City In A State Of Readiness

City officials say they are prepared for the incoming thunder storms. They are on alert and will be monitoring areas of risk this afternoon, tonight and tomorrow with high rainfall accumulations expected. Mayor Keith Hobbs says one lesson we can learn from the flood of May 28th is to move your valuables upstairs and out of the basement.

Drinking & Pregnancy Don't Mix

Thunder Bay's Rotary Club wants to spread the word about drinking while pregnant. The club is bringing in the Executive Director of Healthy Brains For Children Jody Allen Crowe. Crowe says Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder impacts everyone, not just women. Crowe will be holding a workshop Wednesday at Confederation College.

Flash Flood Watch Issued For Minnesota And Wisconsin

If you are travelling to the United States today you may want to use extreme caution because a flash flood warning is in effect for areas in Minnesota and Wisconsin. Isabella, Hibbing, Two Harbors, Grand Marais, Walker, Grand Rapids, Hill City, Duluth, Cloquet and Superior are all under a flash flood watch.

Special Weather Statement Issued For Thunder Bay

Environment Canada is issuing a special weather statement for the city of Thunder Bay, Atikokan, Upsala, Quetico, Superior West, Lake Nipigon, Wabikimi, Nipigon, Marathon and Superior North. Multiple thunderstorms are forecast to track through these areas beginning later today and continue through the night into Wednesday. Rainfall associated with this thunderstorm activity will be highly variable, however total amounts may be as high as 50 to 75 mm in some localities. Environment Canada is advising you to monitor future forecasts and warnings as they may be required or extended.

Cats Come Home With A .500 Record

The Thunder Bay Border Cats are returning home for a 5 game home stand starting tonight against Waterloo. The Cats wrapped-up a 2 game sweep against Duluth with a 7-2 win on the road last night, improving their record to 10-and-10 on the season. They are 5 games back in the North Division.

School Safety Zone To Be Looked At

City Council is asking it's staff to look into creating a school safety zone around Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School.  Mayor Keith Hobbs brought the issue up on behalf of the school.  The reduced speed zone is proposed for the Edward Street corridor between Churchill Drive and Riverview Drive.

Landscaping Guidelines Approved

City Council is moving ahead with a new landscaping policy for four routes through the City.  Council approved a long term plan for the complete corridors of May Street, Arthur Street, Red River Road and Simpson Street.  City Councillor Paul Pugh says the plan doesn't mean they'll be spending money immediately on the project it's just a long term vision for the routes that connect Thunder Bay from the North to the South sections of the City.

City Ready In Wake Of Flood Watch

The City is on alert monitoring for city-wide flooding risks after the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority issued a flood watch.  City staff are ready to deploy pumping equipment and resources if needed.  
Another flood update will be held by the City at noon Tuesday.

Motorcycle Ride For Dad

This year's Motorcycle Ride for Dad is being deemed a success.  The Sunday event brought in just over 47 thousand dollars for the Northern Cancer Fund.

This Old Barn Open Again

A restaurant in Murillo is now open after being forced to close last month for health concerns. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit says it's investigation into This Old Barn is now complete. They say people who ate at the establishment became sick from well water contaminated with the Norovirus. The owner has upgraded to a new water treatment system.

LRCA Issues Flood Watch

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority is putting Thunder Bay and 5 surrounding townships back on flood watch.  The LRCA is issuing the warning because of the heavy rainfall expected in the next two days.  We could see as much as 25 to 50 millimetres of rain in the coming days.

Assault By Chocolate

The battle between anti abortionists and pro-choice supports in Thunder Bay is alive and well. On the weekend a group of out of town pro-life advocates were at Bay and Algoma showing graphic pictures when they were accosted. City police Constable Julie Tilbury says it appears someone poured chocolate milk over the heads of the demonstrators. A 36 year old man was arrested and charged with four counts of assault. The person has been released from custody with a promise to appear in court. No name has been released.

Madder Has Regional Plans

The president of Confederation College is talking about expanding the number of courses currently available at its satellite campuses throughout the region. Jim Madder says they are looking at a number of programs that could be provided to communities outside of Thunder Bay. Madder has just returned from touring northwestern Ontario for a series of graduation ceremonies.

Cops Nab Theft Suspects

Forest Street residents are urged check their vehicles. Police were alerted to the suspicious behaviour of three young men at around 3:30 a.m. this morning. Police located property believed to be taken from various vehicles and arrested two 19 year olds and an 18 year old. Anyone in the Forest Street area who is missing items from their vehicle is being asked to call the police and help with trying to identify the property.

Prespare For Alot More Rain

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority is giving us a heads up on how much more rain to expect over the next day. In it's Flood Outlook Statement the Authority says we received anywhere from 12 to 30 millimetres over the weekend. An additional 50 millimetres is possible tomorrow along with up to 25 millimetres if thunderstorms form. 

Master Storm Drainage Study To Be Recommended

The City is now looking at long-term solutions to address flooding. Mayor Keith Hobbs says they are going to recommend the development of a master storm drainage study with the initial focus on the hardest hit areas by the recent flood, such as McKellar and Northwood wards. City Manager Tim Commisso adds that they will also be recommending a review of residential drainage assistance and flood prevention programs based on what they've learned from larger centres, such as Toronto.

Power Outage In Oliver-Paipoonge

There's a small hydro outage in the Oliver-Paipoonge area. According to Hydro One a handful of customers on Veley Road are without electricity and may not get their power back until 10:30 a.m. this morning. The cause of the outage is not known.

10 Fires Burning In Region

There is good news on the forest fire front. It was another quiet weekend with no new fires to report in northwestern Ontario. The forest fire hazard remains low for all of northwestern Ontario. There are currently 10 active fires in the region. All of these fires have received substantial rain fall in the last 24hrs and are showing minimal fire behaviour. No problems are anticipated with any of these fires at this time. There have been a total of 197 fires in northwestern Ontario this year, burning a total area of just over 1400 hectares.

Police Investigate Death of A 51 Year Old Man

Ontario Provincial Police in Dryden and Treaty Three Police Service are conducting a joint investigation into the death of a man from Wabigoon Lake First Nation. The body of 51 year old Stanley Shabaquay was found Thursday morning. A post mortem examination was conducted on Friday but police have not released any further details.

45 Marijuana Plants Seized And Couple Are Charged

Provincial Police working in Atikokan have busted two people for trafficking marijuana and broken up what appears to be a grow operation. Police conducted a search on Thursday and found 45 marijuana plants and a number of marijuana related items in a home. A man and a woman were arrested and face trafficking charges. They will appear in court on July 26th.

Cats Crush Huskies

The Thunder Bay Border Cats crushed the Duluth Huskies 10-0 yesterday on the road. The Cats are now 9 and 10 on the year and finish off a 2 game series against Duluth tonight before returning home for five in a row, starting with Waterloo tomorrow at Subway field.

Chill Sweep Winnipeg

The Thunder Bay Chill are in first place in the Heartland division, thanks to a weekend sweep of Winnipeg. The Chill posted a 1-0 win yesterday to improve to 7 and 1 on the season.

Keating Jr. And Caland Combine To Win Better Ball Tourney

Walter Keating Jr. and Barry Caland shot a - 3, 69 yesterday at the Fort William Country Club to win the Mallon's Better Ball Tournament. The two paired together for the first time to win the District Golf Association tournament by two shots. Other flight winners included Murray Young and Steve Latta in the second flight and Mike Vale and Joe Adcock III won the third flight.

No new fires

It was a very quiet weekend in terms of forest fires in Northwestern Ontario. No new fires were reported this weekend, however there are still ten fires burning in the area. So far, there have been 197 fires this year in Northwestern Ontario.

OPP investigate death

The Ontario Provincial Police are looking into the sudden death of a Dryden area man. Dryden OPP say 51-year-old Stanley Shabaquay of Wabigoon Lake First Nation passed away on Thursday. A post mortem was conducted on June 15th and the investigation is continuing.

Flood Committee Holds First Meeting

Fundraising is job one for the new group of volunteers who will oversee the distribution of flood relief money from the city to victims of the recent flood disaster.   Wayne Fletcher was elected chair of the committee at its first meeting Friday afternoon.  

Mauro Blast Horwath

There's some real drama at Queen's Park as the Liberals and NDP are accusing each other of wanting to force the province into an election. Thunder Bay Liberal MPP Bill Mauro says NDP leader Andrea Horwath has gone back on a promise to support the McGuinty government's budget. He says she has completely reneged on her promise to the premier not once but twice.  It was only nine months ago the Liberals were reelected with a minority government

City Lawmakers To Discuss Mining Strategy

City Councillors are being asked to support a plan which prepares the city for the new Northwestern Ontario mining boom. It sets the direction the city will take so we can take maximum advantage of all industry opportunities.  Also Monday night,  council will be look at making a portion of Edward Street in front of Dennis Franklin Cromarty School a safety zone, thus creating a 40 kilometre an hour speed limit which will take effect in September. Councillors also are being asked to make decisions on a landscaping policy for parts of the city and a plan to improve the look of our major streets

New Waterfront Makes A Big Splash

Summertime activities are officially open to the public today with the unveiling of the splash pad, Baggage Building Art Gallery and the Water Garden Pavillion at Prince Arthur's Landing.
Councillor Mark Bentz says people will be suprised by the new look of the waterfront.

Watch For Bogus Walmart Text

City police are asking you to watch for what they say is a fake text message that appears to be from Walmart.  The message says that you are a prize winner, when in fact you haven't won anything.  They say the text comes from a 718 area code and is making the rounds in this area.

OPP Constable Charged

An OPP officer in Greenstone is facing an assault charge after an investigation by the province's Special Investigations Unit. Spokesperson Monica Hudon says the charge against Constable Brian Bellefeuille is in connection with an incident in February in which a man was allegedly injured while being taken into custody. She says two weeks later it was discovered that man has sustained a serious eye injury.  Constable Bellefeuille will be in court on the charge in August.

Big Fundraisers Highlight Weekend Events

It's a busy weekend full of activities in Thunder Bay. The Canadian Cancer Society's "Relay For Life" kicks off the weekend tonight at 7:00 o'Clock at Fort William Historical Park. 70 teams are registered for the annual cancer fundraising event. The 12th Annual Motorcycle Ride For Dad is expecting more than 200 bikers to depart from the Keg Steakhouse tomorrow morning at 9:30. Organizers are hoping to crack the 700,000 dollar mark as a total for money raised to help support prostate cancer research. Thunder Pride concludes with events on Saturday and Sunday. Pride in the Park at the marina and a Pub Crawl is featured on Saturday. There is also a Church Service and luncheon on Sunday. The Festival of India wraps-up the weekend at the marina from 5pm to 9pm and features a free vegetarian meal.

Kids Golf For Free Father's Day

Once a year the National Golf Club Owner's Association has a take your kids to the course day. Director of Golf Operations, Tom Forsythe says the City offers a chance for young kids to try the game numerous times throughout the summer. Chapples Golf Course is holding the Special Event on Father's Day where up to three kids can golf for free with the payment of one adult 9-hole green fee. It starts after 2:00 p.m.

Ride For Dad Ready To Roll

Organizers are hoping to crack the 700,000 dollar mark. The 12th Annual Motorcycle Ride For Dad happens tomorrow starting at the Keg Steakhouse at 9:30 a.m. in the morning. Special Events Officer Sarah Focht says the fundraiser event has raised more than 680,000 dollars in its history and benefits prostate cancer research at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences.

Transit Plan Is The Public's Plan: Loroff

The manager of Thunder Bay Transit is confident that bus riders will buy into the changes proposed in the new master plan. Brad Loroff says the new route network along with a centralized terminal are direct requests from riders themselves. He says it responded to customers needs and the input they got from the public meetings. The forecasted cost of the new plan is about nine million dollars.

Nolalu Businesses Grow

Businesses in the Thunder Bay area are getting help from the Provincial government. The Whitefish Roadhouse and Katrina Hurzeler's Kiln Operation have received support and upgrades thanks to the North Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation. Investing in small businesses is part of the McGuinty Government's plan to create good jobs for families in the face of global economic uncertainty.

Police Probe Alleged Hit And Run

City police are asking for your help in tracking down the driver of a vehicle who allegedly failed to stop after hitting a pedestrian with his vehicle, described as a Jeep type SUV.  They say the incident took place just before 6 o'clock this morning at the corner of Robertson and Pacific.  The victim was taken to hospital and was treated for minor injuries.

Province Asked To Protest ELA Closure

The McGuinty Government says it supports local efforts to keep the Experimental Lakes Area west of Dryden open. In the Ontairo Legislature, MPP Sarah Campbell asked the Minister of the Environment to take action. Jim Bradley says he's already spoken to the his counterpart in Manitoba on the issue.

Dryden Protesters Target Rickford

About 90-people converged on Kenora MP Greg Rickford's Dryden office yesterday in a noisy and supportive protest. Dale MacKenzie was on hand and she explained  they were there to protest the Harper governments plans to make changes to environmental laws. MacKenzie says she is especially concerned over the proposal to relinquish responsibility for the Lake of the Woods Experimental Lake Area .  She calls it a world class research facility and says the Feds can afford 600-thousand dollars to keep the facility running.   Rickford was in Ottawa.

Bentz Hears Constituents' Concerns

Councillor Mark Bentz is promising to move forward with potential solutions. He held a ward meeting at Grandview Lodge that was completely full last night. Bentz says emotions were high but everyone was civil and he understands where they are coming from. Bentz says they are at the beginning stages of collecting data and involving city engineers to develop a better drainage system in the Northwood Ward.

Cats Streak Snapped

The Thunder Bay Border Cats 3-game winning streak was snapped last night on the road against Willmar. The Cats lost 3-2, dropping their record to 7 and 9. The Cats have just 1 win away from Subway field this season. Game 2 of the 3 game series goes tonight.

Chill Face Winnipeg On The Road

The Thunder Bay Chill are on the road this weekend. The Chill who are 5 and 1, will play a pair of games against Winnipeg who have 1 win in 12 games. Games are Saturday night and Sunday afternoon.

District Pro-Am Set To Tee Off

The Thunder Bay District Golf Association's first major is this weekend. The Mallon's Play-It-Again-Sports Pro-Am takes place Saturday and Sunday at Strathcona and Fort William Country Club. 40 teams of two are entered. The tournament starts at 8:00 a.m. tomorrow at Strathcona Golf Course.

Missing Teen Found

Thunder Bay police says missing teen is safe and sound. They had issued a missing persons alert earlier in the day for 16 year old Chris Kwandibens. They say Kwandibens was with relatives all along.

Local Vocalist Looks For Support

A young Thunder Bay woman is looking for your help in getting to the next level of a contest to play the role of Dorothy in the professional stage presentation of the Wizard of Oz.  Jordan Wyllie is a finalist in the online portion of the competition. If she wins this leg she will be flown to Toronto to become one of 100 finalists.  You can cast your vote for Jordan here.  http://www.cbc.ca/overtherainbow/

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.