Pukaskwa closes backcountry portion of park

Officials at Pukaskwa National Park have closed the entire back country portion of the park.  The move comes after last week's bear attack on a visitor.  Acting Park Manager Robin Heron says an investigation found no mistakes made by the visitor, making this a problem bear situation.

It's time to start thinking about locking in your mortgage

The US Debt rating drop could jack up interest rates.  That's the prediction from Thunder Bay Investment Expert Blake Cameron who says it could be a smart move to get locked in at a low interest rate on your mortgage. 
Cameron says in the short term expect more market volatility.

The Sheepdogs to play Thunder Bay

Organizers of the Superior Youth Festival must be living right because they've managed to snag an act that is currently one of the hottest in North America.   The Sheepdogs from Saskatoon, Saskatchewan are on the cover of  Rolling Stone magazine after they were chosen as the first winners of the annual "Do You Wanna Be A Rock & Roll Star" contest.   The band was booked for the August 24th event at Marina Park prior to the band receiving the accolades.

Man arrested for drugs after traffic stop

Dryden Police have laid 2-charges against a Quebec man after a traffic stop outside of Dryden.  Officers stopped the 19 year old man yesterday for speeding and found drugs.

Atikokan is trying to enhance reputation

Atikokan is challenging its residents to help build on its reputation as the Canoeing Capital of Canada.  Paula Sanders of the Atikokan Economic Development Corporation says funds will be provided for residents to come up with ideas. The contest ends August 31.

No let up in Forest Fire activity

Some rain is expected in Northwestern Ontario today, which could help reduce the number of new fires as well as dampen existing fires. Lightning strikes ignited about two dozen more fires in the region over the weekend, raising the total to almost 130. The Ministry of Natural Resources says smoky conditions continue to be a concern for communities in the far north. Smoke from Red Lake Fire 124 was expected to drift in the communities of Red Lake and Pikangikum..

Still waiting

Time is running out to work a deal between Bombardier Transportation in Thunder Bay and members of Canadian Auto Workers Local Union 1075. Local Union 1075 President Dominic Pasqualino says this is not an ideal time to deal with uncertainty. Pasqualino also says its frustrating because with a strike they would lose time and fail to deliver to customers on schedule. The deadline for a new settlement is Tuesday at 4 PM. The union would strike immediately if a deal couldn't be reached. Pasqualino says he hopes the two sides can meet somewhere in the middle.

Forest fires remain active

The forest fire situation continues to be very active both with existing fires and new ones being discovered. Currently there are 112 active fires in North Western Ontario burning close to 600,000 hectares in the province. About 2000 fire personnel and over 100 aircraft are engaged in fire suppression.

Not the ending they hoped for

It looks like the Chill have cooled off quickly. The Thunder Bay chill lost to the Kitsap Pumas 3-1 in the Premier Development League final four held at Bremerton Memorial Stadium; in Bremerton, Washington. The Chill could not contend with Kitsap's offensive firepower. The Pumas scored three clutch goals in the second half, two by Matt Friesen, to come back from their 0-1 halftime deficit. Thunder Bay’s Gustavo Oliveira scored the only goal for the Chill on a penalty kick in the first half. The Kitsap Pumas will be playing in it's first USL PDL Championship game Saturday night against the Laredo Heat.

Shaw to fight for Minneapolis TV

Shaw Cable says it supports the concerns of it's Thunder Bay subscribers who want to get back the Minneapolis TV stations. Spokesperson Greg Pultz says that's why they're applying to the Canadian Radio and Telecommunications Commission to get them back.   Pultz says the CRTC forced them to take the stations off in the first place.

Tory hopeful emerges in Kenora-RR

The manager of the Kenora Forest Products Mill in Kenora is looking at a shift in career to provincial politics. Rod McKay has indicated he plans to run for the Conservatives in the upcoming Provincial election. McKay says the decision by Howard Hampton not to run again, didn't really affect his decision. McKay is also a member of Kenora City council.

MNR flies band members over fire

It appears the concerns of Whitewater Lake First Nation residents may have been premature. Their Chief was complaining that they were ignored by the Ministry of Natural Resources during forest fire evacuations. However ministry staff flew some band members over the fire near their community and they were satisfied the MNR acted properly.

Communities in NWO get NOHF grants

Nine communities in Northwestern Ontario are sharing 5.4-million provincial dollars.  The Minister responsible for the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund, Michael Gravelle says these projects are deserving of the funding.The money will be used for projects ranging from a sawmill to a recreation centre

Williams returns to old position

It's deja vu all over again for Dr. David Williams.   He is returning to Thunder Bay to become the new Medical Officer of Health, a position he held for many years before heading to Toronto to take up a senior public health position there.   Dr. Williams will be joined by Dr. Janet DeMille who will be the Associate M-O-H.

Woman seriously injured in bear attack

A woman from Michigan is suffering serious wounds after being attacked by a bear in Pukaskwa National Park this morning. The woman was part of a group of boaters who stepped on shore, which is where the attack took place. Erin Vincent of the rescue centre in Trenton says it was park staff that handled the incident.  She says they took the patient to the hospital where she is recovering.

Heat, winds and lightning an MNR concern

Eight new forest fires in Northwestern Ontario are now under control according to the Ministry of Natural Resources. Spokesperson Art Osbourne says it's fortunate that those were the only new blazes reported and says wind and possible lightning could keep firefighters busy today.

Chill take on Kitsap Pumas in PDL Semi's

The Thunder Bay Chill will try to take another step towards a second PDL championship tonight when they take on the Kitsap Pumas. Head Coach Tony Colistro says a well balanced style of play will help them tonight. The winner will move on to the final.

Shelter House adding addiction beds

The Shelter House is expanding to help people addicted to alcohol. Executive Director Cal Rankin says its a vital service that needs to be provided and 15 beds will be added to help those people.  Rankin says he hopes to have all the renovations complete by November.

Damaged vehicles at airport removed

All the vehicles that were heavily damaged in last month's wind storm in the Thunder Bay Airport parking lot have been accounted for. Airport Manager Scott McFadden says for the most part owners were understanding, except in one instance where an owner's vehicle had to be towed away for safety reasons.  When the owner returned,  the car wasn't there which McFadden called a "difficult situation". As for repairs to the roof of the terminal building, McFadden hopes that can be completed by the end of the month.

Jobless rate falls

It appears to have been a good July for hiring in Thunder Bay.  Our jobless rate went from 6.7 percent in June to 6.2 percent last month.  That followed the trends nationally and provincially which fell to 7.2 and 7.5 respectively.

Ministry allows bridge work to resume

Work has now resumed at the site of the MacKenzie Bridge, the first time that's happened since the death of a worker at the construction site in June. Matt Blajer of the Ministry of Labour says that Ministry officials are giving the company the green light.  He says that means the company involved has complied with all the work orders it was given.

Advisory back up at Boulevard Lake

The hot weather is causing problems for people who want to cool off at the local beaches.  The Health Unit already has a swimming advisory up at the main beach at Chippewa Park and has now posted one at Sunnyside Beach at Boulevard Lake due to high bacteria levels.

High price of gold affects jewellery demand

The talk at next week's jewellery show in Toronto will be the price of gold which is over 16 hundred dollars an ounce. Thunder Bay's Dave Douglas says that price is causing many consumers to buy products made of something else adding that silver has taken the place of gold as far as jewellery goes.  Douglas says with the price of gold predicted to go higher, buying gold now is the wise choice.

Weather not cooperating with MNR

The heat is on as firefighters in Northwestern Ontario continue to battle over a hundred wildfires in the region. Annemarie Piscopo of the Ministry of Natural Resource says mother nature isn't helping as there has been a minimal amount of rain this week.  Piscopo adds, the fire hazard is high to extreme at the west end of the region and moderate closer to Thunder Bay

Syrian people won't get help from the West

Despite widespread violence in Syria, western powers are unlikely to intervene.  That's the feeling of Lakehead University Political Science Expert Laure Paquette who says there is no economic benefit for Western Powers to intervene which means the people in Syria are on their own.  There has been an increase in reports about violence, torture and imprisonment in the country over the last few days.

Environment Canada cuts could affect local weather services

Proposed personnel cuts at Environment Canada could impact local weather predicting.  The Federal Government wants to layoff 700 people at the crown agency and our Meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says cuts to radar or weather modelling services will make predicting weather in Northwestern Ontario far more difficult.

Sharp cements relationship with Blackhawks

The Chicago Blackhawks and Patrick Sharp will be partners for the next 5 years.    The Thunder Bay native has received a nearly 30 million dollar contract extension from the NHL club.  General manager Stan Bowman calls the 29 year old Sharp one of the hockey's elite players as well as a fixture in Chicago

RFDA gets 150 K

 The organization which makes sure 28 food banks in Northwestern Ontario are stocked is getting 150 thousand dollars from the Ontario Trillium Foundation. Regional Food Distribution Association will use the money over one year to make necessary roof repairs and add insulation at it's Thunder Bay headquarters. The foundation says it will help to ensure the RFDA is able to continue its work. .

Liberals in Kenora-Rainy River choose Leek

Liberals in Kenora-Rainy River have their candidate the October provincial election.  Emo township councillor Anthony Leek says he's ready to begin the campaign.  Leek was unopposed at last night's nomination meeting in Fort Frances

Americans here to help fight fires

The Americans are now helping us fight our forest fires in Northwestern Ontario.   Ministry of Natural Resources spokesperson Paul McBay says there are about 50 of them arriving  in Thunder Bay and they will be deployed to areas that need them the most. 

Number of forest fires now at 120

The number of forest fires in Northern Ontario sits at 120. Stephanie Pagnucco  of the Ministry of Natural Resources says a number of fires remain of concern.  They include fires near Red  Lake, Pickle Lake and Sioux Lookout.  Pagnucco says a couple of new fires also broke out in Wabakimi Provincial Park in the Thunder Bay District

Beady wants taxpayer support for Sandy Lake family

The Grand Chief of the Nishnawbe Aski Nation is calling for financial support for a family of the forest fire evacuees.  This week a Sandy Lake First Nation family returned home to find their house completely destroyed by fire.  Grand Chief Stan Beardy says immediate Provincial and Federal support is needed to replace the loss.

Two candidates vie for NDP nod in Kenora-RR

There's officially a race for the Provincial NDP in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding. Kenora's Robert Sinding  has announced that he's seeking the nomination. He's the second person to announce an intention after Howard Hampton said he was retiring from politics.

Evacuees could all be home today

If all goes as planned, the remaining forest fire evacuees in Northwestern Ontario could be home today.  About one-thousand people were still waiting to return as of yesterday afternoon. Officials hope to complete the task by the end of the day.

Our economy no longer relies soley on the US

Trade with China is keeping our economy from slipping backwards with our US neighbours.  Thunder Bay Market Expert Keith McCullough says our economy no longer relies on our southern neighbours but is surging ahead thanks to ties to China.  McCullough says our connections with China are helping post better unemployment numbers than the US.

Tragic collision grips Thunder Bay family

A Thunder Bay family is trying to cope with an untimely loss of their little girl.  Police Spokesperson Chris Adams say the tragic irony is that a family member was behind the wheel of the SUV that ran over 2 year old Kylie McKay yesterday afternoon on North Vickers Street.  Adams says he drove home and was arrested but after further investigation it appears the driver didn't know he had hit Kylie.

ATV accident results in death

A 16 year old girl from Southern Ontario is dead following an ATV accident in Greenstone on the weekend. OPP Constable Shona Camirand says the girl was driving the vehicle at the time of the accident on Saturday evening and was unresponsive when police arrived. The victim is identified as Arlynne Holyer of St. Catherines. Police say an examination of the ATV is still taking place along with follow up interviews.

Hospital looking at wi-fi

The Regional Hospital says plans are in the works to have wi-fi set up by sometime in the fall. However spokesperson Bruce Sutton says the decisions that need to be made are: where should it be located and whether to charge for the service or not.

Accident claims life of young girl

City police say a young girl is dead after being hit by a vehicle on the 400 block of Vickers Street around 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon.   They say a 45 year old man is in custody in connection with the incident.   Police say they can't release more information until the investigation is complete.  

Evacuee's home destroyed by fire

Its not what any family wants to come home to. The family of evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation that came home to find their house burned to the ground are trying to stay positive during this difficult time. The family of four, which includes a 10 year old boy and 5 year old girl, are staying with their grandparents for the time being. Chief Adam Fiddler says when all evacuees return home the community will pull together in support of the family. Chief Fiddler also says he hopes all evacuees from Sandy Lake First Nation will be returned home by Wednesday. Sandy Lake First Nation is accepting donations in support of all forest fire evacuees.

Classic car show & shine

Your never too young to appreciate a classic! On August 6th from 1-3 pm Hilldale Gardens Retirement Living is hosting a Classic Car Show & Shine. The Show features a large display of classic cars from many different eras for the public to enjoy. Admission to this event is free of charge.

A warm and wet July in Thunder Bay

If you're thinking July was a wet month in Thunder Bay you are correct. Our meteorologist Bill Laidlaw says we got 20 millimetres more rain than what we normally get for the month.  He says however, that a huge amount of that rain came in a 4 day period which saw half of the months precipitation fall in one day.  Laidlaw says in fact we were unique in all of northwestern Ontario for the amount of precipitation we received.  Meantime the temperature for the month was about a degree and a half above normal.

Strong July for the Port of Thunder Bay

The total amount of cargo shipped from the Port of Thunder Bay for the month of July surpassed last year's totals. Just under a million tons were sent last month which is up over 200 thousand tons from July of last year. So far this year the port is running almost even with last year's 3.3 million tons of cargo sent by the end of July.

Somalia images spark donations

Red Cross officials in Thunder Bay are collecting money for famine relief in Somalia as the situation there remains critical. Spokesperson Rob Zuback says people in the city are starting to respond,  He says they are hearing about the famine and seeing the stark images of young children who are starving and malnourished.  Zuback says more donations started to come in when the Harper government announced it would match them dollar for dollar

Stabbing victims remains stable

A 53 year old man is facing a charge of aggravated assault after a long weekend stabbing.   Police say a 19 year old man was taken to hospital and remains in stable condition after the incident on the 300 block of Morse Street.  Police say the two people knew each other and that alcohol was involved.   

Race starts to replace Hampton

A former Thunder Bay resident says she wants to replace Howard Hampton in the Ontario Legislature.   No sooner did the Kenora-Rainy River NDP MPP announce his retirement from politics than Sarah Campbell announced she is seeking the NDP nomination for the riding in this fall's provincial election.  The 29 year old has been a Hampton staffer in Dryden for almost a decade.

More forest fires reported

There is increased forest fire activity as the Ministry of Natural Resources reports 115 active fires in the Northwest Region, and both the Northwest and the Northeast Region are reporting new forest fires. This brings the number of active fires across the province to about 125.

Paddlers stay here overnight

A group of canoeists will be leaving Thunder Bay later today or tomorrow after spending the night at Marina Park. They are paddling across the country to help raise funds for the Canadian Parks and Wilderness Society

Stabbing on Morse street

City police are currently investigating a stabbing that occurred Sunday night on the 300 block of Morse street. A 19 year old male was brought into Thunder Bay Regional Hospital where he is reported to be in stable condition. A 53 year old male has been brought into police custody.

Hike turns hazardous

Thunder Bay firefighters had their hands full helping out a woman who injured herself while hiking. A crew was called to the scene just off of Feaver road where a woman who was hiking by herself injured her leg and could not continue on. Her isolated location made it extra difficult for firefighters; taking them over 5 hours to rescue the woman. She is currently in Thunder Bay Hospital with a knee injury.