NAN Says No

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is panning the Premier.  They sent him a curt response saying no to his invite to speak at the 7th annual First Nations meeting.  NAN is declining the Premier's invite because they would only have seven minutes to speak with Dalton McGuinty and they feel that's not enough time to properly air their grievances.

Lipinski Returns As Metis Prez

A Fort Frances area man has been given another mandate to head the Metis Nation of Ontario.  Gary Lipinski has received over 87-percent of the vote to return as President.  The Metis Nation says there was a record voter turnout in the recent elections.  Lipinski says it's a strong mandate to continue to push forward on their Métis rights agenda.

Plasma Centre Rally Tonight

Former employees of Canadian Blood Services' Plasma Centre are not giving up the fight over the loss of their jobs.  They are rallying tonight at the Lakehead Labour Centre from four until six.  The plasma centre closed last month.

A Minus

Officials at Cancer Care Northwest are patting themselves on the back for a positive showing in the latest government report card.   Former Vice President Michael Power says the Thunder Bay cancer centre came out high on the scale.   Power says the report shows the centre met provincial targets in several main areas and ranks the report card at an A minus.

Health Unit Investigates After 61 People Fall Sick

61 people are said to have fallen ill after eating or drinking at "This Old Barn" restaurant in Murillo this past weekend. Emergency officials at the Health Sciences Centre first alerted the Health Unit about a potential problem after recurring cases were reported. Manager of Environmental Health, Christopher Beveridge says the owner of This Old barn is working cooperatively and that preliminary results point to water being contaminated with E. Coli but they are looking into it further.

Company Facing Charges In Workers Death

Teranorth Construction of Sudbury is facing seven charges in connection with the fatal industrial accident at the McKenzie River Bridge in June of last year. Matt Blajer of the Ministry of Labour says the charges are under the Occupational Health and Safety Act and relate to the platform lift that tipped over killing a 24 year old employee. The company will make a first court appearance on June 22nd

Anglers & Hunters Will Have Personal Info Stored In States

A Tennessee-based company now operates an automated licensing system for Ontario for hunters and fishers, and stores the personal data it collects in the United States. Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle says Active Outdoors signed a contract with very specific terms to abide by Ontario law to protect personal information. The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters says its 100,000 members are ``deeply concerned'' Homeland Security will use the Patriot Act to access the personal data of Ontario residents.

Free Dental Service For Local Youngsters

If you're a young teen and you don't have access to a dentist, the local health unit wants to help. The health unit will be providing free check ups, fillings, x-rays and cleanings to youth under the age of 17 who come from low income families. The Provincial Government is providing the Thunder Bay Health Unit with funding to offer the program. To apply call 625-5900.

Police Report Fewer Insecure Loads

City Police say we are getting better.  Last week they conducted spot checks of the vehicles taking loads to the Mapleward Road city landfill site.   They say out of a total of almost six  thousand vehicles checked, close to thirty drivers were given tickets for having an insecure load.   That compares with the almost 40 tickets handed out last year.

Six Con College Grads Get Employment

The first six graduates from Confederation College's Firefighter program are now employed.  Confederation College President Jim Madder says they've been hired by Thunder Bay's Fire Department.  Fire Chief John Hay says the program helps the students compete for tough to get jobs within his department and nationally.

Anti Poverty Guru Likes Local Strategy

Anti poverty crusader Mark Chamberlain is visiting the city today teaching local activists what he learned trying to reduce poverty in Hamilton. Chamberlain believes we are heading in the right direction with our Poverty Reduction Strategy.  He says without a strategy you don't have the advantage of listening to the ideas of many people with innovative solutions.

            Chamberlain Interview

Bombardier Employees Help Charities

Bombardier employees in Thunder Bay continue to give back. Employees contributed more than 60-thousand-dollars to 25 charities in 2011. George Gasbarrino, Director of Human Resources says "The Employee Fund is making a significant difference in the lives of thousands of families in Thunder Bay."

OPP Release Name Of Kenora Fatality

Provincial Police in Kenora have released the name of the man found dead on the Canadian Pacific rail crossing in Keewatin early Sunday morning.  The victim has been identified as 22-year-old Justen Kroeker of Kenora.  Police are awaiting the results of a post-mortem examination.  Foul play isn't suspected.

Dryden Debates First Nation Student Residence

Dryden Council is expected to debate the re-zoning of Pinewood School at next Tuesday's open meeting. A public meeting was held yesterday into the re-zoning of the property to facilitate a First Nations school and residential facility for up to 72-students and 8-supervisory staff.  Sally Ledger pleaded with Council to give Northern kids a chance to gain an education but notes that the KO Northern Chiefs led project comes with other benefits.

Dryden Welcomes Familiar Face To Council

Sid Wintle says he's anxious to get started on Dryden Council.  The former Mayor and Councilor was elected in Monday's bye-election for the one vacant Council seat.  Wintle says cleaning up the City's finances is his number one priority.

Canfield Plans To Talk To Gravelle

The Bear Wise program isn't living up to its name.  That's the feeling of the Vice-President of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.  Dave Canfield says the Ministry of Natural Resources shouldn't be allowed to download the responsibility of nuisance bears onto municipalities.

MNR Waterbombing Mt.McKay Wildfire

The Ministry of Natural Resources water bomber is helping to take care of a wildfire on the side of Mount McKay this afternoon . City Fire Service District Chief David Nelson says city crews were not able to handle the blaze so they called the MNR.  Nelson says no people or buildings are in danger.

OPP Probe Toddler's Death

A terrible tragedy on the Poplar Hill First Nation.  OPP say that a 33 year old  woman from that community  is charged in connection with the death of an eighteen month old boy from Pikangikum .   They say she was the toddler's caregiver. Police say the death took place last week, but they only got around to charging the woman on Sunday.  The cause of death is still under investigation

New Research Institute Head Named

Michael Wood is the new CEO of the Regional Research Institute. After being introduced at a news conference Wood explained that he is looking forward to helping achieve one of the main goals of the Institute. He remains the Vice President of Research at the hosptial. He wants to make the Health Sciences Centre a teaching hospital like other cities have. Wood takes over from Michael Power who is moving into the private sector.

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Wintle Wins Dryden By-Election

Cleaning up the City's finances is priority one for Dryden's newly elected councilor. Sid Wintle overwhelmingly won yesterday's by-election for the one vacant seat on Council. Wintle says there seems to be a lot of friction on Council right now and he wants to see that changed.Wintle believes Dryden residents have delivered a message that they are concerned about their ability to absorb significant tax increases.

Lakehead Schools Review Fundraising By-Law

The Provincial Government is rolling out new fundraising guidelines for Ontario School Boards. Lakehead Public School Board Spokesperson Kirsti Alaksa says the new rules come at a good time since they're reviewing their fundraising policy and want public input. Alaksa says their policy is similar to the Provincial Government's and notes they're tweaking it to include more transparency and a rule that funds can not be used towards capital projects.

Local Alzheimer's Office Wants National Strategy

Canada is lagging behind its fellow nations when it comes to its treatment of Alzheimer's Disease.  That's according to the local office of the Alzheimer's Society after the United States just adopted a strategy to fight dementia and Denton says Canada needs to follow suit.  Executive Director Alison Denton says they warned the Harper Government of the escalating rise of dementia over 2 years ago.

Marina Now Open

The Marina at Prince Arthur's Landing is now open for the season.  It will be the first time it will be in full operation  since construction at the waterfront development began.  A few boats are moored today, but that number is expected to explode as boat owners launch their vessels over the long holiday weekend.

Man Charged In Crime Spree

A 23 year old local man is being charged in what Police call a day long crime spree. The charges come after two vehicles were stolen, and later became involved in two separate motor vehicle collisions. The suspect involved in those incidents is also believed to be the same person who broke into a home yesterday on Rosslyn Road.

Trailer Park Issue To Be Settled Soon

The future of the Hillcourt Trailer Park in the City will be up for discussion again in two weeks time.  Council heard from trailer park residents last night asking the City to maintain ownership. However, Councillor Ken Boshcoff says the City no longer needs to operate the trailer park. Council is expected to vote on whether or not to sell the trailer park at a public meeting June 11th.  Meanwhile, City Council passed a by-law that will allow bow hunting within City limits.  Also a report on increasing supervision and operating hours at local outdoor hockey rinks will be back before Council in July.

Kenora Death Not Suspicious

Kenora OPP are ruling out murder in the death of a 22 year old man in Keewatin. The man was found on Sunday near the CP rail crossing at Government Road in Kenora. Police are holding back his name until his family is notified.

Bushie Hearing Postponed

It will be another week before the inquest hearing into the death of Reggie Bushie will begin.  It was scheduled to start today in Thunder Bay, but a spokesperson in the regional coroners office says it will now take place a week from tomorrow, May 23rd.   No reason was given for the delay.   The body of the 15 year old was recovered from the McIntyre River in 2007.  The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the death, including the issues that face First Nations students who come to Thunder Bay from their home communities to attend school.

Police Still Searching For Robbery Suspects

Thunder Bay police are hoping that releasing surveillance pictures of a weekend Mac's Convenience Store robbery will help with the arrest of the suspects. Police say both were men in their late teens or early twenties. The robbery took place at the Waterloo Street store.

Giddy Free, Murder Charge Stayed

A stunner from a Thunder Bay courtroom where a second degree murder charge against a city woman has been stayed by the prosecution.  It came as the case against 30 year old Thea Gliddy was about to go to trial.   It means that Gliddy is free but  prosecutors can reinstate the charge within a year.  The charge was in connection to the death of 39 year old Randy Cromarty in a room at the Inntowner Hotel two years ago.

Dugmore Back To Work

Waterfront Development Manager Katherine Dugmore is back to work with the City. Tourism Manager Paul Pepe was filling in for Dugmore while she was off on medical leave. Dugmore started easing herself back into the job about two weeks ago. Meanwhile, Manshield Construction is currently doing some surveying on the waterfront for the Hotel and Condos deal.

Body Found On Tracks Near Kenora

Ontario Provincial Police are saying little about a death in Keewatin.  A body was found on the railway tracks in the Kenora area near Portage Bay early Sunday night.  The Northwest Mobile Command Unit was on site yesterday, along with a number of investigators. More information is expected later today.

Float Plane Incident On Lake Superior

The pilot of a float plane is not hurt after his aircraft lost power to its engine yesterday as it was flying over Lake Superior. A spokesperson at the search and rescue centre in Trenton says the pilot landed the plane safely about a mile outside the habour breakwall just before 10 o'clock in the morning and was towed by a coast guard vessel to a seaplane base. The cause of the engine failure isn't known.

LU Conference Talks Sustainable Energy

Delegates attending a conference at Lakehead University this week will talking about sustainable energy. The conference is open to people from across Northwestern Ontario and discusses how we can use wood pellets, municipal waste and peat to generate power.

Suspicious Car Fire On East Empire Avenue

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a suspicious car fire this morning on East Empire Avenue.  Police say the act of arson occurred at four this morning.  The car is completely ruined and is considered a write off.  Officers are looking for the person responsible.

Beardy To Run For Ontario Regional Chief

There's going to be a race for the Regional Chief of Ontario.  Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy will be going up against incumbent Angus Tolouse.  Beardy says he's been thinking of running for sometime. Beardy will continue to be NAN's Grand Chief up until the election which takes place at the end of June at the Chiefs of Ontario Conference in Toronto.

Mauro Calls NDP Auto Insurance Bill Bad Deal

An NDP private members bill on auto insurance premiums isn't sitting well with Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro. Mauro says the bill would drive up our premiums to subsidize the rates paid by southern Ontario drivers. He's calling on Northern Ontario NDP MPP's to vote against the proposal and call for auto insurance reforms that will help all drivers in the province.

OPP Re-open Section Of Highway 17

OPP are reporting Highway 17 east of Highway 614 is open again after being closed yesterday afternoon. Police closed the highway down because of a forest fire that was burning four kilometres west of White River. OPP reopened the highway around 8:30 last night because the fire was put out and it was safe to travel again.

OPP Close Section Of Highway 17

A section of Highway 17 east of Highway 614 towards White River is closed Sunday.   OPP closed the highway down because of a forest fire that's burning four kilometres west of White River.  A detour is available at Highway 11.

NAN Grand Chief Running For Regional Chief Spot

Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy is throwing his hat into the ring for the upcoming election for Regional Chief of Ontario.  He'll be going up against incumbent Angus Toulouse.  The election for Regional Chief will take place at the Chiefs of Ontario conference at the end of June in Toronto.

Occupy Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay's local Occupy group gathered in front of City Hall yesterday. The protesters were hoping that the warm weather would draw a larger crowd than previous protests. Those that did attend believe that it is important to show solidarity with the larger movement. The protests are meant to bring awareness to economic inequality, greed, and corporate influence in government actions from local to international levels. The Occupy movement began last year in New York City.

Foulds Rink Request Back

Hockey rinks are on the list of topics to discuss at Monday's Council meeting. Current River Ward Councillor Andrew Foulds wants his fellow members to agree to spend more money on staff supervision. Foulds believes young people are becoming less active and wants to make sure they have recreational opportunities. Foulds says closing popular rinks for 2 days during the week prevents an opportunity to put on skates or even use the facilities.

Delegation Heading To Japan

There's an eleven person delegation from Thunder Bay heading to Gifu, Japan Sunday morning. City Clerk John Hannam says it's part of the city's ongoing commitment to the Sister Cities Program and an opportunity to promote exchanges between our two communities. Hannam says the Japanese plan a return trip here in July.

Road Construction Set To Start

The City has unveiled its plan for road construction for the upcoming season. City Engineer Rick Harms says this Summer's construction schedule will impact residential areas more than major routes. Harms adds that the biggest traffic headache will likely occur near the new courthouse building. That project starts before the end of May.

City Puts Hope In Proposed Mining Strategy

The city is putting together a Mining Readiness Strategy to take advantage of the Ring of Fire and other Northwestern Ontario mining developments. Mayor Keith Hobbs says the strategy will be detailed and well thought out. He says they will try to get togther about half a million dollars from affect parties and put a plan together that covers housing, education and job creation.  A draft plan of the Strategy is expected to be ready by the fall.

Alarm Bells Over Program Closure

A local Aboriginal program for school children  is closing down because there is no more government funding.    The Biwaase'aa program has been serving about 500 children a day with what organizers say has been education, nutritional and emotional support.   Officials call it bad news for children in the city, some of whom they claim will be left in a vulnerable position.

More Nursing Positions Available

The Provincial Government is rolling out cash for hiring nurses in Northwestern Ontario. 66 new nursing positions will be made available through the Northwest Local Health Integration Network.

City And CN Try To Bridge The Gap

The city and CN Rail plan to continue talks about the future of the James Street Swing Bridge. CN spokesperson Lindsay Fedchyshyn says the decision follows discussions this week about the safety of the railway owned bridge. She says engineers from both the railway and the city will meet again to talk about how the matter should proceed. Fedchyshyn says while CN considers the bridge safe, it will be repairing or replacing any broken planks or metal plates.

Arbor Day Saturday

It's Arbor Day. The City is doing its part and is planting over 100 trees at Boulevard Lake's Birch Point as a way of improving the urban forest. Over 200 shrubs will also be planted along the Boulevard Lake shoreline to help stabilize the bank and reduce erosion.

LU Signs New Volleyball Player

Lakehead University's Thunderwolves women's Volleyball program has signed a new player.  6 foot Attacker Stephanie Green has committed to the team.  She comes from St. Ignatius high school and has chosen Sociology to study.

Injured Workers Protesting Today

Members of the local Injured Workers group are holding a protest at MPP Michael Gravelle's office today. It's over their disappointment with the appointment of Elizabeth Witmer to the Workplace Safety and Insurance Board. Spokesperson Steve Mantis says they also feel the Liberal Government rejected the Arthurs' report on how to improve the WSIB and save money.