City Involved In Human Rights Training

The City is getting involved in human rights training.    A two day session is planned for September on a variety of themes including Aboriginal issues, housing, disability and gender identity.   Sandy Boucher of the city's Anti-Racism task force says it's all about educating anyone who's interested including the business community, municipal officials and human resource professionals.  The event will include presentations and discussions.

Divers End Search For Local Man

The active search for 26 year old Larry Larivee of Thunder Bay is over for the moment.  Police say OPP divers were unable to find any sign of Larivee at the McKenzie River falls location where witnesses say he disappeared last week after he dove in off a cliff.  Police say some areas of the river are just too dangerous to search and will be reassessed once water levels are lower.

Dorion Requests Merger

Dorion Township is asking Shuniah to amalgamate with them.  Shuniah municipal  councillors will be discussing the request at their meeting this evening.

Toromont & CAW Ink Deal

The local Canadian Auto Workers is deeming a recent deal for Toromont Caterpillar workers a victory. 70 skilled trades and production workers ratified the new agreement recently. President Kari Jefford says there are a number of benefits in the new deal. Jefford says its a 17 percent increase in pay over the next three years.

Egging Reports Investigated

Thunder Bay Police are looking into social media reports saying people were egged at Paterson Park over the weekend.  Spokesperson Chris Adams says they are following up on the postings and will be conducting interviews today.

Police Plead For Grad Safety

Thunder Bay high school students are graduating this week and OPP are ready to deal with the parties that go along with finishing high school. Staff Sgt. Jim Graham says they've got their ears to the ground and will monitor the rural areas to watch for out of control parties.  Graham says they want high school students to consider the public's safety when they celebrate their grad.

Shelter House To Receive 10K Donation

Copperfin Credit Union is giving 10 thousand dollars to Shelter House. The money will be used to buy food for the residents who use the organization.  The official presentation takes place tomorrow.

Feedback Deadline Next Week

You have until the end of the month to give the City a piece of your mind on the way they handle your garbage and recycling. The City's developed to surveys that can be found online at their website or at your local branch of the Library.  The deadline for feedback is June 30th.

Sergerie Signs Pro Deal With German Team

Former Lakehead hockey captain Adam Sergerie has signed a contract to play professional hockey in Germany. The Thunder Bay player graduated from LU with a degree in Education but will put his teaching plans on hold while he plays for the Black Dragons.   He's leaving for Germany in early September.

Highway 11 Open

Highway 11 is now fully open after a chip truck caught fire last night.  The roadway south of Highway 11/17 was closed for much of the evening.  No one was hurt.

City Council Tonight

City council will finally hear from residents regarding bike lanes tonight.  Councillor Rebecca Johnson says the city needs to follow the international trends.  Meanwhile, the Thunder Bay Art Gallery wants to move to the Waterfront from Confederation College.  Council will also hear about internet voting tonight.

Police Stop Impaired Driver

No one is hurt after a potentially dangerous incident this morning. Thunder Bay Police received numerous 911 calls about a vehicle driving the wrong way on the Thunder Bay Expressway. Police stopped the vehicle and charged the 30-year-old man with impaired driving.

Car Strikes Pedestrian

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a collision between a car and pedestrian last night. A man was struck by a vehicle in the area of Cameron and May Street, and suffered serious injuries. He was taken to the hospital for treatment.

Foul Play Not Suspected In City Death

City police have a dead body to deal with but they say foul play is not suspected. Officials say a man's body was found in the Legion Track Drive area, near the friendship gardens early this morning. Police initially didn't give out a great deal of information,  but about 9 hours later issued the release that there was nothing criminal about the man's death.

Chippewa Park Gets New Trees

There are now 33 more trees planted at Chippewa Park thanks to the Friends of Chippewa and the province.   A 24 thousand dollar grant from the Wynne government will also help the Friends to expand the walking trails at the city run park.

NWO Native Says Calgary In Panic

A Northwestern  Ontario native living in the heart of Calgary says he's one of roughly 75-thousand people being told to leave their home due to massive flooding. Most Calgary streets have turned into rivers and Shaun Capovilla says there's absolute panic in the City. Canadian Armed Forces troops and helicopters are covering all areas of southern Alberta and the Canadian Red Cross is already starting relief efforts.

Fiddler To Co-Chair Gov't Panel

A top Northwestern Ontario Aboriginal leader will co-chair a panel that will oversee tackling the crisis facing First Nations in Ontario's justice and jury system. Nishnawbe Aski Nation deputy grand chief Alvin Fiddler will lead the committee. Fiddler hopes that with his first hand experience he will be able to contribute significantly to the discussion.  Fiddler will head the committee along with Irwin Glasberg, an assistant deputy minister.

Search For Diver Continues

An OPP dive team continues its search of the McKenzie River for a missing cliff diver.   Police say the team made one dive this morning without finding anything.   They are still at the site and are being helped by a helicopter. Police say  26 year old Larry Larivee was with 4 other friends when he dove into the river and failed to resurface on Wednesday afternoon.

Harbour X & Golf Links Open

Good news for city drivers.    Golf Links Road is now open between William Street and the Harbour Expressway.   It had been closed as part of the Golf Links Road work that has been taking place for the last month or so.  

Aboriginal Day At Hospital

Aboriginal Day is being celebrated today at the Regional Health Sciences Centre. Spokesperson Tracie Smith says in addition to prayers and drumming there is one other highlight.  Smith says the day is a chance for the hospital to advance Aboriginal culture and health.

Highway 11 Partially Closed

Highway 11 is closed at Camp 93 road south of Beardmore. OPP say two transports collided earlier this morning causing the closure. Police are reporting that no one was badly hurt and the highway will be closed until both vehicles can be removed. Meanwhile, Hwy 11- 17 at Black Bay Drive is back open to both lanes. It was closed for several hours last night due to an accident as well.

Northwood Continues To Struggle With Flooding

The Northwood ward continues to deal with flooded basements.  A meeting on drainage issues was held last night.  Councillor Mark Bentz says they're already taking steps to improve drainage in the area. Bentz says they'll continue to work to find ways to improve drainage and prevent flooding in the neighbourhood.

TBRRI Wants To Hear From You

Thunder Bay's Regional Research Institute wants you to have your say when it comes to their new cyclotron facility. Starting at the end of July they'll be offering a series of public meetings on the medical machinery. Spokesperson Michael Campbell says people are going to have safety related questions. Construction has already begun at the site that will house the medical machinery.

Hospital Board Fills Vacancies

Thunder Bay's Hospital is filling three, three year vacancies and two one year vacancies on their board.  Sharon Cole-Paterson, Nadine Doucette and Karen McDaid will be back for three year terms.  Doug Shanks and Sharon Pitawanakwat will serve for one year.

Science North Office Turns 3

Thunder Bay's Science North office is celebrating its three year anniversary today.  Spokesperson Emily Kerton says it means a lot for them to be able to reach out to Northwestern Ontario youth.  Science North's Thunder Bay office services most of the smaller communities in the Northwest.

Aboriginal Day Celebrated Tomorrow

Marina Park at Prince Arthur's landing is the site for this years Aboriginal days activities.   It begins at 5:30 with a sunrise ceremony at the  Spirit Garden.  Grand opening ceremonies at 11 o'clock take place at the Main stage at Marina Park with the theme being youth and youth leadership.   A pow wow follows at 11:30.   at 5 o'clock there is a feast and the day closes with a ceremony 8 o'clock

Drugs, Gun and Ammo Seized In Bust

One hundred and eighty thousand dollars worth of drugs are off the street following a bust in the city.  A 24 year old man is facing charges after police Sgt. Murray Brown says he was arrested at a local coffee shop yesterday.  That lead to a raid on a home on the 400 block of St. Patrick's Square which resulted in the seizure of Oxycodone and Cocaine.   Also seized was an illegal handgun and ammunition.

OPP Search For Missing Cliff Diver

OPP divers from Gravenhurst are expected to arrived in Thunder Bay this evening.  They will be heading to the  McKenzie River in Shuniah Township to search for a missing cliff diver.  OPP say that a 26 year old Thunder Bay man did not resurface after making a dive  around 4 o'clock Wednesday afternoon.  Police say he was with  three other friends at the time.   They say the location is off of McKenzie Heights Road just east of the McKenzie River Bridge.

Claman In T.Bay For Shoes & Champagne

A Canadian reality TV star is in Thunder Bay today helping Habitat for Humanity raise money.  Jody Claman of the Real Housewives of Vancouver says she loves to give back to charities like Habitat for Humanity.  Claman will be speaking at the Shoes & Champagne event tonight at Bight Restaurant.  That's where designer shoes signed by celebrities are auctioned off.

Commercial Drivers Targeted

Following a campaign targeting bad commercial truck drivers OPP are satisfied the message is out there.   Sgt. Shelley Garr says out of 300 commercial drivers charged in the province, 26 were in the northwest region.  She says 13 were for speeding, 4 for seat belt violations, 3 were out of service and only 1 was for drinking and driving.   Across the province 35 per cent of all the charges were equipment related compared to 12 per cent in the northwest.

LU Bar Offering Pregnancy Tests

Lakehead University's Outpost bar is the first in Canada to offer pregnancy tests in their bathroom dispensers.  Healthy Brains for Children Thunder Bay is behind the Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder initiative.  Spokesperson Marilyn Leiterman says the pregnancy tests are already on their way to the City.  Leiterman hopes to have more local bars get on board and offer pregnancy tests.

Search on For Missing Cliff Diver

OPP divers from Gravenhurst are expected to arrived in Thunder Bay tomorrow morning.  They will be heading to the  McKenzie River in Shuniah Township to search for a missing cliff diver.  OPP say that a 26 year old Thunder Bay man did not resurface after making a dive this afternoon.  Police say he was was with  three other friends at the time.   They say the location is off of McKenzie Heights Road just east of the McKenzie River Bridge.

Scott Potts Leaving Hospital

A senior executive at the Regional Health Sciences Centre is leaving under a veil of mystery.  The official word from hospital officials is that Scott Potts has resigned and his last day is June 28th.  However, there is no way to interview Potts, who's the vice president of Corporate and Diagnostic Services, because he is on vacation.   A hospital spokesperson says they can't confirm a replacement for Potts at this point. 

Garbage Dumped At Area Lake

The Ministry of Natural Resources is trying to find who is responsible for dumping garbage at Sandstone Lake.    Officials say they've received complaints several times from the public about the situation.  The area is located about 80 kilometres southwest of the city off Highway 588. 

Rae To Focus Full Time On ROF

The Matawa First Nations now have a full time Ring of  Fire negotiator.   Liberal MP and former Ontario NDP Premier Bob Rae is resigning as a Member of Parliament.   He says it's in order to focus on his new role as chief negotiator for Matawa First Nations in talks with the province about development of the Ring of Fire mining development in northern Ontario.

Police Clarify Info On Charges

Thunder Bay's Jeff Paxton isn't facing his first brush with the law.    Deputy police chief Andy Hay says the 10 sex related charges against young boys announced yesterday are actually included with four charges from when he was first arrested  last year.   The police say the charges against Paxton are related to incidents between 1983 and 2004.

Golfers Raise $

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation is almost 22 thousand dollar richer following this weeks golf tournament.   The 7th Annual RE/MAX Queen of Hearts Ladies Golf Classic attracted a field of 152 women golfers.   The money will go towards the Northern Cardiac Fund. 

Forest Plan For Pikangikum

Pikangikum and the Province are working together to boost the forestry sector in the Far North.  The first nation has received a Sustainable Forest Licence for the Whitefeather Forest, 90km North of Red Lake.

MNR Forest Fire Update

Five new forest fires have sparked in Northwestern Ontario.  The Sioux Lookout and Nipigon Districts each saw two, while one was reported in the Kenora area.  The MNR adds while some rain is forecast, the hazard remains moderate to high in the region.

Kenora Council Broadcasting Live

It might not be a ratings hit, but Kenora City Council is looking to broadcast its open meetings.  Council says its willing to work with Shaw to air committee-of-the-whole and monthly council meetings.  It will set the city back about 12 thousand dollars to purchase and install the technology.  Councillor Rod McKay says he has his reservations about spending that kind of money and wants to know how many people might actually watch their meetings, before supporting the expenditure.

Fire At Bight Restaurant

Thunder Bay's Fire Department is looking into a small fire in a garbage room at Bight Restaurant last night.  Crews were able to bring the fire under control shortly after being called to the blaze at 11:30.  There's only minimal damage to the room and light smoke damage throughout the rest of the restaurant.  It's unclear if restaurant operations will be affected.

Serious Sex Charges Face City Man

A former bible camp counsellor and babysitter in the city is facing some serious sex charges that involve minors. Police say the charges against Jeff Paxton  date back to between 1983 and 2004.   They say they involve boys between the ages of 7 and 14.   Paxton faces four counts each of gross indecency and sexual assault and two counts of invitation to sexual touching.  He is currently in custody and will be in court for a bail hearing on Friday.

Four "Worst Roads" In Thunder Bay

Four roads in Thunder Bay are on the latest worst roads list from the Canadian Automobile Association.   Adelaide Street, Hutton Park Drive, South Water Street  and Onion Lake Road made the top fifty worst roads in the province.    None of them made the top twenty however Adelaide Street was ranked at number 33 in the online vote by the association.  

Summer In The Parks Is Back

It's another season for Summer In The Parks.   The city sponsored program takes place Wednesday nights at Marina Park starting June 26th with the Mark Potvin Blues Band.   It will run until August 14th.

Commissioner Defends OPP Salaries

The Commissioner of the Ontario Provincial Police is defending the cost of his police service. Speaking in Kenora, Chris Lewis admitted that municipalities are concerned about a pending 8.5-percent increase in officer salaries next year. He adds that despite that, the OPP remains a competitive alternative for a number of municipalities.  Lewis says the OPP ranks 32nd in Canada right now in terms of the cost of providing police service.

Taxi Admin Concerns At Police Board

The Police Services Board is asking the city to examine the possibility of taking over the responsibility of governing area taxi companies. The directive comes as the result of a report on improving taxi service. Police Board Chair Joe Virdiramo says the City and the Police Services Board need to work together. Virdiramo wants a decision to be made on the matter by September.

Apologies Over Bike Lane Debate

Some City Councillors are saying sorry to the people who attended last night's meeting to hear about the active transportation corridor.   Council voted to put off discussing the new bike lanes and that didn't sit well with Councillor Rebecca Johnson. Councillor Aldo Roberto also apologized and the bike lane debate will now take place next week.

HAGI E.D. Steps Down

Hagi Transit has a new Executive Director.  David Shannon is stepping into the role after Cal Rankin resigned from the position.

Citizens Pack Council Chamber

A developer's proposal for new apartment or townhouse units on Melon Street  is causing a big stir.   Area residents packed the city council chamber so they could have their say.  One supporter commended the developer's extensive consultation, while others were critical of how close the apartments will be to their properties. The developer says the proposal is designed to be low key with only 12 units and will help to ease the rental housing shortage in the city.  In the end councillors voted to approve the apartments at a reduced height.  

Neighbours Opposed To Cabinet Shop

A Thunder Bay resident's plans for a home based cabinet making shop isn't going over well with some neighbours on Community Hall Road.   At City Hall last night  Paul Tremblay said he and his wife Anneli are vehemently opposed to the proposal because of noise, odour and property concerns   They are miffed as to why it was recommended by city staff.  In the end councillors voted in favour of the plan.

NOHF Grants Announced

Eleven Thunder Bay businesses and organizations are the recipients of over a quarter million dollars in provincial grant money.   The top grant getter, receiving over 90 thousand dollars,  is Robin Bureyko of Made Fresh cafe and bakery.  He says he and his partner couldn't have done it without the taxpayer support. The money is coming from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.