Campbell on MNR Offices

The Provincial government is being challenged to hold consultations before deciding to close any Ministry of Natural Resources office in this region. In the Ontario legislature, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell stated the government needs to learn from its mistakes. Campbell is in Thunder Bay today. Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci is promising the government will be consulting local communities before any cuts are made. 

Construction Season Slowing

The construction season in Thunder bay is slowly coming to an end. The major inconvenience for traffic is still happening on Montreal Street and Neebing Avenue affecting mostly residence in the area and workers at Bowater. City Engineer Rick Harms says projects are still on the horizon until the end of October but so far they are on budget. One more major project is set to start next week on Algoma Street between John and Bay Street.

Main Arteries Closed Saturday

The City of Thunder Bay is warning motorists about road closures Saturday for the Fort William Fall Street Fair. Victoria Avenue is shut down between Brodie and Simpson Street. May Street is also closed to vehicles from Mile Street to Donald Street. Those main arteries are closed until 6:00 o'clock tonight.

United Way Sets New Goal



The United Way has set its new fundraising goal of just over 2.6 million dollars.  Chair Carol Busch says they had a hard time reaching their goal last year but they're not going to let that discourage them this year.  The United Way financially helps support 28 local agencies.

Sharing The Healing

The healing continues for residential school survivors in Northwestern Ontario. This week in Thunder Bay many are gathering like Albert James from McDowell Lake First Nation, who says it's good to hear a lot of victims are coming to terms with their trauma. He says healing has taken place in their lives now. Walking Together, Sharing our Journey continues at the Airlane Hotel until Sunday.

Crime Prevention Through Design Training

Thunder Bay Police are taking part in a training program that looks at why crimes occur at convenience stores, public parks, and housing complexes.  Barry Horrobin of the Windsor Police Service will be teaching Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design to local officers.  Horrobin says convenience stores are tricky.  Horrobin suggests convenience stores change their layout inside the store so cashiers have better visibility.  Horrobin says housing complexes need to have shrubs cleared away to make it more visible, as well as good lighting to make people feel safe.

Fire At Loch Lomond Water Treatment Plant

Thunder Bay Fire Crews are on the scene of a fire at the Loch Lomond Water Treatment Plant. The fire department got the call just after 2:30 about the blaze. Captain Kelly Patterson says fire fighters are on the scene. Patterson says there's paper filters burning in one of the tanks and it's causing a lot of black smoke.

USW Reaches A Deal

Employees at the Lac des Illes mine won't be going on strike afterall. Their union, the United Steelworkers reached a deal with the company early Thursday morning according to union rep Herb Daniher.  The union won't release the deals details until a vote is held at the mine site on September 10th and the 14th.  Meanwhile, the union also ratified it's deal with the grain handlers who operate on the waterfront.

Doors Open 2012 Thunder Bay

The doors will be open to heritage homes and buildings in Thunder Bay once again this Saturday. City Heritage Researcher Lee-Ann Chevrette says it's a great opportunity for residents to see inside buildings that are normally not open to the public. This year's sites include the Museum, Prince Arthur Hotel, St. John's Anglican Church, Hillcrest High School, the Finnish Labour Temple, and the Brodie Resource Library. Doors open is free and being held at locations across the City on Saturday from 10 until 4 pm.

Fort William Streetfest Saturday

Fort William will be busy Saturday as the fifth annual Streetfest gets underway.  Fort William Business District Spokesperson Tina Huk says downtown Fort William is thriving. Huk says many people don't realize the amount of stores the south core has.  Just down the road from Streetfest the City's Riverfest along the Kam River will be held.

Horizon Wind Submits REA

Horizon Wind is submitting it's request for environmental approval for their proposed Big Thunder Wind Park.  The company has included feedback from public input sessions, as well as studies on the Loch Lomond watershed, and area wildlife and plants.  The Provincial Government's approval of the REA is one of the steps towards construction of the wind park.

First Week Of School At Con College

The first week of the new school year at Confederation College is going smoothly. President Jim Madder says they've been welcoming about 23 hundred new students this year and expects total enrollment to hit about 8 thousand.

Moving Day At LU

It's moving day at Lakehead University. Hundreds of out-of-town students are moving into the University residence, many for the first time. The University's orientation program continues into next week.

NOIC Pats Itself On Back

The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre is patting itself on the back by bragging about how much of a positive effect it's had on the local economy.  Spokesperson Judy Sander says it's important to let the public know about the organization's successes.

Police Nab Naughty Drivers On First Day Of School

Thunder Bay Police nabbed a few speeders on the first day of school.  Traffic enforcement resulted in more than 60 tickets being issued to drivers. Tickets were handed out for everything from speeding to improper seat belt and child restraint use, cell phone use, and traffic light violations.

NW LHIN Online Survey

The Northwest Local Health Integration Network says more than 700 people have filled out an on-line survey about health services in the region.  Laura Kokochinski is the executive director of the LHIN's and says they want feedback on four key issues.  Kokochinski says the survey will be up on their website for another 10 days. September 15th is the deadline.

Dryden Council Has A Vacant Seat

Dryden Council is going to have a big decision to make regarding a vacant council seat.  Mel Fisher announced his resignation last week.  Acting Clerk Debra Kincaid says the process to replace Fisher will begin next week.  One option is going back to the results of the May by election and selecting the runner-up to Sid Wintle.  Former Police Chief Shayne MacKinnon finished second and already has expressed an interest in replacing Fisher.The City has 60-days after September 17th to find a replacement.

Fire and Rescue False Alarm

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service are saying it was a false alarm.  Three crews, ambulance and police were all called to the Kam River after a passer-by saw a dingy floating in the water with no one in it. District Chief Bill Kruse says the owner was on shore doing work in preparation for Riverfest.

Missing Boy Back With His Mother

A missing boy is now back with his Mother. A 3 year old boy went missing in Fort Frances yesterday after he managed to leave the backyard, even though the gate was locked. Provincial Police were called and officers were able to pick up the youngster just three minutes after the call came in. The boy was found at a nearby park playing in the sandbox.

3 People Sent To Hospital After Collision

Ontario Provincial Police are still looking into a 2 vehicle collision that happened last night on Highway 61. O.P.P. say three people were sent to hospital following a collision between a passenger van and a pick-up truck near Hocquoil Road. There is no word on the severity of their injuries but police say charges are pending. Police say the call came in at 7:20 p.m.

City's First Bike Racks For Business Installed

Thunder Bay's first bike rack has been installed in front of the restaurant "Made Fresh."  It's one of almost 30 that the Clean Green and Beautiful Committee paid for.  Active Transportation Coordinator Adam Krupper says they'll be telling the committee how well their project went.  All of the bike racks should be installed by the end of October.

LU Braun Building Welcomes Back Native Nursing

Lakehead University's Braun Building is welcoming back programs. A fire in 2008 caused the Native Nursing Program to move out of their workspace on the second floor.  The program is now back in their familiar building as of today.  Spokesperson Sandra Cornell says they're happy to be back.  Around 25 students are enrolled in this year's course.

Mayor Makes A Splash For Tourism

Mayor Keith Hobbs and the Marina's Splash Pad are going to be featured in the 2013 Thunder Bay Experience Magazine.  Tourism Manager Paul Pepe says it was fun to get the Mayor to roll up his trousers and take a dip in the splash pad.

14 Year Old Boy Reportedly Propositioned At Mall

A 14 year old boy says he was propositioned at the Grandview Mall recently. The boy told City Police at around 5 o'clock on Sunday he entered the mall's washroom where he was approached by an older man. Police say the boy was able to get himself out of the washroom and ran into the mall corridor. Officers are looking for a 50 year old man, 5'9 with an average build. The suspect is described as having salt and pepper hair, stubble on his face and wearing round glasses. He was seen leaving westbound from the mall on a mountain bike.

RNAO's Grinspun In Fort Hope Today

The head of the Registered Nurses' Association is in Fort Hope today.  Doris Grinspun wants to see firsthand how the community's nursing station is dealing with the healthcare needs of Fort Hope.  Grinspun wants to find ways her organization can help recruit and retain nurses for remote Northern communities.

Public Input On Paterson Park

The City wants to hear your thoughts on what to do with Paterson Park.  A town hall meeting is being put on Thursday by the non-profit group 8-80 Cities.  City Spokesperson Werner Schwar says they'll be collecting input at Thursday night's meeting at City Hall.  The goal of the project is to make the park more user friendly for users of all ages.  The meeting will be held at 6:30 Thursday night.  A second meeting will be held on Saturday at Paterson Park from 10 til 2. 

Scholars Education Centre Takes On Sylvan Clients

Parents and guardians have one less educational option for kids returning to school.  Sylvan Learning Centre has closed its doors and clients are now being referred to Scholars Education Centre.  Jaimie Jorgenson of Scholars says they're more than willing to accommodate students after the surprising news.

Bartolucci Defends NPI

The provincial Liberals are defending their decision to set up a Northern Policy Institute that will provide input to government.   Northern Development Minister Rick Bartolucci says they have the support from northerners.  Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell feels an all-northern Ontario legislative committee would be a better and cheaper approach.

Lakehead Schools Sorting Out Class Rooms

The Lakehead Public School Board is responding to some complaints from parents who want to transfer their children into their schools this fall.  Superintendent of Education Ian MacRae says the schools aren't full they just can't accept students until after they sort out how many students they have at each school. MacRae says they made their enrollment projections in the Spring and now they need to see how many of those students are actually attending their schools.

New Law School Accepting Applications Soon

The deadline to apply for the first school year at the Northern Ontario Law School is quickly approaching.  Founding Dean Lee Stuesser says would-be students have until November 1st.  The school will open in the fall of 2013.

Racial Discrimination in Thunder Bay

An aboriginal issues educator is calling on Thunder Bay area groups to get the word out about racial discrimination.  Bonnie Couchie spoke at the Learning Cafe Tuesday night and says there's still discrimination in Thunder Bay. Couchie launched a human rights application after she was fired as an Aboriginal Educator for the Government of Ontario.  The Ontario Human Rights Tribunal found she received heightened scrutiny and blame when compared to her non-aboriginal co-educator.

Hobbs Blasts Reporting On Email Incident

Mayor Keith Hobbs is blaming the media for blowing a news release story way out of proportion. Hobbs says a weekend police email entitled "Fresh Breath Killer Captured" that was emailed to news outlets in the city, is not racist and says to suggest otherwise is irresponsible. City Police say the incident is under investigation.

OPP Find Body Of Missing Angler

The search is over for a missing Thunder Bay angler on a lake near Armstrong.  The 76 year old man and his 21-year-old grandson had been fishing when their small boat flipped over after hitting a buoy located upstream of a dam at the south end of the lake. The Under Water Search and Recovery Unit recovered the body of Matthew Dawd below the dam.  A post mortem exam will be conducted in Thunder Bay tomorrow.

School Safety Tips

Kids of all ages will be heading back to school Wednesday.  It marks the first day of classes and City Police are reminding motorists to pay close attention to students crossing streets and getting off buses.  Sgt. Glenn Porter says drivers should slow down, especially in school zones.  School zone speed limits are posted at 40 km/hr as opposed to 50.

Campbell On Rising Gas Prices

The fight against rising gas prices continues.  Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell says this increase hits Northern Ontario hard because there is a constant need for travel.  When the GST and HST were merged, gas prices in Ontario jumped by eight cents per litre.  Campbell says she remains committed to protecting consumers and keeping pressure on this issue.

T.Bay Teacher OTF President

A Thunder Bay teacher has been elected as the 69th president of the Ontario Teacher's Federation.  Terry Hamilton has been a math and science teacher with the Lakehead Board of Education since the early 1980's.  The election came last month at a conference in Niagara Falls.

OPP Long Weekend Stats

OPP are reporting a busy weekend on area highways during the Labour Day long weekend.  In North West Region, officers laid 7 distracted driving charges, 813 charges for speeding, 53 seat belt charges and 11 drunk driving charges.

Local Assistant Crown Attorney Charged

An assistant crown attorney in Thunder Bay is in trouble with the law. The Attorney General's Ministry confirms Karen Scullion is charged with a drinking and driving offence and will be court again on October 17th. The Ministry official says Scullion is on leave from her job until the matter is settled.

Out Of Control Party Closed Down On Friday

Police are continuing to investigate a large out of control party on Hacquoil Road from Friday night. Constable Julie Tilbury says when police arrived on the scene they saw 200 cars parked along the roadway toward Highway 61 and estimate around a thousand youth taking part in the celebration. 25 officers including Thunder Bay Police, OPP and NAPS helped close down the party. Tilbury says officers on the scene attempted to get the party revelers out of the area safely and detained some.

Officer Probed After Fake News Release

An internal probe is underway after a bizarre weekend incident that saw a bogus news release issued by city police entitled "Fresh Breath Killer Captured".   Deputy Police Chief Andy Hay says the release was connected with an ongoing murder investigation and was quickly retracted.  He calls it unfortunate,  saying it overshadows the hard work and professionalism of the officers who are involved in the murder investigation.    Hay couldn't say why the release may have been sent saying it will be one of the questions police ask of the officer involved.

OPP Still Searching For Missing Man

A 75-year old man is still missing after capsizing his boat northeast of Armstrong. The man was fishing with his 21-year old grandson on Friday when they struck a buoy while on a fly-in fishing trip.  Both men were thrown into the water.  The grandson was able to swim to shore safely, but the grandfather is still missing.  Members of the OPP’s Emergency Response Team and Under Water Search and Recovery Unit are currently searching the area.

Confederation College Starts Thursday

Confederation College starts back up on September 6th.  President Jim Madder says mining courses filled up fast this year as well as courses related to that field.  Students started moving into their residence buildings during the long weekend.

School Starts Wednesday

Lakehead Public School students head back to class Wednesday.  Director of Education, Cathi Siemieiuk says they've added more early learning education classes at elementary schools.  Siemieniuk adds they spent the summer renovating schools and installing new technology in school class rooms.

New Hotel Near Superstore To Be Built Soon

The developer of the new Marriott Town Place Suites near the Real Canadian Superstore says the project is on schedule.  Lou Meandro is with Thompson Centres Inc and says the hotel will start to be built at the end of September or start of October.  In the spring, the developer said construction would start this summer.

Another Bear in the City

 The MNR is hoping there won't be too many more bears wandering the busy streets of the city. Thunder Bay police received several calls yesterday about a large black bear walking in the Simspon Street and May Street area. This was the second bear that MNR officials tranquilized this Long Weekend. Police are reminding the public that these bears can be dangerous and aggressive when provoked.

Navy Veterans Day

Thunder Bay's City Hall is going to raise the Merchant Navy Veterans Flag today. Local Veterans Association Spokesperson and Second World War Vet Thornley Christiansen says it's important to remember what they did during the war. The ceremony will start at 10 today at City Hall with Mayor Keith Hobbs and representatives from the Canadian Merchant Navy Veterans Association.

Homicide Update

A 33 year old Thunder Bay man remains in custody after yesterday's court appearance. Joseph Wesley was arrested and accused of 2nd Degree Murder in the death of Adam Yellowhead last week. Wesley made his first court appearance yesterday and was further charged with Assault Causing Bodily Harm for an unrelated incident which happened before the murder. His next court appearance will be on September 6th.

Stabbing at East Victoria Avenue

Thunder Bay Police were called to the 500 block of East Victoria Avenue last night. A 20 year old man was stabbed shortly before 11 last night. He was taken to the Regional Health Sciences Centre where he is listed in stable condition. The investigation is ongoing.

Weekly Claim Form Clinics for Disaster Relief

Thunder Bay's Disaster Relief Committee is offering claim form clinics every Tuesday night during September and October. The deadline to fill out an application for assistance for losses and damages through the Ontario Disaster Relief Program is October 31st. Chair Wayne Fletcher says they want to make sure everyone who is eligible can fill out a form.

Ignace MNR Office Faces Possible Closure

A valuable service in Ignace may face closure. The Ministry of Natural Resources is closing a number of area offices due to a deficit. Mayor Lee Kennard says the township is growing, and the office is much needed. Kennard says that if the office does close, 11 jobs will be lost. The final decision will be revealed sometime in the fall.