Cartoon display at City Hall.

The city is hosting a display that involves award winning editorial cartoons from all around the world.  The Freedom of Expression Broadstrokes exhibit is being shown in the lobby of City Hall until May 15th.

Grocery shopping goes high tech

Quality Market is introducing the first online grocery store in the city. In addition to city residents the new internet shopping system will benefit many First Nation communities. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy says remote communities will have access to fresh produce at an affordable price. The link for the grocery store website is here.

Stolen vehicle in Marathon

Marathon OPP are charging two Southern Ontario residents with possession of stolen property and fleeing police.  It stems from a report of a stolen vehicle over the weekend.  Police spotted the vehicle and started a high speed chase.  Two men and woman evaded a speed belt and abandoned the vehicle.  The K9 unit helped track the duo a short distance from the stolen car.

Hobbs talks truck traffic

City lawmakers will be considering a proposal many hope will discourage truck traffic on Dawson Road. Councillors will be voting on whether to reduce the speed limit and make it into a community safety zone.

Hydro One reports outages

Hydro One is reporting a power outage in the outlying communities around Thunder Bay.  128 customers near Pass Lake are without power this morning, as are several residents in Neebing and Oliver Paipoonge.

Rural Schools Closed-All Buses Cancelled

The bad weather is impacting all school bus transportation today. All buses are cancelled.  School closures today include, CRESTVIEW, MCKENZIE, FIVE MILE, NOR’WESTER VIEW, GORHAM & WARE, VALLEY CENTRAL, KAKABKA FALLS, WHITEFISH VALLEY, Thunder Bay Christian School is also closed.  All rural schools are closed. Urban schools will be open. All Thunder Bay Catholic and French Catholic schools are open.

Foulds introduces hockey rink resolution

City Councillor Andrew Foulds is introducing a resolution tonight that will look at increasing supervision at local hockey rinks.  Foulds says it's the first step towards getting kids more physically active in the winter.  Foulds says if the resolution passes tonight, staff will come back with a list of options for council on how they can make the rinks more accessible.

Thunder Bay Queens provincial champions

Thunder Bay's Sportop midget double A Queens are the Ontario Women's Hockey Association provincial champions.  It's their second time winning the title in three seasons.  The Queens now move on to represent the province at the Esso Cup Canadian national female hockey championship in P.E.I.

Suspicious death Pikangikum

Police are investigating the suspicious death of a 32 year old Pikangikum First Nation man.  Officers were called to a house on the First Nation to deal with an altercation on April 14th.  A short time later a man was located unresponsive on the side of a road.  A post-mortem exam still needs to be conducted.

Kenora MP Takes Issue with Federal N.D.P. Leader

The MP for the Kenora riding is not impressed with comments made by the Federal N.D.P. Leader. Greg Rickford says the comments came moments after the long gun registry received royal assent. Thomas Mulcair stated that if he were in power he would lean on his fellow party members to vote in favour of the gun registry. Rickford says Thomas Mulcair has lost touch with the values of Northern Ontarians.

Deer Feeding By-law Examined in Kenora

A warmer than normal winter is expected to result in an increase in the deer population in the City of Kenora. City Council is taking steps to try and deal with the problem. Kenora mayor Dave Canfield says they've tightened up their Feeding of Wild Animals by-law to make it more enforceable. Councillor Louis Roussin has suggested that a deer cull is in order to deal with the rampant deer population in the city.

Hunter Fined For Illegal Moose Hunt

A Fort Frances area man has been fined 25-hundred dollars for illegal moose hunting. Court heard that Myron Huber was hunting at the Turtle Tank cut, east of Mine Centre last October. He shot a bull moose but he didn't have a seal.

Spring Seatbelt Campaign Begins

The Thunder Bay OPP are running their annual spring seatbelt campaign which starts Saturday. Provincial Constable Diana Cole says they want to help save lives. The campaign is to raise awareness on seatbelt use and runs until April 22nd.

Conservatory Remains Closed

Thunder Bay's Botanical Conservatory is not going to reopen as expected today. City Spokesperson Michael Smith says they're putting off reopening the facility until City Council receives a report on the status of the building. Smith says the report will come before council in May and will look at the cost of repairing the facility.

Newest lottery winners emerge

Another Thunder Bay couple are lucky lottery winners. Tony and Karen Biscardi won over 1 million dollars in Wednesday's Lotto 6-49. Tony Biscardi says he's still pinching himself.  The couple plan to pay some bills and sock the rest away for retirement.

Accident results in minor injuries

3 people are injured following an accident this morning at Arthur and 20th Side Road. Police say at least two vehicles were involved in the accident. The injuries are said to be minor.

Conservatory reopening put off

Thunder Bay's Botanical Conservatory is not going to reopen as expected tomorrow.  City Spokesperson Michael Smith says they're putting off reopening the facility until City Council receives a report on the status of the building.  Smith says the report will come before council in May and will look at the cost of repairing the facility.

RBC fundraising for Dilico Children's Foundation

RBC branches around the city today are raising money in support of the new Dilico Children's youth group home. RBC spokesperson Shannon Gothard-Ramirez encourages people to donate. The group home will be located on Fort William First Nation.

No local flight cancellations yet

Air Canada is issuing a travel alert warning labour disruptions could affect flights all day and even into the weekend. The airline says it's all because of apparent problems with some of it's pilots right across the country. So far there have been no disruptions at the Thunder Bay Airport, according to manager Scott McFadden, who says the other airlines can handle any local cancellations if they happen.

Premier Gold Mines gets green-light

Premier Gold Mines is getting the green light from the Provincial Government. They received approval from Ontario to conduct advance exploration activities at their Trans-Canada project in the Geraldton ward. Greenstone Mayor Renald Beaulieu says it's good news for his community.

Cyclist struck by van

A cyclist was taken to hospital last night after he was hit by a van as he was crossing Memorial Avenue at Central. The 40 year old man has since been released from the hospital with minor injuries. Police are still investigating

MNR expects busy fire season

The Minister of Natural Resources says he has a better understanding of the pride and commitment of local firefighters.  Michael Gravelle toured the Northwest Region Forest Fire Management Centre in Dryden on Tuesday and he says the Government will continue to back MNR fire crews.  Gravelle admits its looking like a busy fire season and the Government is facing tough financial times.  However, he stresses public safety is priority number one.

OPP seatbelt blitz

"Buckle up or face a fine."  That's the theme of the Ontario Provincial Police Spring Seatbelt campaign.  The initiative starts Saturday and ends on April 22nd.  OPP across Northwestern Ontario will be targeting drivers and passengers who are not buckled up and will be focusing on child restraints.  Police say a properly used booster seat can reduce a child's risk of injury in a crash by as much as 75-percent.

Shed fire

Careless handling of a flammable liquid is the cause of a shed fire on Wolf Crescent in Fort William First Nation today.  Thunder Bay's Fire Service brought the blaze under control but not before the contents of the shed were destroyed.  The owner's home and a neighbours' sustained heat damage to the exterior siding.

United Way looking to raise money with a run

The Women's United Run, Stroll or Roll and Walk a Mile in her shoes fundraising events are back on May 12th. Spokesperson Beverly Lannon says it will be a busy day. The events are to protest violence against women and to get women physically active.

The wait is over.....almost.

The city's transfer of waterfront land to a private developer is now signed, sealed and delivered.   It paves the way for a condominium and hotel project.  Developer Giselle MacDonald says they have more work to do before the hotelier can be announced and says that should be announced in June.  Meantime the city's Waterfront Development Committee chair Councillor Mark Bentz says that it's an important day for all the people in the city the project has touched because it shows their work has meant something.

Landfill use on the rise

As the weather warms up, expect longer lines at the city's landfill. Roads Division Manager Brad Adams says going to the landfill in the morning could reduce traffic. Being prepared and organizing your loads at home could also help to avoid lineups.

Police make arrests in Project Dolphin

The alleged ring leader behind a major drug trafficking operation in Thunder Bay is behind bars.  As part of what police are calling Project Dolphin officials announced the arrest of 38 year old John Tsekouras and are charging him with several drug related offences.  Officers also took 4 others into custody yesterday.  Project Dolphin was started in 2010 and has so far netted over 2.1 million dollars worth of drugs and 500 thousand dollars worth of cash and property. Officers also say this organization had ties to organized crime in Western Canada and Montreal including the Hells Angels.

No serious injuries in school bus mishap

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a school bus accident at the intersection of Court and McDougall. The bus and a pick up truck collided at around 8 o'clock this morning. The students in the bus were from three different schools in the area. Police say that the 56 year old woman bus driver and a 13 year old girl received minor injuries. A 17 year old boy, who police say was driving the pick up, has been charged with disobeying a stop sign.

Demolition begins on Sister Margaret Smith building

The first bricks of the St. Joseph hospital construction project are being removed today. President Tracey Buckler says residents will see some demolition action.The demolition of the Sister Margaret Smith building will take several months.

Former Olympian keeping Fox dream alive

A Niagara Falls man wants to complete Terry Fox's dream. Former Olympic Boxer Mike Strange is running from Thunder Bay to the west coast to complete Fox's Marathon of Hope. Strange began his knock-out cancer tour after being welcomed to the city by Mayor Keith Hobbs this morning. 

Ambassador to visit Churchill High

Canadian Ambassador for Jordan and Iraq, Mark Gwozdecky will be speaking to students at Sir Winston Churchill high school today. Gwozdecky was born and raised in Thunder Bay and will be talking about Canada's free trade agreement with Jordan.

Cases of Dementia on the rise

Cases of Dementia are set to rise in the coming decades in Canada and right around the World. Spokesperson Ryan Sigurdson of the Alzheimer Society in Thunder Bay believes the aging population is the cause of these predictions.  The World Health Organization believes the amount of people living with dementia will double to 65 million people by 2030.

Immigration office set to close in May

Thunder Bay's Public Service Alliance Union says the local immigration office on Archibald will be closing its doors next month.  It closes to the public on May 31st.  The reason for the closure is the Federal Government's decision to centralize all immigration services in Canada.  Our immigration support will come out of Toronto.

Events centre seating reduced

There doesn't appear to be much that can change the minds of people on where they would like to see a new events centre located.   The latest open house hosted by city consultants hasn't made a difference to many of  the hundreds  who attended at the Da Vinci Centre Wednesday.   Meantime,  the consultants have tweaked some of their design details including the proposed size from 65 hundred seats to 57 hundred and that only Innova Park and the north downtown will be seriously considered as arena locations

Fight to save Plasma Centre not over

Ontario's Public Services Employee Union is vowing to take the fight to save Thunder Bay's plasma centre to Ottawa.  President Smokey Thomas says the Feds run the Canadian Blood Services and they need to give proper cause for this closure.  Thomas says he doesn't see how it makes sense to close this facility when we are buying plasma from the States.  He will be looking for support from the opposition parties in the House of Commons to bring this matter before the Prime Minister.

L.U. reaches out to future students

Lakehead University and the Public School Board are now part of a program which is designed to give students, who face barriers, a shot at going to L-U.  The Achievement Program was launched at Sherbrooke School.  Qualified students will be able to earn money towards tuition fees.

Robbery at Gas Bar in Fort Frances

Ontario Provincial Police are looking for a suspect in an armed robbery in Fort Frances. Police say someone held up the Safeway Gas Bar around 10:30 Tuesday night. OPP say a man entered the store pointing a handgun and demanded money from the teller. The suspect received an undisclosed amount of cash and he fled the store. He was wearing a white hooded jacket, blue jeans and white running shoes. Anyone with information is asked to contact Crime Stoppers or Fort Frances OPP.

Change the World Youth Challenge

High schools around Thunder Bay are joining together and holding a 3 week long Volunteer challenge for their students. Assistant Project coordinator Kristen Bohonis hopes students will be inspired to volunteer.The Challenge starts today and ends May 6th.

CRIBE makes announcement in Dryden

The Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy is calling it its biggest project yet.  The organization announced yesterday 6-million dollars in funding to launch a 14-million dollar plan for the Dryden Domtar Pulp Mill to convert wood waste to fuel.  Chief Executive Officer Lorne Morrow says Dryden is on the cutting edge of this new technology in the forestry sector.  Minister of Natural Resources Michael Gravelle says the project aims to develop a unique, cost-effective system that if successful, will increase operational efficiencies and a create a fossil fuel alternative for transportation fuels.

Bike lanes to top meeting agenda

New Bike lanes are being planned for a few Thunder Bay locations and residents can have their say at a Current River ward meeting tonight. Active transportation coordinator Adam Krupper says streets in that area will get a bulk of the new bike lanes this year.  The meeting is at 7 tonight at the North End Rec Centre.

Avis decries centre closures

The Mayor of Fort Frances is trying to arrange a meeting with Ontario's Tourism Minister to talk about the pending closure of the region's tourist information centres. Roy Avis understands the government's need to save money, but wants to know if there's other options to keep the centers open. A resolution calling for the centres in Fort Frances, Kenora and Rainy River to remain open will also be discussed at the upcoming meeting of area Mayors in Kenora.

Event Centre open house round 2

Residents have another chance to learn more about the proposed Events Centre.  The consulting team behind the facility is hosting its second Open House Wednesday afternoon and will present a more in depth business plan for each of the 3 locations.  Lead Consultant Conrad Boychuk says the economic impact study is starting to come together but still needs to look at a lot of different components.  The meeting gets underway at 3 o'clock at the DaVinci Centre and will have 2 presentations from the consultants at 4 and again at 7.

Police arrest 2 during bust

Two people are behind bars after a drug bust last week.  Police seized about 28 hundred dollars worth of cocaine and also took in about 40 thousand dollars worth of assests from the pair last Thursday.  A 32 year old woman and a 48 year old man are facing several charges each.

RBC rewards innovation

The RBC Innovation Awards are honouring Northwestern Ontario businesses.  The 4th annual RBC Innovation Awards were handed out this afternoon and Spokesperson Judy Sanders says there was stiff competition this year.  Barb Courte is the award recipient in the Innovation Hero of the Year category. The Meaglow Semiconductor Research Reactor is the award recipient in the Innovative Project of the Year category and  Global Hydration is the award recipient in the Innovative Company of the Year category.

Car dealer embarks on fundraiser

When you buy a vehicle at Badanai Motors over the next year you'll be helping build the new Ronald McDonald House in Toronto. George Badanai says the fundraiser is the result of a request from officials at the facility which houses out of town families whose children need extended care at Sick Children's Hospital. He says they committed to raising 50 thousand dollars.   Badanai says 100 dollars from every vehicle sold will go toward the cause.

Hair Cuts for Cancer

Cops for Cancer is encouraging more people to participate in this year's fundraising event. Volunteer Jesse Pyatt was more than happy to cut his hair for Cancer Research. The event will be held at Intercity Mall on May 12th.

Inspectors at fatality scene

The investigation into a fatal industrial accident yesterday afternoon remains in the early stages. Matt Blajer of the Ministry of Labour says a worker was killed after he was run over by a dump truck that was backing up at a construction site.  He says the worker was employed by L-T-L Contracting. Blajer says there are at least two inspectors at the scene of the accident at Oliver Road and Golf Links Road.

Michael Chan wanted in NWO

Ontario's Tourism Minister is a much wanted man.  The mayor of Fort Frances is the latest to seek a meeting with Michael Chan to discuss ways of keeping the region's tourist information centre open.  Roy Avis says that meet should happen with other municipal leaders.  Avis says there might be an opportunity to strike a business venture with the province that keeps the doors open at centres in Fort Frances, Kenora and Rainy River.

Attawapiskat update

The remote Northern First Nation of Attawapiskat is going back to co-management status.  The Federal Government says its pulling the third-party manager who had been handling the finances of the troubled reserve.  The Aboriginal Affairs office says Jacques Marion is being withdrawn because of progress in reserve management.  A transition of power will take place over the next two weeks.