Sketches of deceased woman released

OPP have released sketches of a woman whose remains were found in Kenora in 2009.  Sgt. Shelley Garr says they're hoping the sketch will help jog the memory of a doctor or family member.  Foul play is not suspected in her death. Investigators describe the deceased as a Caucasian female, between the ages of 35 and 55 years, approximately 5 feet 4 inches tall and weighing approximately 110 pounds, with shoulder length light brown hair.

Waterfront Celebrations Friday

You can tour the newly renovated waterfront Friday night.  The City is holding a grand opening celebration and Spokesperson Doug Henry says there are a number of areas of the waterfront re-opening.  Henry says public response has been great so far.  The event starts at 6:30 pm and will wrap up with fireworks at 8:30 pm.

300-thousand raised for Attawapiskat

The Red Cross has raised 300 thousand dollars for the troubled community of Attawapiskat.  Spokesperson Karen Snider says they've ended their fundraising campaign.  Donations came in from across Canada.

Rafferty surprised by swear

Thunder Bay MP John Rafferty says opposition MPs are frustrated with the Conservative Government.  Rafferty's remarks come after Environment Minister Peter Kent chided the NDP's Environment Critic for not being at a climate conference in South Africa.  The Environment Minister's questioning prompted Liberal MP Justin Trudeau to use a swear word in the House of Commons.

Highway near Kenora closed

The winter weather has resulted in a Highway closure.  Highway 17A is closed at Airport Road near Kenora.  The road was closed around 2:30 this morning.  OPP say traffic is being re-routed through Kenora. Motorists are urged to use caution on the road today due to blowing snow and slippery conditions.

Aboriginal Affairs and Attawapiskat meet today

The housing crisis at Attawapiskat will be examined today when Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan meets in Thunder Bay with Chief Theresa Spence. Spence has threatened to sue Ottawa for imposing a third party to manage the band's finances.

T.Bay Tel restores service to most areas

Thunder Bay Telephone is reporting that all cell service in the Westfort area of town is back up and running. Landline and Internet service is also restored to most impacted areas. Service issues still remain in some rural areas and crews continue to work towards fixing the problem.

Plane makes emergency landing in Geraldton

No one was hurt after a twin engine plane made an emergency landing in Geraldton Wednesday afternoon.  Greenstone Mayor Renald Beaulieu says a Thunder Air plane flying from Attiwapiskat to Thunder Bay had one of its engines die during the flight.  Beaulieu wasn't sure but thinks the passengers are band officials from the troubled First Nation coming to Thunder Bay for a meeting with the Minister of Aboriginal Affairs.

Wojak barred for 6 months

It could be 6 months before local man Henry Wojak can speak at Council again.  Wojak was barred after swearing at council in November and his punishment will last 6 months unless he apologizes.  Wojak says council is trying to silence him and says he will apologize for "council's behaviour but that's all." If Wojak apologizes his punishment would be reduced to 3 months.

Councillor looks to feasibility study for multi-plex answers

One city councilor says we'll get more answers about the proposed multi-plex once a feasibility study is done.  Andrew Foulds says we need to know how this facility would be configured.  Foulds says he is looking forward to seeing the results of the study this spring.

Man on the Street: open border

There doesn't appear to be much support for a open border policy with the United States if it means some sacrifices. We asked people in Thunder Bay...do you agree with an open border in exchange for increased security and a loss of some personal freedoms?

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Duncan to meet Chief in Thunder Bay

The Attawapiskat controversy makes it's way to Thunder Bay on Thursday.  That's when Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan will be meeting with the Chief of the James Bay First Nations community Theresa Spence.   The two have been waging a verbal war with each other over the Harper Government's decision for third party management on the reserve.

OPP hope to solve Kenora mystery

More details will be released Thursday in Orillia on an unsolved mystery in Kenora. The investigation centres around human remains found in June of 2009. OPP say a Forensic Artist has enhanced the investigation with facial re-creations. OPP will be seeking further assistance from the public and medical community to identify the individual.

Waboose trashes government over FASD

There's an accusation that the McGuinty Government isn't doing enough about the problem of Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Terry Waboose says the Province needs to get serious about the problem because his people can't do it on their own.  He says "countless children" born with the disorder "are falling through the cracks because of  Ontario's continued failure to fully address FASD"

Solar farm? No problem

There doesn't seem to be any complaints from residents in Shuniah to a proposed solar farm in the community.  Many people who attended an open house on the proposal were satisfied that the project will not pose a problem.   GTE Solar plans another open house in Thunder Bay today about a separate solar farm in the Dawson and Paquette Road areas.

Mac's store robbed again

There may be added security measures, but that didn't stop someone from robbing another city Mac's Convenience Store.  Police say that the store on North Cumberland was robbed by a man with a knife around midnight and ran off with an undisclosed amount of money.  No one was hurt

Homeowner captures suspect

A 20 year old Webequie man is in police custody after a homeowner on the 500 block of Marks Street captured him after he broke into the house.   Police say the homeowner held on to the culprit until they arrived.  Another suspect got away and police are still looking for him.  The incident happened around 1:30 am

Christmas Cheer busy again today

It's going to be another busy day at the CLE Colliseum Building as Christmas Cheer hampers are given to needy families.  Today it's the south side families that will be picking up their goods, yesterday it was for the north.    The organization still needs 65 thousand dollars to meet this years goal

Loss of judge upsets lawyers

Lawyers in the Rainy River district are seeking a meeting with the Ontario's Chief Justice to explain the reasoning behind a decision not to replace a judge who's relocating to southern Ontario. President of the District of Rainy River Law President Barbara Morgan says the province should be hiring more judges. Morgan says the loss of a resident judge will delay court proceedings in Fort Frances and reduce the number of court dates available in Rainy River and Atikokan

Forestry strategy proposed by MP

A national strategy on forestry is being proposed by Thunder Bay-Rainy River MP John Rafferty. He put forward three motions in the House of Commons last week he hopes will lead to some discussion.  A similar motion failed to see the light of day in the last parliament.

City may re-work funding proposal

Don't count out the city's chances of getting future federal funding for a new convention centre even though we were turned down. City manager Tim Commisso says the city can resubmit the application for the public and private partnership program without the arena component. However, that doesn't mean the dream of a multi-plex is dead.  He says they could apply under different government programs for the arena funding.  Commisso hopes they can resubmit the re-worked application if the P-3 program is revived in the spring.

Vacancy rate in the city down this year

The rental market in Thunder Bay is getting a little tighter with news that the vacancy rate in the city is down according to Warren Philp of Canada Mortgage and Housing.   He says the rate for 2011 went down to 1.7 per cent compared to 2.2 per cent last year.  Philp says one of the reasons sited for the decline was fewer first timers getting into the home buying market

Building Permits boom in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay continues to be a hot construction market.  Council saw a report on the 2011 season and it showed almost 230 million dollars worth of permits were handed out.  Councillor Marc Bentz says its a good sign and he expects the boom to continue next year.  Bentz did admit that much of the total came from large projects like the court house and the waterfront. 

Another international baseball tournament could be coming our way

The International Baseball Association is looking at 2015 for the next big tournament in Thunder Bay.  Executive Director Warren Philp says they are looking at a warm up tournament for the Pan Am games.  Philp says its unclear how locations for future World Junior Championships will be chosen in the future, so they are waiting to see what happens before looking at that tournament again.  Last night prior to the City Council meeting, the Thunder Bay International Baseball Association present Pro Kids Thunder Bay with a check for 5 thousand dollars and then gave council a final report on the 2010 World Junior Baseball Championships.

GTE Presents to Council

GTE Solar wants to keep council informed of what they have planned.  Company officials presented their plans to council and say they wanted to answer questions and wanted to make it clear that they want to keep the lines of communication open.  The company is hoping to build 3 Solar Parks in the area.

Warnex has been bought

Thunder Bay's 5 Warnex DNA Lab employees won't be going anywhere despite the company being acquired by a Southern Ontario firm.  Gamma Dynacare spokesperson Shelley Jourard says they acquired all Warnex assets and don't plan on making any staffing or service changes. 

Battery recycling program undeway

There's a new recycling option in Thunder Bay. You can now drop off your used household batteries at 5 different locations in the city. The program is a partnership with the Public Library.

New tech venture at the hospital

The Health Sciences Centre is partnering in a new technology venture with Cancer Care Ontario. Regional Vice President Michael Power says it involves software testing and has the potential to create over two dozen jobs.    Power says it's also an important step forward in the development of cancer tech services.

Delays for Atikokan pellet plant

It could be half a year before Thunder Bay businessman Ed Fukushima can launch a wood pellet manufacturing operation in Atikokan.  He says the plant can't begin production this year because they’re still working on contracts. He doesn’t want to get it going until they have those contracts in hand.  He says the delay will push the opening back 3 to 6 months.

Second fire, same address

No one is hurt following a fire at a north side house just before noon today. Platoon Chief Kim Hutch says the fire at 218 Manitou caused considerable damage to the rear of the 3 story wood frame building, but crews got everyone out safely. The cause is under investigation. It's the second fire at the same house in a week.

NAPS officer charged by OPP

The OPP has charged a member of the Nishnawbe-Aski Police Service with selling drugs.  After a 10 month investigation, Detective Sergeant Brent Cadeau is charged with four counts of trafficking a controlled substance.  The 32 year old has been suspended since March.  Cadeau will appear in court in Sioux Lookout January 10th.

Westgate closes at noon

Westgate highschool is closing at noon. A watermain break on Walsh street has forced the school to close and students are being sent home early. Buses will be coming to pick up students at noon.

T.Bay hydro applies for rate decrease

Thunder Bay Hydro wants to lower your monthly bill.  Spokesperson Tim Wilson says they've applied to the Ontario Energy Board for a rate decrease.  If approved, residential customers will see their bill go down by $2 dollars and 17 cents.

Boshcoff's thoughts on Bombardier emergency

There'll be an analysis of how Friday's Bombardier emergency was handled by Thunder Bay Transit. Councillor Ken Boshcoff says he's heard some concerns over why bus passengers weren't told all buses were taken off the road to deal with the bomb threat.  Boshcoff suggests the automatic messaging system should have been updated to keep passengers informed.

T.Bay man in Edmonton Hospital

RCMP say a 23 year old Thunder Bay man suffered serious injuries after a car accident north east of Edmonton.  Police say the man's westbound car T-boned a north bound taxi at an intersection.  The local man's injuries are severe and he remains in Edmonton hospital.

Local Curling Results

Team McCarville is the Northern Ontario Women's Curling Champions. Krista McCarville's rink beat Tracy Horgan yesterday 9-7. Marlo Dahl's rink is the second qualifier for the All-Ontario's in Kenora. Dahl beat Sandra Lahti yesterday 8-4.

Federal Government gives update on Attawapiskat

High efficiency wood stoves, composting toilets, and plastic sheeting have arrived in Attawapiskat.  The supplies were flown in Saturday according to a Federal Government press release.  The Federal Government has also purchased an additional seven modular homes bringing the total up to 22.

Local Sports

Thunder Bay North Stars beat Duluth a second night in a row last night 10 to 2.  In the Ontario Women's Provincial Curling Championships, Thunder Bay's Ashley Kallos fell to Tracy Horgan 7-6. Laura Pickering beat Sandra Lahti 10-5. Krista McCarville defeated Louise Logan 11-5.

Cocaine Bust on First Nation

A search of a Moose Cree First Nation home payed off for the Combined Forces Organized Crime Unit.  Police sezied 91-grams of cocaine worth an estimated 14-thousand, 600-dollars.  Officers also found over 13-thousand dollars in cash, 29-firearms, 18-bottles of alcohol as well as drug paraphernalia and communication devices.  Four people from Moose Factory face numerous charges. The ages of the accused range from 27 to 65.

Riverside Health in Rainy River has plan

Riverside Health Care Facilities says it's prepared to deal with possible closures of the emergency room at Rainy River Health Centre.  But CEO Wayne Woods says the main focus is still trying to get continue assistance for the town's lone full-time physician.  The hospital has been relying on locum doctors since July and will have assistance through to the first week of January.

Local Sports Scores

Thunder Bay's North Stars defeated the Duluth Clydesdales 6-2 at the Fort William Gardens Friday night. 3 Thunder Bay rinks are in action Saturday at the Northern Ontario Women's Provincial Championships in Copper Cliff, Ontario. Krista McCarville beat fellow T.Bay'er Ashley Kallos 11-7 Friday night. McCarville plays again today at 9:30.

No "Bomb"ardier

The police search of the Bombardier plant is now over and no bomb was found. The plant had to be evacuated Friday afternoon after police say that someone called security at the facility and said there was a bomb in the building. After that it became somewhat of a spectacle as the entire city transit system was shut down as bus after bus was sent to the Montreal Street facility so workers could have someplace to stay warm. Eventually they were given the rest of the day off as police searched the sprawling complex. It wasn't until about 7:30 Friday evening that police sounded the all clear and handed the plant back over to company management.

GTE Solar coming to council

Council will be getting a presentation from GTE at tonight's meeting.  Councillor Aldo Ruberto says he isn't surprised to see so many solar projects coming to Thunder Bay considering we have the 2nd most sunlight in the country.  The company is hoping to build 3 solar parks in the area.

Final Report on World Junior's coming to council

City Council is going to hear a final report on the World Junior Baseball Championships.  Thunder Bay International Baseball Executive Director Warren Philp says they want to give council some final numbers on summer 2010 event.  Philp says he hopes that this tournament will be the first of many for the city.

Foundation grants almost 120 K

The Thunder Bay Community Foundation is playing Santa Claus for 28 local charity organizations. It's divided close to 120 thousand dollars amongst all of them. Spokesperson Mark Wright says the money will go to meeting a variety of local needs.Wright says the Foundation tried to align its grants with the strategic priorities of the City of Thunder Bay.

Bomb threat forces the evac of Bombardier

A bomb threat at Bombardier has led the the evacuation of all staff at the facility.  Thunder Bay Police Officials say they used the city's transit buses to keep workers warm while a search of the building was conducted after the threat came in just after 12.  Transit services were suspended but have since been resumed.  Bombardier Employees have been moved to a warehouse at the Resolute Mill.

Hospital CEO Salary guidelines touted

The Ontario Hospital Association wants Ontario hospitals to develop guidelines for CEO salaries. Health Sciences Centre Human Resources Spokesperson Don Halpert is also in favour of the idea. Halpert says as it is now hospitals pay different amounts and they compete to hire top executives.

Science North unveils planetarium

Science North is over the moon over its new portable digital planetarium for the Northwest. Spokesperson Nicole Chiasson says the inflatable unit is going to make its way to any school or festival that requests it.  It's located at the Boys and Girls Club on Junot Avenue.

SHIFT gives money to United Way

Thunder Bay's Young Professionals Network SHIFT is giving 3-thousand dollars to the United Way.  The money will go towards United Way's GenNext Cabinet.  The cabinet engages youth and teaches them about philanthropy.

Gravelle addresses Injured Workers

MPP Michael Gravelle is taking the call of Thunder Bay's Injured Workers seriously.  The local group is accusing the Liberal Government of cutting benefits for the injured as a way for making up years of underfunding.  The injured workers are rallying at Mini Queen's Park today on James Street.  Gravelle says he's passing on their concerns to the Minister of Labour.