Deer Lake Residents Evacuated

Nearly 500 residents of Deer Lake are being evacuated because of a nearby forest fire.  The province is co-ordinating with federal and defence officials to evacuate residents whose health is most at risk.  It is expected that about 480 residents will be immediately airlifted by Canadian Forces aircraft to Greenstone.

Highway 17 east of Kenora Open

Traffic is moving again on Highway 17 east of Kenora.  The Trans-Canada was closed for about four hours overnight due to a single vehicle accident.  The OPP say there was a rollover just east of the Highway 17 junction.  The accident took place around 1:00 this morning. So far there has been no indication whether anyone was injured in the accident.

Kenora Power Outage Lengthy

Two and a half days and counting.  That's how long some homes southwest of Kenora have been without power.  Hydro One says there are still about 100 customers waiting to have their electricity restored following Monday night's vicious thunder storms.  Crews are still working in the area and its expected power will be back on to most homes and cottages by 4:00 this afternoon.

Young Driver Joy Rides in Pikangikum

A 12 year old girl faces a number of charges after going for a joy ride in the remote community of Pikangikum.  The OPP say they were notified about a pick up truck driving in an erratic manner around 5:00 in the morning.  Officers tried to pull the vehicle over, but the driver refused to stop.  Because the driver appeared to be quite young, the OPP gave up the chase.  A short time later, the vehicle ran into a hydro pole, knocking out power to the entire community.  Police say there were 14 passengers in the truck at the time, including three ten year olds, four 12 year olds, three 13 year olds and three 14 year old youths.

Thunder Bay man found dead in Illinois

Police say the search for 69 year old Ed Spakowski of Thunder Bay has ended tragically.  They say that Illinois State Police confirm that both Sapkowski and his dog were found dead.   The circumstances surrounding the death aren't know but police do not suspect it was foul play.   Spakowski disappeared last week after he picked up an RV in Elkhart, Indiana to drive back to Thunder Bay

Company hit with more work orders

The Ministry of Labour is still investigating a tragic scissor lift accident at a highway construction site in Shuniah Township. The ministry's Matt Blajer says they've issued 5 more work orders on the company that was involved that's in addition to the 8 original orders.  The accident last month resulted in the death of a 24 year old worker

KI votes to protect it's watershed

The KI First Nation says it's making a stand with the results of a referendum in the community. KI spokesperson John Cutfeet says they have voted almost a 100 per cent to have their watershed protected from the results of industrial development. Cutfeet believes the referendum holds legal clout when it comes to development on KI's traditional lands.

City man charged in bizarre accident

A 27 year old Thunder Bay man is charged following Tuesday's accident at Camelot and Court Streets.  That's where police say a stolen van landed on an SUV in a grocery store parking lot after rolling down an embankment. Just prior to that it hit a pedestrian and sent the 52 year old man to hospital.

Drowing confirmed in divers death

Police are confirming that it was drowning that caused the weekend death of a 21 year old man in the MacKenzie River in Shuniah Township. They say Dau Huston was cliff jumping at High Falls just prior to his body being pulled from the water.

Still no sign of missing 69 year old

Police in Elkhart, Indiana are helping in the search for Edward Spakowski from Thunder Bay who was last seen there last week. Thunder Bay Police spokesperson Chris Adams says the Americans have been provided the information in the case of the missing 69 year old.  There is still no indication of where Spakowski might be.

NOSM Student Research

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is awarding 36 thousand dollars to six of its students.  The money will be used for student research projects.

Cultural Database launched

A cultural database is now in place for the Kenora District.  The regional cultural initiative was led by the Dryden Development Corporation.  Economic Development Manager Vicki Kurz says they worked with 6-communities to gather an inventory of all our assets.  Kurz says the communities will use the information gathered to better promote the area.

Boating accident in Kenora

A close call for three teens on Lake of the Woods west of Kenora. OPP say the girls were in a boat heading to camp when the 16-year-old driver lost control. A 15-year-old was thrown into the water and was struck by the prop of the motor. The operators managed to get the boat under control and rescued the girl. They got her back to mainland where they met police and ambulance. The girl was transferred to Hospital with injuries to her neck and head. OPP say that although life jackets were in the boat, none of the girls were wearing them at the time.

Waterworks changes in Atikokan

There is a Red Lake based operator of Atikokan's water and sewage treatment plants.  Northern Waterworks has taken over from Ontario Clean Water Agency.  Atikokan Mayor Dennis Brown says it wasn't because the town was unhappy with OCWA.  Brown says the town will save 90-thousand dollars a year by the move.

NW LHIN expanding programs

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network says it wants to expand its Home First program for seniors in the Region. CEO Laura Kokochinski says the program is targeted at people who are currently taking up beds in hospitals and trying to get them back home. She says the plan has been in place for 3-years and is showing some signs of success.

Forest Fire Hazard High

It was one of the busiest days on record yesterday for Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews.  The MNR recorded over 71-hundred lightning strikes in a 24-hour period.  27-new fires sparked and more are expected early today.  The forest fire hazard remains high to extreme.

Accident causes power outage

The lights are on in the Current River area. 25 hundred customers were impacted. The outage was caused by a car accident on Grenville and Adelaide. Hydro Spokesperson Eileen Dias is thanking the public for their patience. The power was restored by early this morning.

Mobile home park fire not arson

Arson is now ruled out as the cause of a fire that destroyed three mobile homes in Gorham Township over the long weekend.  OPP say that at the time of the fire at the Country View Trailer Court on Canada Day, only one of the occupants was at home, and there were no injuries.

Bushie inquest set to resume

The inquest into the death of 15 year old Reggie Bushie is now set to get back on track . The Regional Coroner's Office says it will resume with a pre-inquest hearing on July 21st. The inquest is expected to result in jury recommendations aimed at preventing sudden deaths of First Nations high school students who attend school in Thunder Bay far away from their homes.

Stolen vehicle involved in north side mishap

Bizarre may be the only way to describe this accident. City police say that a stolen vehicle hitting a pedestrian was the start of a chain reaction accident at Camelot and Court streets early Tuesday afternoon. They say it appears that the stolen vehicle then ended up crushing a parked car in a grocery store lot after it rolled down an embankment and then landed upside down.

Family and friends concerned for missing man

A 69 year old Thunder Bay man is missing in the United States and his family and employer are concerned. Edward Spakowski works for Smith's RV as an occasional RV driver, but his boss Jason Johnstone says he hasn't been seen since he picked up a vehicle in Elkhart, Indiana on Thursday.  Johnstone says authorities in the States have been notified.

Macs store robbed...again

No one is hurt following an armed robbery at a Mac's convenience store on North May Street.  City Police say it took place at around 3:30 this morning and  involved a mask man and woman.   They say the clerk was threatened with a knife and she gave them an undisclosed amount of cash

Thunder Bay gets its Law School

Northwestern Ontario is getting its law school.  The Provincial Government is helping set up the first law degree program at Lakehead University.  The new program will start in September 2013 with a strong focus in Aboriginal Law.  The school will be located at the old Port Arthur Collegiate building on Red River Road.

Franken and Rafferty chat

There was a brief discussion over the weekend on how to improve access across the Canada-U-S border.  Thunder Bay-Rainy River M-P John Rafferty says his talk with Minnesota U-S Senator Al Franken in International Falls set the stage for a much broader discussions in the near future.  Rafferty says Franken was well understanding of the issues, including the turn-back of American tourists with often decades old drunk driving charges.

First Nations Murder

A 26-year-old Lac Seul man has been charged with second degree murder in the death of a Constance Lake man.  Police were called Saturday afternoon to a Frenchman's Head home to investigate a stabbing.  Police say 34-year-old Simon Bunting was found dead at the scene.  OPP say 26-year-old Felix Wesley was arrested and he remains in custody.

New Osnaburgh Fire grows in size

The forest fire burning 9-kilometres away from New Osnaburgh First Nation has grown in size.  The blaze is now over 78-thousand hectares in size and is not under control.  However, crews are doing a good job keeping it away from the community.  There were 4-new fires in the District yesterday.  There are 17-active fires, 4 of which are not under control.

Tornado warnings in Fort Frances area

It was a wild and woolly evening across Northwestern Ontario last night.  A tornado warning was issued in several communities including Fort Frances, Emo, Rainy River and Kenora.  Severe winds hit the communities with severe damage reported across the board. Reports of a funnel cloud in the Fort Frances area last night prompted Environment Canada to issue tornado warnings. In Dryden, residents saw the tale end of the storm.  The wind knocked down tree branches and the storm dumped 16.2-millimetres, the most in the area.

Community Living workers picket today

Developmental Service Workers will hold information pickets at several locations across the province today to protest a stalemate in contract talks with the government..  Here in Thunder Bay, Community Living workers will be protesting at the County Boulevard starting at 4:45.  OP-SEU is calling on Finance Minister Dwight Duncan, to provide the funding the sector needs to provide good jobs.

Costly medical bill

An unexpected shocker for a Dryden man who has to routinely fly to Manitoba for medical treatment. Randy Desautels just returned from his latest dialysis appointment and opened his mail box to find a 608-dollar bill from the Manitoba Government. He was told that the move was a cost saving one and adds he hasn't been able to get any answers from OHIP.

Rotarians give away house

The winner of the 2011 Rotary House Lottery is from Thunder Bay.   Gilbert Kerr of Grenville Avenue had his ticket pulled on Canada Day.   Proceeds from the draw go to local charities.

Local officers to attend funeral

The funeral for a slain York Region Police officer takes place Tuesday in Thornhill and Thunder Bay's Police Association is sending two officers according to president Gregg Stephenson. He says they want to show their support to the slain officer's family and to the York Police

Furniture store pledges charity donations

The Dufresne Foundation has launched a 1-million dollar charity challenge in communities across Northwestern Ontario and Manitoba. CEO Mark Dufresne says they are donating 500-thousand dollars to various charities tied to children, women and health.The non-profit recipients will then raise an equivalent amount to equal the 1-million dollar commitment.  For more information go to http://www.dufresne.ca/

Summer=Fewer council meetings

City councillors get a bit of a summer break.   During the months of July and August councillors don't meet every Monday like they do throughout the year.  There are only two meetings scheduled this month and two next month.

Trustees back Education Day

Lakehead Public School trustees are throwing their support behind Education Day in the province. Trustee Deborah Massaro says the board is endorsing a request from the provincial school boards association for a provincial all candidates forum that day.   Education Day is on September 20th.

Cyclotron funding announced

A new health research centre is one step closer to reality.  Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro announced almost 4 million dollars for the project Monday.  The new centre which houses a cyclotron and lab will create 194 construction jobs and fifty permanent jobs.

Shad Valley students return

The Shad Valley students are in the city for their yearly visit.   These young up and coming university students are some of the brightest young minds in the country who come here to help advance their education. It's the 12th year in a row that Lakehead University has hosted the Shad Valley visit

Mantis talks upcoming election

Thunder Bay Superior North has a new NDP candidate in place for the upcoming Provincial Election.  Steve Mantis will be carrying the party's banner and says he looks forward to working under Leader Andrea Horwath.  Mantis won the nomination last week.

21 year old diver dies

A 21 year old man has died after diving from High Falls into the MacKenzie River, north of Highway 11/17. Dau Huston was pulled from the water by a friend when he didn't come up after his second dive. Police say Huston hit some rocks while diving.

Firefighters make rescue

This weekend has proved to be busy for Thunder Bay firefighters. Firefighters made a rescue of 2 young girls who rowed a rubber boat off Sandy Beach. They got trapped by the wind and couldn't make it back to shore. Firefighters had to use their Zodiac boat to guide the girls back safely to shore.  Meanwhile, Its reported that a fire inside a grain bin at Canada Malting kept firefighters busy Saturday from 8am until 9 o'clock at night.  The fire took nearly the entire day to put out, the cause is unknown at this time and no injuries have been reported.

Robbery on Finlayson st.

A busy night for police. Friday night saw no shortage of criminal activity despite the stormy weather. Police were notified of two females who were robbed at knife point by 1 male on Finlayson st. at around 4:30 am. The robber made off with an undisclosed amount of cash. No one was hurt in the incident and no names have been released.

FWFN successful land negotiations

Fort William First Nation has settled a land claim ten years in the making.  Chief Peter Collins says the Abitibi Bowater Sawmills will now be recognized as part of the First Nation Reserve. Collins says the land will help bring economic development to the community.

Mantis carries NDP colours in Provincial Election

Injured Workers Advocate Steve Mantis is the new NDP candidate for Thunder Bay Superior North.  Mantis beat out Jay Stapelton at the party's nomination meeting Thursday night.  Riding President Maurice Grinstead says he's a real people person.  120 people attended the nomination meeting.

City Solicitor prepares report on lawsuit

The City Solicitor is preparing a report for City Council about a defamation suit against Mayor Hobbs.  Rosalie Evans says the city does have policies in place that covers employees who are accused during their time on the job.  Evans report will be presented at the July 18th council meeting.  Meanwhile, The City isn't releasing a formal statement about the allegations.  Police Chief Bob Herman is seeking 700 thousand dollars in damages centered around comments made by Hobbs during a press conference earlier this spring.

Mayor still to file defence against lawsuit

Mayor Keith Hobbs hasn't filed his statement of defence against a lawsuit issued by The Chief of Police.  Bob Herman filed the defamation suit last Friday, and Hobbs has 30 days to file his defence.  The lawsuit centres on remarks Hobbs made during a spring news conference.  Herman is seeking damages of 700 thousand dollars.  The claims have not been proven in court.  Hobbs declined to comment and Herman could not be reached.

2 Thunder Bay residents appointed to Order of Canada

This year's appointments to the Order of Canada have a Thunder Bay flavour. Lawyer and Adventurer David Shannon along with Doctor Ruth Kajander have been named to the order and will recieve their insignia's at a cermony in the near future.

Keg gives 25-thousand to charity

The Keg is giving a local charity 25 thousand dollars.  Our Kids Count will use the money to offer programs to families with kids under the age of six.

Thunder Bay teen charged with mischief

A poor choice for a hiding spot for a Thunder Bay teen. Dryden Police were called to a Government Street home early yesterday morning by the resident who said someone was trying to get into the home. Police got a description and the accused was found shortly after hiding under a tree at the Tourist Information Bureau. Police say 19-year-old Marella Meekis has been charged with public intoxication and mischief under 5-thousand dollars.

Mishkeegogamang residents heading home

Its good news today for evacuated residents of Mishkeegogamang, they'll soon be heading home.  MNR officials say smoke from a nearby forest fire has blown out of the area and residents will be able to go home tomorrow.  However officials say the area is still under high alert and if the wind shifts residents could be evacuated again. 

Fort Frances man keeps snapping turtles

A Fort Frances man has been fined 17-hundred dollars for keeping live snapping turtles in his home.  Donald Cameron was charged back in February after Ministry of Natural Resources conservation officers, acting on a public tip, found the reptiles hidden in the tank of a toilet.  Cameron had been convicted of a similar offence back in 2010.  Snapping turtles are a special concern species under Ontario’s Endangered Species Act.

Long weekend blitz

OPP and Thunder Bay Police will be out in full force this long weekend. They will target aggressive drivers who speed, drive under the influence of drugs or alcohol, drive while distracted or fail to wear seatbelts. The OPP will also be checking on waterways to ensure boaters are wearing life jackets or personal flotation devices.