TD Green Streets program

The TD Green Streets Initiative is giving out money to a local organization.  Thunder Bay is getting a green street grant to put towards an urban forestry project

Minister Joe Oliver paying visit to T.Bay

The Federal Minister of Natural Resources is going to be in Thunder Bay next month.  Joe Oliver will be speaking to the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce on April 5th.  He'll be talking about post budget presentations and the mining industry.

Government buildings up for sale

The Province is selling eight of it's Government buildings.  It's a cost saving measure that includes the sale of a building here in Thunder Bay.  The Liberal Government is putting 189 Red River Road up for sale between 2013-2014 and plans to lease it back from the new owners.

Toronto council goes for LRT

Toronto Mayor Rob Ford has lost his transit battle after city council voted against his subway plan.  City councillors voted 24-19 in favour of a motion to build light-rail transit to the east end along Sheppard Avenue instead of a subway, something Ford had pushed hard for.  This decision is expected to benefit Thunder Bay's Bombardier Plant.

NDP Leadership convention is on

New Democrats are gathering in Toronto for today's opening of their leadership convention, where a successor to the late Jack Layton will be chosen.  The perceived front-runner is Montreal M-P Thomas Mulcair, a former Quebec Liberal who has the most support from the party's caucus.  City Councillor and NDP supporter Iain Angus is throwing his support behind Mulcair as well.

T.Bay's inflation rate

Thunder Bay's inflation rate is on the rise.  It went up point seven percent from January to February; it now sits at 2.7 percent.  That's higher than the national rate which was 2.6 percent last month.

4 year old not hurt after accident

A 4 year old girl is unhurt after being involved in a car pedestrian accident last night on Algoma.  Staff Sgt. Paul Rodeghiero says it happened in front of the Finnish Book Store.  A car was turning when a man and his daughter were crossing the street.  The car swiped the little girl's legs and the driver was charged in the incident.

Council expenses declining

City Council is getting ready to look at the annual Council, Board and Committee expenses report.  The report will be released at Monday's meeting and shows a decrease in spending of about 33 thousand dollars in 2011 compared to 2010.  Leading the way savings wise was Rebecca Johnson who paid 35 thousand 320 dollars.  Councillors Paul Pugh and Andrew Foulds were the most frugal expense wise, spending only 20 dollars each.  Mayor Keith Hobbs was paid the most, earning about 108 thousand dollars with his salary and expenses while Joe Virdiramo was the highest paid Councillor taking in just over 47 thousand dollars including over 6 thousand dollars in expenses.

EMS headquarters ready to occupy

As of Monday the administration at Superior North EMS will be working out of the brand new headquarters building on Junot Avenue. Chief Norm Gale says the paramedics will then be moved in by the end of next week. He expects that the complete transition will take some time with a few growing pains possible.  Gale promises that 9-1-1 service will not be interrupted during the changeover.

Border Cats sign 6

The Border Cats have added 6 players for the upcoming season.  The team announced the signing of 3 infielders, a catcher and two pitchers.  Last year's top defensive short stop Brett Kay will be returning to Cats who will open the Northwoods League Season Monday June 4th at Subway Field at Port Arthur Stadium.

Habitat announces two home builds

Habitat for Humanity is building two homes for families in need in the city this year.   They will be located on Home Avenue and Mary Street.   Meantime, Habitat is back on the fundraising trail.   They've announced a partnership with local paramedics who have donated a kids playhouse which will be raffled off.

DSSAB voices concerns

The District Social Services Board is voicing their concerns about the Province's social assistance system.  The local organization says the system is broken and they have some ideas on how they could fix it.  They suggest calculating basic needs and shelter rates according to local market rates including basic telephone and transportation costs.  Meanwhile, Bill Bradica is the board's temporary CAO.  He's filling in for Melissa Harrison who is on medical leave.

Hefty marijuana seizure

A 20-year-old woman faces possession charges following an investigation. Nishnawbe-Aski Police seized a package that was sent from Timmins to Kashechewan First Nation. Police say the package contained 44-hundred dollars worth of marihuana. Police say Shelly Hughie of Kashechewan has been charged.

OTF funding

A major honour for a youth project in the Northern reserve of Kashechewan.  The Kashechewan Youth Video project and Nishnawbe Aski Nation has won the Ontario Trillium Foundation Chair's Award.  The project brought youth and adult allies together to address school drop-out rates, drug and alcohol abuse and a high risk of suicide.  The Trillium Foundation says the initiative has had an expectional impact on the community.

NDP leadership race nearing end

Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell is backing Nicki Ashton for the Federal NDP leadership.  New Democrats will choose a new leader this weekend.  Campbell says Ashton understands northern and rural issues and is clearly the best person to lead the party.  She adds that the 29-year-old Manitoba MP was one of the few leadership candidates who promised to bring new ideas to the table. 

Highway 11 open

Highway 11 east of Atikokan is now open.  A section between Quetico Park and Kashabowie had been closed last night while emergency personnel dealt with a burning vehicle.  No other details of the incidents are immediately available.

Oxy warning from M.O.H.

The city's Medical Officer of Health is wondering if the Health Unit's needle exchange program will be overwhelmed as Oxycontin addicts move to other drugs. Dr. David Williams says if the program can't meet the anticipated demand, it could result in the outbreak of infectious diseases such as H.I.V. Aids, Hepatitis C and other sicknesses. He says that could be disastrous for some communities if they can't get a grip on a sudden mass use of illicit drugs that they have no control over.

City embraces Respect

Eliminating racism, homophobia and harassment will take respect from everyone in Thunder Bay. That's the theme of the new program that has been adopted by the city.  The "Respect" campaign was started at Confederation college in 2006 by its student union and was incorporated into the city Wednesday.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says bridging cultural gaps is vital for the future of Thunder Bay.  

NDP wants Health Minister's Head

The Provincial Auditor General's report on ORNGE Air Ambulance is drawing calls for the Health Minister to resign.  NDP Leader Andrea Horvath says the report proves that Deb Matthews is incompetant. MPP Bill Mauro disagrees saying there are to many cracks in the system that are beyond government control. Mauro says new legislation that was introduced Wednesday will go a long way to preventing a situation like ORNGE from happening again.

Early start to street sweeping

The early arrival of spring-like weather is getting the city's roads team into gear. Manager Brad Adams says street cleaning is beginning this week, sooner than it usually does by about two or three weeks.  He says they normally start street sweeping the first or second week of April. 

Union boss optimistic about Viterra deal

The head of the union that represents grain handlers in the city is optimistic that the sale of Viterra will not have much of an impact on the company's three local elevators or the employees. Viterra was acquired by Glencore International. Steelworkers union boss Herb Daniher says however, it's not unusual for such deals to result in lay offs. Daniher says once the deal is actually finalized is when the union will try to discover what it will mean for workers.

School Board talks mandatory gym classes

The Lakehead Public School Board says it will follow the Province's lead when it comes to talk of making physical education mandatory up to Grade 12.  So far the McGuinty government is refusing to commit to adopting a call from Cancer Care Ontario and Public Health Ontario.  Education Officer Charlie Bishop says they understand that students need to be more active in a world full of technology.  Bishop adds if the initiative were to happen it would change the high school credit system.  The two groups feel that if gym classes were mandatory it would help prevent chronic diseases.

Warm weather records continue to break

We may have rain today but yesterday saw record breaking warm temperatures. Here in the City we reached a high of 21.1 beating the 1946 record of 13.3. Those figures our courtesy of our Meteorologist Bill Laidlaw.

Humane Society pans private members bill

Thunder Bay's Humane Society isn't thrilled with a Progressive Conservative's private members bill.  Executive Director Maryann Kleynendorst says the revised bill 47 is troubling to the Society of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals.  The bill comes back for a vote tomorrow in the Ontario legislature.

Food forum on at LU

Thunder Bay has two community kitchens. The results from the projects at the Regional Food Distribution Association and Our Children Count will be presented today at a food forum at Lakehead University. Spokesperson LeeAnn Chevrette says community kitchen's help build community and foster healthy eating habits.

Union gas rates decline

Northwestern Ontario Union Gas customers are going to see their bills decrease in the coming month.  The Ontario Energy Board has approved changes to the natural gas commodity price that Union Gas charges its customers.  OEB Spokesperson Paul Crawford says the new lower rates come into effect April 1st.

Golf season starts

Its an early start to the golf season in Thunder Bay. Owner of Dragon Hills Golf Course Mike Komar says the driving range and the course officially opened Tuesday at noon.

Ground beef product recall

The District Health Unit is keeping its eye on the ground beef products recall that's in effect across the country. It's due to possible E. coli contamination. Spokesperson Chris Beveridge says they are simply getting the word out for now by contacting stores and higher risk institutions like day cares, hospitals and long term care facilities. Most of the products are frozen beef burgers in a variety of names. Here is a list of affected products.

Suspicious car fire on north side

Thunder Bay Police are calling a car fire on the City's north side suspicious.  The fire department was called to Frankwood Avenue where they alerted the police to the blaze.  The Forensic Identification Unit was called to the scene and more information is expected to be released later today.

Councillor Clarifies Remarks

City Councillor Aldo Ruberto is clarifying his stance towards a plebiscite on the proposed Events Centre location.  Ruberto says comments he made to our newsroom are being taken out of context implying he doesn't trust voters to make an informed decision, he says that couldn't be further from the truth.  The At Large Councillor admits its a very complex issue and welcomes input from residents.

E. coli watch

The District Health Unit is keeping its eye on the ground beef products recall that's in effect across the country. It's due to possible E. coli contamination. Spokesperson Chris Beveridge says they are simply getting the word out for now by contacting stores and higher risk institutions like day cares, hospitals and long term care facilities.  Most of the products are frozen beef burgers in a variety of names .  Here is a list of affected products.

Thunder Bay in the top 50 best places in Canada to live

Another comparison survey is painting Thunder Bay in a pretty nice light.   Our city is rated 46 out of 190 for the best places to live in Canada by money sense dot c-a.  Mayor Keith Hobbs says despite the relatively high ranking he thinks Thunder Bay deserves to be higher.  We ranked 22 for affordable housing, 39th weather wise with our lowest ranking coming in population growth where we finished 164th out of 190.

Pennies for change

Thunder Bay's United Way is kicking off it's 2012 Pennies for Change campaign.  In 2011, 19 thousand dollars was brought in in loose change. A variety of local organizations will be taking loose change for the campaign up until April 30th.

Winter road network in bad shape

The winter roads to area First Nations are no longer safe to drive on.  The roads are quickly deterioating and Nishnawbe-Aski Police have had to respond to several incidents on the road.  Most communities have closed their sections of the road network.

Police Board ratifies contract

Civilian servants with Thunder Bay Police are getting a raise.  The Police Services Board recently approved their ratified contract and Chair Joe Virdiramo says it's a four year contract.  The next contract up for ratification coming to the Police Service Board is the Police Force's Senior Officers.

Bike lanes under microscope

The city's bike lane system on Victoria Avenue is coming under scrutiny. It comes after some safety concerns by motorists. The city's Active Transportation Coordinator Adam Krupper says they are looking at one specific section of Victoria, where it intersects with Waterloo Street.  Krupper says a consultant has also been hired to review the bike lane system and how it might be improved.

Saving a quarter million dollars....priceless

Lakehead University is changing the way it accepts payment for tuition and student resident services. As of May first, L-U's finance boss Michael Pawlowski says they will no longer be accepting credit cards. He says it will amount to a savings of over a quarter million dollars in fees they would normally pay to the credit card companies. Pawlowski says they feel the savings could be better spent in other areas of the institution.

Warm weather records broken

Thunder Bay keeps breaking weather records.  We saw a high of 18.9 yesterday which broke a warm record of 12.2 set back in 1946.  Fort Frances was the warmest yesterday reaching 26 degrees.

A new Regional Economic Development Agency is in the works

The Region could soon have a body to oversee economic development across the Northwest.  Thunder Bay City Council saw a presentation yesterday from Iain Angus who is chair a group that is working to create the Regional Economic Development Agency.  Angus says there are already several agencies that cover economic development but not on a regional level. This group would include all First nations and municipalities.  He says the REDA would give the Northwest a unified voice at both the provincial and federal levels.

Subdivision causes some debate

A proposed 25 unit subdivision near the Fort William Country Club is creating a bit of a buzz.  About a dozen people spoke up at council last night both for and against the project.  Residents who spoke out against the plan are worried the construction would destroy the pristine scenery while those in favour say it would be a great place to live and are especially interested in the larger than average lot sizes. The proposal will come back to council towards the end of April. 

Province changes funding model for hospitals

It won't be until May or June until we find out if a new Provincial Funding structure will benefit the Health Sciences Centre.  Vice President Scott Potts says its still unclear how the new model will work, but he's optimistic the hospital will see an increase in funding.

Local students condemn London violence

If the students who rioted in London, Ontario are expecting support from their counterparts at Thunder Bay's Confederation College, they're mistaken. Those we spoke to are condemning the violence

Busch new campaign chair

Carol Busch will be the face of this fall's United Way campaign having been selected the new campaign chair.   She says she can't wait to hit the ground running.

Making a big splash during Water Week

The city and EcoSuperior have a common bond this week. They both are helping to promote Water Week and specifically, water conservation. EcoSuperior's Ashley Priem says we still have a lot to learn about saving H2O.   Priem adds there will also be tours of the Bare Point Water Treatment and Atlantic Avenue Pollution Control plants .

Humane Society financially stable

Thunder Bay's Humane Society is in the clear financially after threatening to close its doors back in November. Executive Director Maryann Kleynendorst says it's a huge relief to have their bills paid and staff salaries covered. Kleynendorst says an increase in public donations helped saved the local agency.

Public input required on White Pelican habitat

The Ministry of Natural Resources wants your feedback on it's proposed protected habitats for the American White Pelican.  Biologist Glen Desy says Pelican's are found on Lake of the Woods, Lac Seul and parts of Lake Superior.  You have until April 2nd to comment and can do so by clicking here.

OPP snag 200-thousand dollars of pot

Over 200 thousand dollars in marijuana is in OPP hands after a traffic stop on Highway 17 east of Marathon. OPP stopped a vehicle travelling westbound on the Trans Canada and found a large amount of pot. A 29 year old Quebec man is charged with possession for the purpose of trafficking.

Three fires deemed arson

Three fires in the McIntyre area are being deemed cases of arson.  Fire Department Spokesperson Eric Nordlund says there were two fires on Regina Avenue and another on John Street.  Nordlund says because of the location and time of the fires they seem to be connected.  The fires broke out between four am and 10 am on Sunday.  A garage and two sheds were destroyed in the three incidents.

Missing man found

Thunder Bay Police are reporting that a missing 20 year old man has been found.  Oscar Basic was picked by the Toronto Police force and they're holding him.  Basic was reported missing last week after he was last seen at the Health Sciences Centre.

Kraft Mill in Fort down

More bad news for Mill workers in Fort Frances.  A lack of qualified personnel has put a halt to production at the Resolute Forest Products kraft mill.  Company spokesperson Pierre Choquette says the mill doesn't have enough second class stationary engineers needed to run the plant.

Weather records broken

Weather records toppled across Northwestern Ontario over the weekend.  The hot spot yesterday was Fort Frances at 26.4-degrees.  Thunder Bay hit 15.7 beating the old record of 13.8 in 2010.