Big Trout Lake Welcomes Visitors Monday

Thunder Bay Superior North MP Bruce Hyer is heading to Big Trout Lake First Nation Monday.  Hyer and 24 Canadians from all walks of life will be living in KI for a week.  The remote First Nation wants people to see their living conditions.

Kenora Murder Case Sentencing Today

Three-and-a-half months after being found guilty of second degree murder, Kenneth Ivall will finally find out how much longer he'll have to spend in jail.  Ivall will be sentenced this morning in Kenora Superior Court in the death of Ed Wilson the early morning hours of March 21st, 2009.  Ivall's co-accused, Angela Duchese is already spending three years in a federal penitentiary.  She plead guilty to manslaughter charges midway through the eight week long
trial.

Rafferty Wants More Protection For Bus Drivers

A northwestern Ontario MP wants better protection for transit bus drivers in Canada.  Thunder Bay-Rainy River's John Rafferty says his private members bill stems from recent incidents against drivers in Thunder Bay.  Rafferty proposes an amendment to the Criminal Code of Canada that would give greater sentences if an assault is against a transit driver.

Rickford Supports Welfare Plan

Helping Aboriginal people in Northwestern Ontario get off welfare.  That's the focus of a new plan being pushed by Canada's Aboriginal Affairs Minister Bernard Valcourt.  Kenora MP Greg Rickford says 241-million dollars will go to help youth achieve the same job opportunities as other Canadians.  First Nations who choose to participate in the program will have those under the Income Assistance Program undergo personalized case management.

Policing Issue Heading To NOMA

Concerns about policing costs are being raised.  Fort Frances has drafted a resolution it's forwarding to the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association that seeks more financial support from the province.  Councillor Andrew Hallikas says the current funding formula is inadequate.  In its resolution, the town cites economic and financial challenges, as well as a pending wage increase for OPP officers next year.

ER Losing Doctors

The emergency room at the Health Sciences is losing 6 doctors later this year.  However Dr. David Wood says there is enough time to find some replacements, but failing that there's always temporary doctors to choose from.  Wood says it's not a problem the ER is unfamiliar with.

Probe Into 24 Year Old's Death

An inquest into the death of a 24 year old man is going to be held in Thunder Bay on July 29th.  Gustavo Argueta died from injuries received during the course of his employment inspecting the under-surface of a new bridge in the Thunder Bay area. The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding his death.  It's expected to last five days to hear from 15 witnesses.

Collision On South Side

No injuries to report following a two vehicle collision at the corner of Arthur and James Streets just before 5 o'clock this afternoon.  One person was shaken up and police say that person was taken to hospital as a precaution.

Elementary Teachers Ink Tentative Pact

The province now has labour peace with the union representing public elementary teachers after protests that saw teachers withdraw from extra-curricular activities last fall.   Ellen Chambers of the local Elementary Teachers Federation says it's a testament to the determination of the membership. Teachers will vote on the new tentative agreement with the government later this month.

Repair Work Will Force Power Outage

Some businesses and residents in the central part of the city should prepare for a power outage.   Thunder Bay Hydro says an excavation crew damaged an underground electrical cable today.   Repair work is going to take place starting at 6 o'clock so utility officials say power will be out in that area until midnight. The section affected is John Street, High Street and Fort William Road.

Tsekouras Faces New Charges

City police say new accusations are facing  a city man who's already going through the court system on major drug charges.   Thirty nine year old John Tsekouras is now looking at more drug charges as well as conspiracy to commit murder and conspiracy to kidnap. That means he's back in custody and is due to appear in court June 17th.  

Premier Not Pressured By Cliffs Decision

Premier Kathleen Wynne says she wants to get it right.   Wynne says the decision by Cliffs Natural Resources to put their Ring of Fire project on hold is simply part of the process to making sure all the sensitive issues are settled up front, especially those involving First Nations.   Wynne doesn't see it as a pressure tactic by the mining giant. Wynne says the government remains willing to talk to Cliff's about its concerns.

City Hires Aboriginal Liaison

The  City has a new Aboriginal Liaison.  It's Ann Magiskan who is currently the chair of the city's anti racism Advisory committee.  She comes from the catholic school board where she was an aboriginal outreach worker.

Bluefin Fire Thought To Be Accidental

A preliminary investigation is focusing on a wood-burning fireplace and chimney as the possible cause of a weekend fire at a popular resort along Lake Superior on Highway 61 in Minnesota.  Saturday's fire at the Bluefin Bay resort damaged five of the resort's 70 vacation rental units. No one was hurt.  The resort is hoping to repair the fire damage by the end of summer.

Sobeys Buys Safeway

The parent company of Sobeys is buying the Canadian assets of Safeway. The 5.8-billion-dollar deal involves 213 Safeway stores from Thunder Bay to British Columbia. Some local shoppers said they were stunned and were loyal Safeway shoppers. Sobey's hasn't decided if the Safeway name will disappear.  

  
  

   

Boor Defends Decision

A top executive at Cliff's Natural Resources is defending a controversial company decision. Bill Boor says the move to suspend work on environmental assessments on the Ring of Fire chromite project is necessary because of government and court delays in the process.  Boor can't say if the move will end up delaying the start up of the mine, but hopes the issues can be resolved soon.

Horizon Wind Saga Continues

As the proposed wind farm project on the Nor' Wester Escarpment makes its way through the provincial approval process City Hall is getting involved. Development Services Manager Mark Smith says the city has hired a consultant to go over Horizon Wind's renewal energy submission to the provincial government. Smith says the consultant will make sure the city's interest are being met.

Treaty Three Labour Problems

More labour troubles at the Treaty Three Police Service. Union rep Judith Monteith-Farrell says it's unfair that management is imposing harsh cutbacks to save a service not being supported by the Federal Government.  Monteith-Farrell says before the union goes to court she's hoping there can be talks to resolve the problems.

Mauro Slams Mayor's Comment

 Mayor Keith Hobbs is taking a broadside at Thunder Bay's two MPPs, but one of them has issued a stinging reply.    Hobbs says he's concerned they haven't taken a stronger stand against scrapping the natural gas conversion of the Thunder Bay generating station.  He says Michael Gravelle and Bill Mauro have remained silent on the issue.  Mauro calls the mayor's comment absurd adding if he, Bill Mauro, is successful in saving the plant conversion it will be inspite of the City of Thunder Bay, not because of it. 
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Police Nab Speeder

City police are  reporting yet another stunt driving incident.  This person, they say, was clocked at 5:30 this morning travelling at 150 kilometres an hour on the Thunder Bay Expressway between Highway 61 and Arthur Street.   The driver says he was late for work and did not want to miss his ride.  His pickup truck has been taken away from him for seven days and his licence is suspended.

Converting TBGS Cheapest Option: Report

Efforts continue to try to convince the province to resume conversion of the Thunder Bay Generating Station to natural gas.  A new report from the lobby group Common Voice Northwest indicates that the conversion is the cheapest option to provide power to the northwest.  The Energy Task Force report says the cost to operate it would be cheaper than paying for wind and solar power projects.

Hobbs Talks Energy With Wynne

Mayor Keith Hobbs says he's confident Premier Kathleen Wynne gets it.   After speaking to the premier,  Hobbs says she understands our belief that scrapping the natural gas conversion of the Mission Island generating station will have dire consequences.  In a half hour phone conversation,  Hobbs says he asked the premier to make our energy concerns a top priority.   He explained closing the plant would increase the potential for future rolling blackouts and brownouts.

Gravelle Responds To Cliffs Decision

Cliffs Natural Resources decision to temporarily suspend its environmental assessment activities in the Ring of Fire doesn't appear to be troubling Mines Minister Michael Gravelle.  Gravelle says talks will continue between the mining company and the Ontario government.  He notes delays happen in major mining projects like this one.  The mining company cited delays and uncertainty affecting both the provincial and federal environmental assessments as reasons why they made their decision.

Hyer Doesn't Give Up On Via Rail

Thunder Bay Independent MP Bruce Hyer isn't giving up his fight to restore Via Rail service to the North Shore area.  Hyer commissioned a 90 page report on the issue and will be unveilling it in Toronto, Ottawa and Thunder Bay today.  Hyer hopes he can pursuade the Federal Government to invest in Via Rail.  Hyer feels Via Rail service is feasible in the Northwest.

Inquest Hearing Wraps Up

It could take several weeks to make a decision on who will be able to legally take part in an inquest into the deaths of seven aboriginal youth in Thunder Bay.  North Region Coroner Dr. Micahel Wilson says his boss Dr. David Eden will be reviewing each party's reasons for wanting to be involved in the process.  The hearing to see who will take part wrapped up yesterday.

Hustle For The Heart In T.Bay

The Heart and Stroke Foundation is the latest charity to be on the receiving end of a fundraising bike ride.  Brian Cameron left Vancouver on May 10th and is spending some downtime in Thunder Bay while on his Hustle For The Heart ride.  Cameron says he got involved in the ride after losing both his Father and Grandfather to heart disease.  Cameron will be repairing his bike in the City today before he resumes his journey through Northern Ontario.

OPP Charge Man In Fatal Crash

Provincial Police have charged a man who was found responsible for a fatal car crash in Ignace.  Police say 80-year-old Albert Pautsch of Hawkstone, Ontario was driving a F350 Ford back in December, which hit the vehicle 32-year-old Blake Cheslock of Thunder Bay was driving.  Police say Pautsch will appear in court on July 10th and is facing a charge of careless driving.

Ontario Budget Passes, No Summer Election

The New Democrats kept their promise and voted to support the Liberal government's budget, averting a summer election. That's something Thunder Bay MPP Michael Gravelle is happy to hear since several initiatives in the fiscal document will help northerners. Gravelle cites infrastructure funding, and money for the Northern Heritage Fund. The budget passed by a vote of 64 to 36 yesterday.

Cliffs Suspends EA Work

Cliffs Natural Resources is temporarily suspending its environmental assessment activities for its Ring of Fire project.  The reasons for the move include delays and uncertainty affecting both the provincial and federal E.A. assessments.  They also cite unresolved issues related to land surface rights and unfinished agreements with the Ontario Government.  Cliffs also says they'll continue to work with the government to restart the work.

Vehicle Pedestrian Collision

Thunder Bay Police are confirming a vehicle pedestrian accident in the area of the Arthur Street and Leland intersection. The accident involves a 12 year old girl and the ambulance was on the scene. It occurred just after 4 o'clock Tuesday. There's no word yet on injuries.

NAN Wants To Take Part In Inquest

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is one of several groups who want to take part in an inquest into the deaths of seven aboriginal youth in Thunder Bay.  Grand Chief Harvey Yesno says NAN's participation in the inquest is critical.  Other groups looking for permission today to participate are the City of Thunder Bay and the Police Services Board.

Standoff End On The FWFN

Life is back to normal on the Fort William First Nation after yesterday's police standoff.   OPP say a 40 year old man barricaded himself in a house in the community Monday afternoon.  After a brief period police say he gave up peacefully and is in custody awaiting a court appearance facing a weapons charge and uttering threats.

Float Planes Training Upsets Cottagers

Cottagers at Eva Lake near Atikokan are fuming and it's Confederation College they are angry at.  They say since the College moved its float plane training program from Lake Shabandowan it's been nothing but take offs and landings  over an over again on their lake.  They counted 40 in one day.  Cottagers say it's making it extremely hard to use or enjoy the lake.

Violent Night On The South Side

City police say that a 28 year old Thunder Bay man is in custody facing charges of robbery and threats to kill.  It follows an attack on two men just after midnight on the 300 Block of South Syndicate Avenue.   The suspect was arrested a short distance away.  Police say it was a random assault.

Councillor Stands Up For Arbitrator's Ruling

Not everyone is upset that the city has come on the wrong side of a recent firefighters arbitration decision on sick leave payouts.  City staff says that it's costing  money that wasn't budgeted for.   City Manager Tim  Commisso believes the arbitrator's decision is largely based on factors in Southern Ontario and doesn't reflect the realities of the north.  Councillor Paul Pugh disagrees with the idea that the city should pressure the province to set conditions on arbitrators so we don't get dinged so hard.  Pugh says  that's trampling on the rights of working people especially those who's bargaining rights have been taken away by legislation.

Students Plead For Fair Trade Designation

Grade Six students at Ogden School want Thunder Bay to become a Fair Trade City.  They say they were disturbed by the recent garment factory tragedy in Bangladesh and they did some homework on the issue.  They discovered that the movement started in the United Kingdom.  Under a fair trade strategy the city would agree to only do business with countries that treat their workers fairly.  City administration will be writing a report on the proposal. 

Police Seek Hit And Run Driver

City police are on the lookout for the driver of a tractor trailer after a hit and run on the weekend.  Sgt. Glenn Porter says it took place in the parking lot of the Landmark Inn on Dawson Road at 4 am Saturday morning.    He says it appears that as the driver rounded a corner the tractor trailer hooked on to a  minivan which in turn smashed into three other vehicles as it was being dragged along.  A surveillance camera captured the incident. Transport Hit And Run on PhotoPeach

Coroner To Hear Requests For Standing

An inquest into the deaths of seven Aboriginal youths in Thunder Bay takes a major step forward today.   Coroner Dr. Michael Wilson is holding a hearing to listen to those people who believe they have a right to take part in the process. Wilson says not everyone who asks can be granted standing.  He says that privilege will go to anyone with a direct interest in the outcome. The hearing begins at 10 am at the Ontario Government building on Red River Road.

Police Probe Hit And Run

City police are on the lookout for the driver of a tractor trailer after a hit and run on the weekend.  Sgt. Glenn Porter says it took place in the parking lot of the Landmark Inn on Dawson Road at 4 am Saturday morning.    He says it appears that as the driver rounded a corner the tractor trailer hooked on to a  minivan which in turn smashed into three other vehicles as it was being dragged along.  A surveillance camera captured the incident. Transport Hit And Run on PhotoPeach

Mac's Robbed At Knifepoint

City police are looking for one person following the robbery of the Mac's Store at Balsam and River Streets.  They say it happened at around sunrise this morning when a man armed with a knife made off with a small amount of money and cigarettes.  No one is hurt. 

Fire Guts City Home

Two people are said to be safe after a late morning south side house fire. It broke out just before 11 o'clock at 848 Minnesota Street.  Eyewitness Chris Davidson was passing by in his vehicle when he noticed the fire and called 9-11.  He says two men were standing outside the home as thick smoke was pouring out.  He says they appeared ok and their pet cat was rescued..   The cause of the fire is not known.

Housing Starts Up

There's been a jump in housing starts from April to May in Thunder Bay.  The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation released it's latest figures this morning that show we had 318 new units up from 292 the previous month.

Drowning At Cummins Lake

Thunder Bay OPP are reporting the drowning death of a 76 year old man at Cummins Lake in Jacques Township.  Ernest Rumpel went out in his canoe with his German Shepard Saturday afternoon.  It's believed the dog rocked the canoe capsizing it, knocking Rumpel out of the boat.  He was not wearing his life jacket and was pronounced dead at the hospital.

Boat Collision Sends People To Hospital

OPP are still investigating Saturday's small boat collision on Lake Superior near Red Rock.  The boat struck a reef near St. Ignace Island and sustained major damage.  A 37 year old man was sent to Thunder Bay Hospital with some injuries.  Two other people from Toronto were treated and released from Nipigon Hospital with less serious injuries.

Grease Fire Forces Man From Apartment

A grease fire in a south side apartment has forced the tenant out of his home.  The incident occurred last night on Lincoln Street saw a stove top fire that melted plastic furniture and damaged the floor.  The tenant will be staying with his brother until its safe to return.

Weekend Forest Fires

It was a busy weekend for Ministry of Natural Resources fire crews.  28-new forest fires were reported over the weekend in northwestern Ontario.  Most of the fires were in the Sioux Lookout, Nipigon and Thunder Bay districts.  The Ministry of Natural Resources is paying close attention to a lightning-cased fire about 35-kilometres east of Summer Beaver.  The blaze is 15-hundred hectares and is burning near several cabins in the area.

Fire Fighters Sick Leave Contract Awarded

City Manager Tim Commisso is going to tell Council tonight what the financial impacts will be from a recent Fire Fighters arbitration award.  The City is on the hook for 170 thousand dollars and an additional 3-thousand dollars per retired firefighter.  Councillor Rebecca Johnson says she takes issue with an arbitrator making decisions that the City will have to pay for.  The sick leave payouts go back to 2008 and involve 62 Fire Fighters.

State Of Emergency Remains

The City remains under a state of emergency despite the one year anniversary of the May 28th flood that's come and gone.  It's because the advisory can't be lifted until the City can settle all of the matters related to the spring 2012 flood of the Atlantic Avenue Water Treatment Plant.  Council will be renewing their engineering contracts for the plant at tonight's meeting.

Watermain Upgrades Up For Vote

The Northwood area could be seeing some upgrades to their storm sewer and watermain systems.  Council is going to vote tonight on whether or not to approve a million dollar contract with Prime Terra Group.  The work if approved will take place around the James Street, Limbrick areas.

Cabaret On Bay

The Finlandia Hall is going to be transported back in time to the years of cabaret shows.  Cabaret on Bay is taking place this Saturday and will feature side show acts, burlesque and live music.  Organizer Zoe Gordon says there's something for everyone and that includes someone lying on a bed of nails while another smashes a brick onto their stomach.  Tickets are available at High Tide Tattoo, Calico Coffee and the Scandinavian Deli.  

Thunder Bay Resident Helps Out In Africa

A Thunder Bay resident is headed to Uganda for the next six months. Conrad Koczorowski is headed to Africa with nine other Canadians to help improve the health of mothers and their children. This is part of an internship with the African Medical and Research Foundation, with support from the Canadian International Development Agency.

Several Roads Closed

The City is warning motorists about some temporary road closures this weekend. Waverly Street from Red River Road to Banning Street, and Waverley Street from Banning Street to Algoma will be closed. Also today until six the intersection of Secord Street and Park Avenue will be closed for the George Jeffrey Soap Box Races.

Pride Week Begins Today

 It's Pride Week in the city where the gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgendered community put themselves in the spotlight. Organizer Cynthia Olsen says it's important to recognize because homophobia is alive and well. Next week the organization will host the city's first ever Pride Parade.

Police Crack Down On Speeders

Thunder Bay Police are continuing to nab speeders in the construction zone on the Harbour Expressway .   The latest numbers from Friday show there were 68 tickets given out for those who disobeyed the reduced speed limit in the zone. In one case, the driver was going over 100 kilometers an hour, and that allowed police to seize the vehicle for 7 days under the province's stunt driving law.  The person's driver's licence was also suspended. Police say they won't stop enforcement until drivers start slowing down on that section of city roadway.