RFDA will be getting help from both Superstore and Canada Post. Kromm says most of the food collected during Holiday drives has been exhausted and the need for more food is rising. Superstore will be donating food through its Spring into Action food drive and Canada Post will be collecting food curbside across the region Saturday.

France plays leading role in Ivory Coast: prof

France is quickly becoming one of the biggest players on the international stage. Lakehead University Political Science Expert Laure Paquette says with French Special Forces Soldiers capturing the Ivory Coast, France  has become interventionist. Paquette says the biggest question is how the new leaders of the Ivory Coast will treat the former government leaders now that strongman Laurent Gbagbo has been arrested.

Damage claims coming in from hailstorm

Insurance companies in the city are expecting lots of calls this week.  Sunday's hailstorm has caused numerous damage claims for home rooftops and vehicles according to Bill Covello of Philpot and Delgaty,  who  says it appears the north side of Thunder Bay received the brunt of the storm

Johnson wants golf study again

Don't be surprised to see a rift develop over the city run golf courses. Councillor Rebecca Johnson has already gone public with her concerns about the deficit the courses pile up every year.  She feels the city should get out of the golf business altogether.  Mayor Keith Hobbs is also in favour of selling all or some of the city courses.

City sees first Thunderstorm of the year

Thunder Bay saw quite the light show last night.   Our meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says a storm rolled through the area and brought with it rain, hail and a fully developed thunderstorm.  Laidlaw says the storm dumped as much as 11 millimetres of rain on the area. 

Wilson heads to Toronto to talk Bill 151

Chamber of Commerce President Harold Wilson will be in Toronto Monday to share concerns about Bill 151. The bill would create a number of Crown corporations to manage forestry-a move that Wilson says could cause roadblocks for the industry. Wilson says he prefers the Ministry of Northern Development's wood supply competition program to what's outlined in the bill.

Overnight knife assault

Police have a man in custody this morning in connection with an overnight assault. According to police a man and woman were taken to hospital with apparent knife wounds. The pair were released after their injuries were treated. The accused man will appear in court today.

Golf Courses post 400-thousand dollar defecit

Thunder Bay's golf course finished off the 2010 year 400-thousand dollars in the red.  Director of golf Tom Forsythe attributes the loss in revenue to unexpected expenditures.  Forsythe says although they posted a defecit rounds of play were up over previous years.  Forsythe will present the figures to council on Monday night.

Hotel developers try try try again

It will likely be June when developers of the proposed waterfront hotel try again to get their way.   After being shot down by the city's Committee of Adjustment, they plan to go to council.  The developers are hoping to get approval to add an extra floor to the hotel, without increasing the height of the building.   The committee turned down the idea saying the added number of rooms might create parking problems.

De Faveri retires

Thunder Bay's Catholic School Board is bidding farewell to its Director of Education.  John De Faveri is retiring this summer after four years with the private board.  The Board is searching for De Faveri's replacement.

Construction season off to slow start

Thunder Bay's construction season is off to a slow start.  Housing starts are down 27 percent from last year's first quarter total.  Canada Mortgage Housing Corporation Analyst Warren Philp says the cooler weather is to blame.  Late snowfall is also contributing to the slow start to the building season.

Women's run has new component

The 32nd annual Royal LePage women's run has new twist. This year men are able to join the action with the new addition of "Walk A Mile In Her Shoes". Men that take part will be walking the distance in high heeled shoes to protest violence against women. Both events are held at Boulevard Lake on May 7th.

Hobbs taking part in business conference

Thunder Bay's Mayor is going to be absent from Monday night's council meeting.  Keith Hobbs is taking part in a business improvement conference in London, Ontario.  Hobbs says it's in preparation for Thunder Bay's conference hosting duties next year.  Hobbs will miss the ratification vote on the Horizon Wind settlement.  He doesn't foresee any councillors changing their minds and votes on the issue.

Collins re-elected as Chair

Fort William First Nation has re-elected Peter Collins as their chief.  8 people were running for the top job and 67 residents were interested in the 12 council seats.  There are two new faces at the band table including Georjann Morriseau and Valerie Chapman.  The new term of office starts April 15th.  The election was held yesterday.

Troubled times for Habitat for Humanity

Habitat for Humanity in Thunder Bay could be seeing red. Its annual raffle is behind in selling tickets.  CEO Diane Mitchell says if they don't sell anymore tickets, the organization would be looking at a 94 thousand dollar deficit in this year's budget.  It also means there won't be a house built this year.  Mitchell says they need to sell around 4 thousand more tickets to reach the break even point in the raffle.

Fricot takes a shot at NDP platform

The NDP Northern Platform is being panned by the Liberal Candidate for Thunder Bay Superior North. Yves Fricot says it's a national platform with only one regional piece "FEDNOR". The former lawyer is concerned about the cost of the platform. Fricot takes issue with the NDP's credit card and cellphone initiatives noting it's not really a north specific issue.

Lindstrom case remanded

It's back to court in June for a Thunder Bay man accused in the death of city man 2 years ago.  After a hearing Friday,  Eric Lindstrom's Toronto lawyer says that the case will be back in Superior Court June 14th.  Lindstrom was originally charged with second degree murder in the death of 36 year old Richard Quimet whose burned remains were discovered up Highway 527.  His co-accused in the case, Christopher Gregorchuck was sentenced to 10 years in jail in January after pleading guilty to manslaughter. 

Relay for Life set for June 17th

Thunder Bay's Canadian Cancer Society is gearing up for this summer's 12th annual Relay for Life.  Chair Elizabeth Stafford says money raised here goes towards local cancer research.  Last year's 12 hour relay raised over 143-thousand dollars.  This year's goal is to raise 152-thousand.  Stafford says she hopes to see 85 teams enter this year's relay that takes place June 17th.

Manley pays visit to Thunder Bay

Silver medalist figure skater Elizabeth Manley is helping honour the Alzheimer Society.  Manley was their guest speaker at the local chapter's fundraiser.  Manley says she personally wants to say thank you to the organization.  The Olympic skater lost her father to the disease in October.  The fundraiser also marked the 25th anniversary of the local Alzheimer's Chapter.

Pressure nothing new for Eric Staal

It will be an intense weekend for Eric Staal and his Carolina Hurricanes. They have two games remaining and hold their destiny in their own hands.  Two wins and they're in.  Staal tells our newsroom he lives for this kind of pressure. He says the team appears to be handing it well and haven't buckled yet. The Canes take on Atlanta Friday and Tampa to close out the regular season.  They were helped out by the Thrashers Thursday night when they beat the New York Rangers 3-0.

MNR and Grassy Narrows sign agreement

The Province and Grassy Narrows First Nation are working towards allowing logging activity in the Whiskey Jack Forest near Kenora.  Chief Simon Fobister says they're not against environmentally friendly logging practices; they're against clear cutting.  Fobister notes they will not dismantle their blockade; but the agreement with the province is a step towards that.

Marathon man facing child porn charges

A 71 year old Marathon man is facing Child Pornography charges. OPP say following an on-line undercover investigation they searched a home in that community and 3 computers were seized which they say contained movies of child sexual abuse. Charged is Reginald Begin. He appears for a bail hearing in Thunder Bay Friday.

NDP MP's launch Northern platform

Northern Ontario's NDP members are hoping to get your vote with their election platform.  Thunder Bay Superior North MP Bruce Hyer says if his party is elected they'll make FEDNOR a stand alone agency.  The Northern platform also suggests providing more funding for seniors homes and strengthening the Canada Pension Plan.  The NDP are proposing increases in funding for seniors homes and 700 million dollars towards eliminating senior poverty.

LU prof follows candidate tweets

A Lakehead University professor is counting the tweets. Livio DiMateo says he is checking out which of the local candidates in the federal election are on Twitter and seeing what kind of following they have.  He says he was interested in knowing how the candidates were making use of the new social media.  He began tracking the number of Twitter followers on his blog March 30th.  DiMateo says at the end of the election he will try to see if the number of followers a candidate has matches the vote count.  A link to his blog can be found here

Hearings controversy won't go away

The McGuinty government is being called out of touch, arrogant and uncaring about the north. NDP leader Andrea Horwath is still hounding the government over its refusal to hold forest tenure committee hearings outside of Toronto. Horwath predicts however, the government won't change it's mind about the issue

A New Vision for Ontario's Optometrists

Optometrists across Ontario are now allowed to prescribe eye medications to patients for serious diseases. This enables people with serious eye conditions as well as minor eye infections to receive medication from their own optometrist. Thunder Bay Optometrist William Ulakovic says they can now take a greater role in managing patients individually. He says this will serve as a positive for patients living in North Western Ontario.

Election day for Fort William First Nation

There is no shortage of choices for voters in today's Fort William First Nation band elections.  Electoral Officer Kimberly Pelletier says there is almost 70 people running for Councillor and 8 for Chief and residents can come to the Community Centre to vote.  Polls will close at 8 tonight with results expected tomorrow morning.

LU official to retire

Lakehead University is looking for a new Director of Communications.  President Brian Stevenson says that Eleanor Abaya has decided to retire.  Her last day will be June 17th. 

Manley speaking in Thunder Bay

The Alzheimer's Society is bringing in a Silver medal figure skater. Elizabeth Manley will be speaking at their fundraiser on Thursday night at the Valhalla Inn.

Mailing changes on the way

Shuniah and Oliver Paipoonge residents will soon bid farewell to the Rural Route mailing system.  Canada Post is scrapping site numbers and will use street names.  Spokesperson Tom Creech says the changes will take effect in October.  Pass Lake is also impacted by the changes.

Blank paper draws more attention to story

Lakehead University's newspaper isn't taking their censorship lying down. The Student Union pulled a story from the paper that was about the alleged rigging of their elections.  Argus Editor Ian Kaufman says before this happened they didn't know LUSU could have final say over their stories.  The paper has written an amendment to LUSU's laws that if passed will guarantee them editorial autonomy.  Kaufman says the blank page on their current newspaper has actually garnered the story more attention.

Counselling Centre receives cash

The Ontario Trillium Foundation is giving a local counselling centre 98 thousand dollars.  The Thunder Bay Counselling Centre will use the money to hire a co-ordinator and develop online counselling services.

Irwin named to Team Canada

Thunder Bay's Haley Irwin will be pulling on the team Canada sweater again. She's been named to the roster for the upcoming World Championships. Irwin helped Canada win a silver medal at the last World Championships, where she chipped in with 2 goals and 3 assists. Irwin was also part of last year's Gold Medal winning team at the Vancouver Olympics.

Recruit recovering from gunshot wound

A Thunder Bay Police recruit is still recovering after an shooting accident in February. Jason Firth was hurt when his gun went off unintentionally at the Ontario Police College in Aylmer. Deputy Chief J-P Levesque says Firth's injury was quite serious and says the road to recovery will be lengthy. Levesque says once Firth heals, he will continue his training.

Foundation grants money for cancer care

Almost 900 thousand donor dollars are being used for cancer care in Thunder Bay and the region. Regional Health Sciences Foundation CEO Glenn Craig says some of the money is being used for a new breast MRI program which he says is huge help for patients.   As well, half a million dollars will help support cancer research at the hospital. 

Boshcoff takes leave

It's official, City Councillor Ken Boshcoff is taking a leave of absence from council.  The Liberal candidate for Thunder Bay Rainy River will miss one meeting while campaigning in the Federal election.  Boshcoff's leave takes effect Tuesday, April 12th.

Combined Guns and Gang unit arrests 3

The Regional Combined forces guns and gangs unit has 3 people in custody in Sioux Lookout.  Officers made the arrest Monday after finding a military grade rifle and another prohibited device for the gun.  The 3 are facing a number of charges including guns trafficking.

70-thousand dollars in Marijuana seized

The Combined Forces Crime unit has seized over 70 thousand dollars in marijuana after searching a Hester Street home.  A 23 year old man is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking, and proceeds of crime.

ONA weighs on new report

The Ontario Nurses' Association is urging the Provincial Government to act on a list of 13-recommendations on improving Health Care in Northern Ontario. First Vice-President Vicki McKenna says a new ONA report on health services can't sit on the shelf and collect dust. The ONA is demanding that socio-economic and environmental issues in Northern Ontario be examined in order to address the root causes of lower life expectancy.

Hearings controversy heats up...NOMA joins

There's more pressure on the McGuinty Liberals over the Forest Tenure hearings.  This time it's the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association throwing it's weight behind the push to bring the committee hearings to Northern Communities.   NOMA says that holding the hearings only in Toronto will do nothing to the people whose lives depend on the forest.