Sports Celebs In Town

Ashleigh McIvor

The eleventh annual Tbaytel Sports Celebrity Dinner takes place tonight at the Valhalla Inn. Celebrity guests include Canadian ski-cross Olympic gold medalist Ashleigh McIvor and former Ultimate Fighting Champion Frank Mir.

Back To Normal...Sort Of

It is an indication the city is slowly returning to normal following the flood disaster. The City's, Kerri Marshall says garbage collection will return to normal next week with a 3-bag limit. They are still going to be available to help flood victims with larger items. Marshall also says the Mapleward Dump will again open this weekend from 8 to 4:30 p.m.

Relief Efforts Cut Back

The city is scaling back immediate relief efforts and now focusing on recovery in the wake of the flood.  Of the 520 homes that requested clean-up help, they have 73 homes left needing assistance.  David St. Georges with the Red Cross, says they only received 35 calls for their assistance yesterday.

Lightning Strike Co$tly

The figures are in. Last months lightning strike on the Whalen Building caused an estimated quarter million dollars in damage. The city says the majority of this will be covered by insurance with 25 thousand coming from money they already set aside for the current restoration project.

When You're Hot You're Hot

The resale housing market in Thunder Bay appears to be hot and getting hotter. Warren Philp of Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation says that their spring housing market outlook shows the price of existing houses should go up nine per cent this year and seven per cent in 2013.  He says that the average price at the end of this year will be 184 thousand dollars.  Philp says up to fifty per cent of houses sell for at or above the list price.

High Emotions Expected At Ward Meeting

Northwood residents affected by basement flooding get a chance to speak up tonight.   Councillor Mark Bentz is holding a ward meeting which takes place at 7 o'clock at the Grandview Lodge Auditorium.  Bentz admits there will likely be some high emotions, but hopes it will be a productive meeting.  He says city staff will be on hand to answer questions.

Cats Win At Home

Don't look now but the Thunder Bay Border Cats are just a game under .500. They completed a 3 game sweep of the St. Cloud Rox yesterday afternoon with an 8-4 win at Subway field, improving their record to 7 and 8 on the season and an impressive 6 and 1 at home. They're on the road tonight to start a 3 game series against the Willmar Stingers.

Lawsuit List Grows And Grows

The list of people joining a class action lawsuit against the city is growing at a rapid pace. Lawyer Chris Watkins says his office has at least 150 people signed on who want to sue the city over the recent flooding of their basements. Watkins says they are gathering experts from across the country to back their claims which have not yet been proven in court

Fiddling For Flood Victims

Thunder Bay's Carly Ross is making her mark as a young fundraiser.  The ten year old entertained shoppers at the Thunder Bay Mall with her fiddle playing.  She was there raising money for flood victims in the city.

Hyer Getting Ready To Hunker Down

Thunder Bay MP Bruce Hyer is preparing for a marathon sitting in the House of Commons. He promises to be there along with fellow MP's to vote on about 800 proposed changes to the huge budget bill that has been put together by the Harper Conservatives and that changes over 70 laws.  The voting is expected to continue for over 24 hours and possibly longer.

Dragonboat Festival Ready To Roar

The dragonboat festival is moving to a new beat this year. Along with the races, Organizer Volker Kromm says there will be many new features. The Dragon boat festival is being held July 20th and 21st and will raise money for three charities.

OSSLT Results Are In

The Ontario Secondary School Literacy Test results are in. The Lakehead Public School Board's score dropped from the year before. The Public Board went from 82 percent to 79 which is below the Provincial average. Meanwhile, the Catholic District School Board saw an improvement from the previous year going from 81 to 84 percent.

City Closes Roads

The heavy rainfall in May caused two large sink holes on portios of Mountain Road and Twin City Crossroads.  The City has closed those two roads while repairs are completed.  Work on the roads will be done off and on throughout the coming weeks.

NW LHIN Closing T.Bay LTC Facility

A Long Term Care Home in the City is closing. The Northwest Local Health Integration Network is closing the Interim Long Term Care facility on James Street because the building is old. The facility's 50 residents are being relocated to other LHIN facilities.

Janzen's Pharmacies Want To Offer Injections

All three Janzen's Pharmacists are ready for the day when it's legal for them to provide injections to their customers. The Provincial Government is making changes to the Pharmacy Act that will enable pharmacists to administer immunizations and injectible drugs. Owner Brenda Adams says the move will make patient's lives easier.

Finn-tastic

Everyone in Thunder Bay is invited to be "Finn" for the weekend of July 27th. Ulla Ahokas, Chair of the organizing committee wants you to come out and celebrate all things Finn as they host the 73rd annual Finnish Festival. The highlight of the festival will be World Record "Nordic Walk" held at Boulevard Lake.

Canada Games Complex Numbers Return

City residents are back using the Canada Games Complex once again. They re-opened their doors yesterday at noon. Supervisor of Aquatics and Wellness, Donna Sippila, says the two week shut-down was a good idea to try and help conserve water. Sippila also says the two week shut down allowed them to perform maintenance on the facility.

Wasaya Plane Fire Investigated

The Transportation Safety Board is looking more closely into a fire that destroyed a Wasaya Airways plane. Regional Manager, Peter Hildebrand says the understanding is that the plane was delivering fuel at a Sandy lake airport when the mishap occurred. Hildebrand is looking to speak with the two crew members who were there as part of their investigation.

Flood Benefit Concert Announced

Local artists are coming to the rescue for flood victims in the form of a benefit concert. The Daylin James Inspirational Flood Relief Benefit Concert will take place at St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, across from City Hall, on Tuesday, June 19th at 7pm with the doors opening at 6pm. 100% of all donations will go to the Thunder Bay Flood  Disaster Relief Fund so provincial dollars can be leveraged. It is a free concert but those who can, are encouraged to donate money at the door, to help local people who were impacted by the flood. Thunder Bay's Daylin James is an international Elvis Presley tribute artist. His special guest will be Thunder Bay's Garth Brooks tribute artist, Garrick Sissons.

Wasaya Plane Destroyed By Fire

A Wasaya airways plane is completely destroyed following a fire on the ground yesterday afternoon. Around 1:45 p.m. the plane was doing a routine fuel trip and received damages during ground operations in Sandy Lake First Nation. There were no passengers, and fortunately the two crew members on board were not injured.

Fort Frances Man Fined

Talk about a pretty penny. A Fort Frances man has been fined $40,000 for charges relating to his deer hunting business. Grant Gustafson pleaded guilty to charges such as hunting swimming deer, unlawfully hunting wolves, using an illegal firearm and many others. He is banned from hunting for the next 10 years and from guiding hunters for the next 2 years. Two of his employees and 5 of his clients were also fined a combined total of $15,500 dollars and 26 years worth of hunting suspensions.

Cats Streak Continues

The Thunder Bay Border Cats are inching their way closer to .500. They picked up a 4-3 win over St. Cloud last night to improve to 5 and 1 at home. They are now 6 and 8 on the season, 4 games back in the North division and wrap-up their series with St. Cloud with an 11:05 start this morning at Subway field.

Grow Me Instead Guide Launched

The Ontario Federation of Anglers and Hunters is teaming up with the Invasive Plant Council to make sure you plant only native plants in your flower beds and gardens.  Spokesperson Hailey Powell says they've launched the "Grow Me Instead" guide that tells people what's native to the area and what's an invasive species.  The guides can be found at most local Greenhouses.

"Dynamic Hiring Climate" Predicted

There's good news for job seekers in Thunder Bay.   Manpower's quarterly survey shows that 40 per cent of employers surveyed planned to hire for the upcoming three months and none of them expect to lay off anyone.  The employment services company says another 60 per cent plan to at the least maintain their staff.

New Industrial Electricity Rebate

The Provincial Government is offering a new industrial electricity program.  Minister of Natural Resources Michael Gravelle hopes the incentives will help spur industrial growth in the Northwest.

The cheaper electricity rates will be provided to existing companies who are expanding or new ones that are willing to relocate to Ontario.

CAS Boss Happy With Adoption Subsidy

The head of the local Children's Aid Society is applauding a provincial move to pay eligible parents 950 dollars a month if they adopt children 10 years of age or older. Rob Richardson says it's a shot in the arm for the Society and for those kids whose families don't tend to adopt. The McGuinty government is hoping the cash incentive will boost the adoption rate for these older children

Vacancy Rate Dips

Renting an apartment in the city is becoming more and more difficult. Canada Mortgage and Housing says there are less than 2 apartments for rent for every 100 people in Thunder Bay.  That's down slightly compared to the same time last year. Thunder Bay boasts the 4th lowest available vacancy rate among major centres in Ontario.

Water Restrictions Lifted

Feel free to wash your dishes, flush the toilet, and do some laundry.  The City has lifted the volunteer water restrictions.  Councillor Rebecca Johnson says even though the restrictions are lifted they still want you to use common sense.  The City made the announcement this morning.

Emergency Operations News Conference June 12, 2012 10 AM

Video streaming by Ustream

Young Man Faces 7 Charges

City police have a young man in custody following a pair of motor vehicle collisions near Wendy's restaurant on Red River. Police say the accused allegedly took-off from the parking lot after the initial collision and then hit a vehicle head-on at the corner of Junot and Walkover. The female driver of the head-on collision and a female passenger inside the young man's vehicle were both taken to hospital with minor injuries. The youth will appear in court facing 7 charges including impaired driving causing bodily harm, impaired driving, failing to stop at the scene and dangerous driving causing bodily harm.

Forest Fire Update

Widespread thunder storms and heavy down pours have put a damper on the forest fire hazard across northwestern Ontario. The Fire hazard is now considered "Low" across the Northwest region. A number of fires were called "Out" in the last two days. There are now 15 active fires in the region. No problems are anticipated with any of these fires. All fires have had rainfall in the last 24 hours and are only creeping and smouldering on the forest floor.

Cats Back On Track

The Thunder Bay Border Cats got back on track last night at Subway field. They crushed St. Cloud 10-5. The Cats are now 5 and 1 on home field and 5-and-8 in the first half. The 2 game series concludes tonight.

T.Bay Looks To Be More Age Friendly

The City is getting ready to become more age friendly.  Over the years Council has taken a number of steps to become more senior accessible.  The next step will be at next week's council meeting where they will vote on whether to accept the Age Friendly Charter.

Council Learns About Contraband Tobacco

City Council is a little bit wiser when it comes to the pitfalls of contraband tobacco.  The C.E.O. of Ontario's Convenience Stores Association spoke to Council at Monday night's meeting.  Dave Bryans feels the sale of the illegal tobacco products harms business and youth.  Bryans asked council to support his organization's message against contraband tobacco.

Hillcourt Not Surplus

It appears Hillcourt Mobile Home Park is going to stay under City control.  Councillors voted Monday night to take the piece of property off their surplus property list.  Hillcourt Resident Eric Leat says he's upset over what he feels was a plan by the City to sell the park.  Residents of the park cheered during the meeting and were visibly relieved once the decision was made.

Flood Victims Get Money Off Water Bills

The City is going to give flood victims some relief when it comes to their water bills.  City lawmakers approved a billing program that would provide 207 dollars towards home owner's water bills if they are connected to the City sanitary sewer system.  Those homeowners who are not connected will receive 118 dollars off their water account.  Homeowners with flooding are also exempt from late payment penalties on their next water bill. The rebate program is being implemented because clean up has involved a high amount of water use.

Update On Sewage Treatment Plant

The City continues to assess the condition of its Atlantic Avenue Sewage Treatment Plant.  Officials still don't know what went wrong.  General Manager Darryl Matson says they want to paint a picture of what type of weather hit the Thunder Bay area last month.  Matson adds they also plan to conduct assessments of all of their sanitary, storm and combined sewers.  There is still no word on when the voluntary water restrictions will be lifted.

Peterson Sits On Disaster Relief Fund Committee

Former Mayor Lynn Peterson will sit on a new 8 person Disaster Relief Fund Committee. Council approved the appointments and the formation of the group at its Monday night meeting.  Peterson is joined by a number of other community stakeholders.  The Red Cross and Salvation Army will be non-voting members on the committee.  The group will be in charge of fundraising for the fund and allocating the money to those applicants who do not have insurance for their homes.

Bill 55 Protested

The new budget bill is causing concern for the Canadian Union of Public Employees, as the full extent of the bill is not known to the general public. CUPE's Jules Tupker says a section of bill 55 could allow for privatization of services that Ontario citizens rely on. CUPE held a protest today in front of Michael Gravelle's constituency office.

Tensions Boil Over In East End

Tempers are running high in the East End as residents try to cope with their flood damaged homes.  Police report that in one case two neighbours got into a verbal battle which escalated into a near violent incident when one of the neighbours went into his home and came out with a pick ax and chased the other man down Hargrave Street.  No one was hurt.  Police have a charged a 55 year old man and have him in custody.

T-Wolves Add Size

The Lakehead University men's basketball team have added some much needed size. They announced 6-foot-9 Centre David Kohler will be joining the team as a transfer from Medicine Hat. Kohler joins Dwayne Harvey and Joseph Hart as newcomers who are expected to step-in right away for the team that was ranked number-2 in Canada for much of last year. Head Coach Scott Morrison meanwhile is with Canada's Under-18 men's team as they prepare for a competition in Brazil.

Funnel Cloud Reported In Rainy River District

There are reports of a tornado touching down in the Rainy River district. Emergency officials say it happened last night in the Stratton area. There are no reports of any damages or any injuries. David Rogers of Environment Canada says a system passing through the area was prime for severe weather and prompting a number of warnings. Because of the funnel cloud report, much of the district was briefly placed on a tornado watch.

Naked Man Arouses Police Suspicion

Police are still looking into a South Brodie Street incident which they are calling "Bizarre." They were called to the 300 block of Brodie where they found a man naked and covered in blood on the porch roof of the residence. The man was reportedly yelling out obscenities. Police were forced to call in other emergency service personnel to help ensure the man's safety before transporting him to hospital. The 19 year old remains under observation at the Health Sciences Centre.

3 Teens Charged With Mischief

Three teenage boys are facing thirteen counts of mischief. City police responded to a number of weekend reports of spray paintings to buildings, fences and vehicles. A 15, 17 and 18 year old were all taken into custody and charged with 13 counts of Mischief. The 15 year old also faces and additional charge of breaching probation.

Water Consumption Down 10 Per Cent

City officials are crossing their fingers today for the water treatment plant.  Two more pumps are being tested and if they pass, the city's Atlantic Avenue treatment plant will be back operating with four out of the five pumps.  Mayor Keith Hobbs is commending residents who are conserving water.  He says water consumption during the crisis period has gone down about 10 per cent.  We could know later today at the earliest if the voluntary water restrictions have been lifted. In other flood news, two public meetings have been added for June 23rd at the Slovak Legion and the Moose Hall.

Emergency Operations News Conference June 11, 2012 10 AM

Streaming video by Ustream

Pumps And Pools Coming Back

Two additional pump motors will run through a battery of tests and could be operational today at the Atlantic Avenue Water Pollution Control Plant. If all goes well with the re-commissioning of those pumps, the City could re-open the Canada Games Complex, Churchill Pool and Volunteer Pool tomorrow, which would mark two weeks that the pools have been closed.

City Says Water Treatment Plant Held Up

The Water Treatment plant is doing just fine after the weekend rain. City Manager of Infrastructure and Facilities, Darrell Matson says the beleaguered Water Treatment Plant held up nicely with the rain that fell on Friday and overnight. Matson will be on hand today at the Emergency Control Organization's daily meeting.

Flood Relief Fund Committee Forming

City Council will spend its meeting tonight creating a "Flood Relief Fund Committee." Councillor Joe Virdiramo says the commitee will deal with applications for money to replace items deemed as essential. Virdiramo says they'll be formalizing the committee at tonight's meeting.

Almost 1300 Hectares Burned In The Northwest

Four new fires are now on the Ministry of Natural Resources watch list. One started in the Nipigon District, another in the Red Lake District and two more in the Sioux Lookout area. So far there have been 192 fires that have burnt almost 1,300 hectares in the Northwest region.

Oranges To Be Delivered To Michael Gravelle's Office

Labour and community groups will deliver oranges to Minister of Natural Resources Mike Gravelle's constituency office today, in protest to a proposed law that the Provincial Liberals are trying to pass through the budget. The groups are calling on M.P.P.'s to avoid repeats of the ORNGE air ambulance scandal by removing Schedule 28 from the provincial budget. Schedule 28 is an act in the Liberals' budget bill that will transfer authority from the legislature to a Minister or private corporation. Concerned Community member, Jules Tupker, says "The Liberals should be making government more open, more transparent and more accountable. Instead they're giving us legislation that goes the other way."

Cats Lose First Game At Home

The Thunder Bay Border Cats are no longer undefeated at home. They lost 14-2 yesterday to the Willmar Stingers, dropping their record to 4 and 8 on the season. Tonight their 5 game home stand continues with the St. Cloud Rox rolling in for the first of 2 games.