Filmmaker Moxam dead.

A former Confederation College student who went on to become hit in Winnipeg, is dead.   Winston Moxam was 47 years old when he passed away in Winnipeg last week from what are reported to be complications following heart surgery.  A College official says Moxam graduated from the Film Production Course here in 1989.  He is considered best known for his feature indie flick, Barbara James in 2003.

First Nations Child Welfare summit underway

Aboriginal Child Welfare is being discussed at a Fort William First Nation summit.  Children's Minister Laurel Broten was in town and says this is a great opportunity to make important decisions for Child Welfare services across Ontario.  Aboriginal children account for 3 percent of the province's child population but 17 percent of children in the welfare system.

Thunder Bay runs in Boston Marathon

The Boston Marathon is in full swing today with 7 Thunder Bay runners taking part in the field of 27, 000. This is the 115th annual Boston Marathon. Runners from Thunder Bay include Karla Bailey, Christine L. Bociurko, Stuart J. Brimmell, Ryan McDonald, Susan McDonald, Shaun W. Naroski, Rena Viehbeck.

Bishop disappointed over advance polls

The Catholic Bishop of Thunder Bay is disappointed that the advance polls for the federal election are being held on Good Friday and the Easter weekend. Bishop Fred Colli says it has the potential to interfere with religious celebrations. He says it mixes up a holy weekend with election issues. Bishop Colli says as a result of the move, he instructed churches in the Diocese not to allow church property to be used as advance polling locations.

Motorist hits police cruiser

Thunder Bay Police are saying a vehicle hit a police cruiser last night on Arthur Street. The cruiser was parked and unoccupied when the crash happened. The impact caused the police car's lights to turn on. The driver that struck the cruiser is facing a charge in connection with the fender bender.

Weather related accidents

The weather is keeping the OPP busy this weekend. There have been close to 60 motor vehicle accidents in the region since the snow began falling. No serious injuries have been reported.

14 year-old girl arrested

Police have a 14 year-old girl in custody for allegedly trying to stab her mother with a knife. City police arrested the girl after being called to the family's home last night. No injuries were reported.

Pikangikum First Nation declares State of Emergency

There's no running water at Pikangikum First Nation. A community representative says the water system stopped working several days ago. A shipment of bottled water is on its way today, but may get held up by the weather.

Mac's robbed with syringe

Police say a man and woman robbed the Mac's on Syndicate Avenue early this morning. According to police the woman threatened the cashier with a syringe while the man took money from the till; the pair then left the store. Two suspects have been arrested in connection with the crime.

Mayor, local media served with libel notice

Acadia Broadcasting Ltd. and other news outlets in the city along with Mayor Keith Hobbs have been served with a Libel notice brought by Police Chief Bob Herman.  It involves a recent news conference the Mayor held in which Hobbs spoke about the Chief.  In the notice, legal counsel for Chief Herman is demanding an apology for stories that were broadcast on Magic 99.9 and posted on its website.

Extortion charges laid

Two Thunder Bay men are behind bars after an alleged incident involving a 26 year old man.  The investigation was handled by the Provincial Biker Enforcement unit.  Police Spokesperson Chris Adams says the incidents allegedly happened between March 7th and April 13th. Adams says the men face intimidation, extortion and threat related charges.  Both men will be in court April 18th.

Pine Beetle on the way

The spread of the pine beetle is on the minds of the Ministry of Natural Resources.  The bug already hurt B.C's forest industry and is making it's way east through Saskatchewan.  Spokesperson Taylor Scarr says it will impact Northwestern Ontario as well.  Scarr says because of the high winds last year the bug flew through Alberta in just one season.

Report on council make-up proposed

If it ain't broke, don't fix it!  That's the message of Councillor Joe Virdiramo about a proposed study of different council models.  Councillor Larry Hebert is asking for the report studying the composition of council.  Hebert is recommending an at-large race for all of council rather than a combined ward and at large race.

15 year old girl missing

A 15 year old girl is missing.  Natasha Lynn Charlie Stillaway was last seen on April 2nd at the Victoriaville mall in Fort William.  The young First Nation girl has gone missing before, and her guardian is concerned about her health.  Police are asking for your help in assisting to find her.  Police describe Stillaway as 5'2, weighing around 110 pounds.

Waterfront workers are ready for spring

Work is picking up at the Waterfront project.  Manager Catherine Dugmore says for the most part it's on schedule, the only hold up is landscaping which requires warmer weather.  As far as the budget, Dugmore says the first three tenders this year came in less than expected.

Construction starts on EMS headquarters

Construction has begun on the new Superior North EMS headquarters on Junot Avenue.  City Councillor Brian McKinnon took a lot of flack in the past over the location and cost of the building.  McKinnon says the 11 million dollar project has gone slightly over budget by about sixty nine thousand dollars.  A ground breaking ceremony was held today and the building should be open by the end of December.

Clock ticking on old MJLB

The sun is slowly sinking on the old Mary J-L Black Library.   Acting Chief Librarian Barb Philp says it will close April 29th and  the new branch on S. Edward Street will open on May 9th.

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue deal with early morning fire

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue dealt with a house fire this morning.  Officials say crews responded to the call in the 600 block of McPherson Street at around 2 o'clock.  It took firefighters about 3 hours to get the blaze under control.  There are no reports of any injuries at this time.

Bachelors auction another success

It was another successful year for the Bachelors Fight Breast Cancer event.  Over 400 woman attended the event where 10 bachelors were auctioned off.  Organizers say over 50 thousand dollars was raised and will go to the Northern Cancer Fund.

MNR wraps up training

The Ministry of Natural Resources has wrapped up a comprehensive training program for some of its key members.  Response and Operations Manager Dave Cleavely says the forum was geared towards staff from across Northwestern Ontario.  Cleavely says a lot of the information was a refresher, however he notes new safety guidelines are in place to ensure the safety of workers before they do any task.

Male survivor help line

For the first time in Canada, male survivors of sexual abuse will have access to services and support to help them recover.  Agencies are being established in Fort Frances, Thunder Bay, Schreiber and Nishnawbe-Aski First Nations.  Staff will provide specialized services including peer support, counselling and residential services.  The Agencies will also offer telephone and e-counselling.

New youth plan launched

The Thunder Bay Youth Strategy Committee is looking to improve the overall quality of life for youth. A new youth strategy is geared towards people aged 13-24. The youth committee will be holding a conference to get feedback from youth. The committee is looking to develop several areas such as employment and housing.

Di Matteo suggests fair book pricing

A local economics expert is suggesting Canadian bookstores wise up to the rising loonie. Livio Di Matteo says consumers know many books from the States are unfairly priced higher in this country. In some cases they are going online to buy those same books cheaper and having them delivered to their door. Di Matteo says it's up to retailers to price U-S goods to reflect value of the loonie compared to the American buck.

Student housing upsets some

One Thunder Bay resident isn't happy with the city's enforcement of student housing by-laws. Peter Keddie lives on Darwin Crescent and is making a presentation to council on Monday night. Keddie feels his street is over run with students and landlords that don't care about the families that live on the street. Keddie says every weekend there's a party with loud music, doors slamming and cars and Taxi's coming and going at all hours of the night.

AbitibiBowater modernizing sawmill

The AbitibiBowater sawmill in Thunder Bay is getting a facelift. The company is investing 8 million dollars to upgrade the facility. Spokesperson Pierre Choquette says it will mean 50 added jobs in the sawmill and 100 direct jobs in the woodlands. The upgrades will be completed by January 2013.

Residents urged to become organ donors

The push is on to get more people in Thunder Bay to become organ donors. The Trillium Gift of Life Network is asking people to register online. Gary Cooper is a local liver transplant recipient and says the Network was a lifesaver for him saying if it weren't for the network there wouldn't be the number of donors in the province that there are.   You can register as a donor by going here

Sewage by-pass in Fort Frances

The amount of groundwater in the sewage system continues to be a problem for the town of Fort Frances.  Operations and Facilities Manager Doug Brown says the town was forced to by-pass its sewage treatment plant Sunday of nearly 37-hundred cubic metres of partly-treated waste water as a result.  Brown says the town continues to study the reasons behind why the town is treating more water than being produced.

Youth Curfew up for debate

It doesn't appear there's much support for a proposed youth curfew.  Administration is against the idea of developing a curfew for a one year trial period.  Crime Prevention Coordinator Amy Siciliano says the report will help guide the city.  City staff are recommending that council include strategies to keep youth safe in their strategic plan.  In December council asked administration to conduct a feasibility study on youth curfews.

Pharmacare discussion set for tonight

The Thunder Bay Health Coalition will be hosting a round table discussion about Pharmacare.  Co-Chair Sara Williamson says a panel will discuss the need and the feasibility of a national publicly funded drug plan.  The meeting starts at 7 at the Labour Centre.

Horizon Wind to hold open house

Horizon Wind is taking the necessary steps in its application to create a wind farm on the Norwester Mountains.  The company is holding two open houses in May to discuss the proposed project.  It's part of the Ministry of Environment's renewable energy application process.  The public consultation sessions are scheduled for May 17th and 18th in Neebing and Thunder Bay.

Standoff leads to mischief charges

City police are still trying to fill in the blanks in a bizarre standoff.  Police received a call from a 39 year old man at 9:30 last night where he claimed to have 3 hostages in the 300 block of Bay Street.  Staff Sergeant Frank Earley says at 11:30 police arrested the man and found no one else in the residence.  No one was hurt and Earley says at this point police have no idea why the man called in the fake hostage situation.  The 39 year old will be in court this morning.  

NOMA Skype's standing committee

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is calling on the government to change its proposed Forest Tenure Act.  Vice President Iain Angus says they don't support the legislation as it is now.   NOMA wants the bill amended before it returns to the Legislature for third reading.  NOMA provided their comments to the standing committee in Toronto via video conference.

Harper visit confirmed

It's official.  The Prime Minister will be campaigning in Thunder Bay.  Stephen Harper will be visiting with the two local Conservative candidates at the Da Vinci Centre on Monday night.  A local Conservative Party official says the rally gets underway at 7:30 in the evening.

Old Mission Mill hit by fire

Damage is minimal following a fire at the old Abitibi Mission mill on City Road during the noon hour.   Fire Service Platoon Chief Joseph Lafontaine  says the blaze was in a paper machine being dismantled and may have been started by workers who were cutting with torches. 

Gilbert weighs in on Bill 151

With Forest Tenure hearings concluding in Queen's Park, local Conservative Candidate Fred Gilbert is expressing his outrage.  Gilbert says the opposition is furious that no hearings for Bill 151 are scheduled for the north.  The opposition says the Liberals have been less than supportive in getting hearings in Thunder Bay.

NAN dislikes Bill 151

Nishnawbe Aski Nation is speaking out against the Ontario Forest Tenure Act.  First Nations residents are concerned bill 151 doesn't consult aboriginals.  Grand Chief Stan Beardy says the legislation doesn't recognize aboriginal and treaty rights.

Leaders' Debate Reaction

It doesn't appear any one political party stood out during the English speaking Leaders debate.  We hit the streets to hear what Thunder Bay residents thought.

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Fire at Abitibi Mill

City firefighters have a fire at the Abitibi Complex on Mission Island under control. Firefighters are still sorting out details but an old rubber belt seems to be the cause of the fire.  The Magic news room will have more on this story as it develops.

No injuries in accident

No one is injured following a two vehicle mishap on Memorial and Second Avenue Wednesday morning.   It was a collision between a mini-van and an SUV.   Fire, Police and Paramedics were called to the scene just before 11 o'clock.

DSSAB workers have new deal

There is labour peace at the Thunder Bay District Social Services Administration Board. The board and its workers have both accepted a new 3 year deal which is retroactive to January 1st, 2009. Union rep Marie Dean admits it took a while to come to this point.  The contract affects 85 workers and gives them a 5 per cent total wage increase.

WSIB under review

Chair Harry Arthurs

The Workplace Safety and Insurance Board is under review. Hearings are being held in Thunder Bay today to see how they can better fund it. Steve Mantis leads the local injured workers group and says the hearings are focused solely on money and should examine workers instead. Meanwhile, WSIB Funding Review Chair Harry Arthurs says finding a funding solution is going to be a daunting task. Arthurs says if all the claims that are currently in the system go through; the WSIB would be facing a 12 billion dollar bill. The WSIB Funding Review Committee is speaking with both injured workers and Northwestern Ontario companies today.

Aboriginal science program

Confederation College wants to get more First Nation residents interested in Science.  The college is holding it's second science fair designed to help engage youth in developing interest in science,

engineering and technology.  The fair will showcase many projects with Aboriginal content.

Earth Day this Saturday

People wanting to reduce their environmental footprint on the planet have something to look forward to this weekend.  In celebration of Earth Day this Saturday, the Farmers' Market will be setting up displays on ways to "live green".  The Farmers' Market will have demos on bee-keeping, soil-testing and gardening.

No students injured in school scare

Police are investigating a strange incident from this morning at a local elementary school. A grey car was seen driving on the lawn at C.D. Howe school and then drove down a public path. The students had just entered the school prior to the incident. No one was injured. 

Horwath provides platform sneak peek

The Ontario NDP is offering a sneak peak on what it plans to do to help Northern Ontario in advance to this October's Provincial Election.  Leader Andrea Horwath says her Party will also have a specific platform on how it plans to help Northern Ontario take full advantage of its assets.  Horwath adds the Liberals have already crippled families by adding 8-percent to home heating bills and filling up at the gas pumps.

More cold weather on the way

It looks as if Old Man Winter isn't done with us yet.  Despite warmer than normal temperatures over the last couple of days, the thermometer is going to be dipping later this week.  Our Meterologist Bill Laidlaw says it will be unusually cold for this time of year.  Laidlaw says there is also the slight chance of some snow flurries by the weekend, as a Colorado low moves through the upper mid-west.

PM visit possible Monday

More details are expected to come out later today or tomorrow on a possible visit to the city by Prime Minister Stephen Harper. One local Conservative party official says there are final details being worked out and that nothing has been confirmed as of yet.  Meantime the Prime Minister along with Liberal leader Michael Ignatieff and NDP leader Jack Layton are preparing for tonight's televised debates.

Police report second murder of 2011

A 63 year old Thunder Bay man is in custody this morning after what police say was the murder of his wife.  They say they went to an apartment building at 540 Oliver road where the body of a 61 year old woman was found.  Police Spokesperson Chris Adams says officers were dispatched after the man turned himself in at the Balmoral station at around 11 o'clock last night.  Adams says not many details can be released at this time but says it appears to be domestic in nature.  He is to appear in court this morning on a second degree murder charge.  No names are being released.

Thunder Bay gets green

The City of Thunder Bay is getting ready for spring.  The City recently was awarded over 7 thousand dollars for pruning equipment from the TD Green Streets program. Spokesperson Reena Viehbeck says they'll also use the funds to train volunteers on how to prune city trees.  The City was one of 23 communities chosen for the green program.  The volunteers will start work on the City's urban forest in May.

Horizon Wind settlement ratified

Thunder Bay City Council has ratified the Horizon Wind settlement. Councillor Joe Virdiramo caused a bit of confusion last week as to which way he voted and took the time this week to clarify how he was voting and why. Virdiramo didn't put up his hand at last week's meeting meaning he voted against the settlement. Virdiramo says it would be irresponsible to open the city up to such a pricey lawsuit. Meanwhile, Norwester Escarpment Protection Committee Spokesperson Mike Payne says they're ready to take their fight to the provincial level. The final vote was 8 to 4.