Water Financial Plan Passes

The City's water system financial plan is calling for our water rates to increase over the next couple of years. The plan was presented to Council Monday with staff saying  operating revenue is  expected to increase but not as much as they had hoped since water use is on the decline.  Councillor Joe Virdiramo noted promoting conservation has come back to bite them with higher water rates.  Council approved the financial plan and is submitting it to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing.

At Large Debate Postponed

City Council is going to have to wait two weeks to discuss Councillor Ken Boshcoff's suggestion to move to an At-Large Council system.  Boschoff wants a question posed to the voting public asking if they would support having councilors elected at large.  The issue is being postponed until the November 18th meeting.

Council Round Up

The City is putting money aside in the 2015 budget to maintain the Heath Park and Widnall Pools.   A replacement strategy for the Dease Pool is also going to be included in the budget as well.  A petition with 48 signatures in support of Dease was presented to Council Monday night.   Meanwhile, A public meeting looking into how the City can offer more events where streets are open to people and closed to cars is going to be held Tuesday night.  It's part of a partnership between the City, EcoSuperior and 8-80 Cities.  An open house being held Tuesday night at the Italian Cultural Centre.  Reps from 8-80 cities spoke to Council Monday night.

Bare Point Marina Spending Approved

The City is spending 1.2 million dollars on repairs to the Bare Point Watermain.  The work is going to Nadin Contracting.  Council approved the contract at it's meeting Monday night.

City Hopes DSSAB Will Have Change Of Heart

Council is asking the Social Services Board to keep running a homemaking program for the City.  The program helps feed, bath, and dress 34 clients who rely on the extra help in their lives. The board plans to stop providing the program as of December 31st but the City is hoping they'll either change their mind or continue to provide the program for another six months while the City negotiates with the local health authority over who else can help the City run the program.

Council Supports Provincial Draft Plan

Common Voice's Energy Task Force is responding to the provincial government's North of Dryden regional electricity plan.  Thunder Bay Council is showing their support of the plan. Council will share their feelings on the plan with the CEO of the Ontario Power Authority and Minister of Energy.

College Park Area Without Power

Over a hundred customers are still without power in the College Park area.  Thunder Bay Hydro say a hydro pole was found on fire south of the Harbour Expressway near Innovation Drive causing the large power outage.  Most of Westfort was also without power for parts of tonight but it's since been restored. Crews are on site and are working on restoring the power in the College Park area by 11 pm.

Crime Prevention Awards 2013

Derek Khani

The City is celebrating its third annual Crime Prevention Award winners. A special ceremony was held Monday night with several local residents honoured for their involvement in community programs that help curb crime. Derek Khani is the recipient of the Community Hero Award and was chosen for his community building through the arts.  Allison Lamb is the winner of the Young Leader Award.  Roots to Harvest is the Outstanding Community Project winner.  The Outstanding Community Project award goes to Pride Central, the I am a Kind Man program and the We Stand Up! program.

Missing Man

City Police are looking for a missing Thunder Bay man.  Travis Hodgson was last seen around his Westfort home at 10 o'clock Wednesday night. His family has set up a Facebook page for him and are looking for any help in finding him.  A link to the Facebook page can be found here.

Recall Of Macaroni Salad & Coleslaw Expanded

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency is warning of a voluntary recall of Reser's Fine Foods Cheesy Macaroni Salad and Coleslaw.  It's being recalled because of possible Listeria contamination. The salad is sold at Wal-Mart stores in Ontario, New Brunswick and Nova Scotia as well as Canada wide in Loblaw stores.  For a complete listing of recalled salad products including their codes click here.

Fires From Last Week Suspicious

Two fires from last week are being treated as suspicious.  Fire Service Spokesperson Eric Nordlund says the local investigation is complete and the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office and City Police are now reviewing the cases.  Nordlund says they haven't found a natural cause for both the fire at the upholstery shop and the auto body shop.

2013 Forest Fires Not As Costly

It wasn't a very costly year in fighting forest fires in northern Ontario. The Ministry of Natural Resources says it spent slightly more than 110-million dollars on firefighting operations this season.  That's down 60-million from last year. There were fewer than 600-fires across the north this year, barely one-third last season's total.

Dryden To Get $ Reality Check Nov. 13th

The picture of future operations in Dryden will soon be a little clearer. A public meeting is planned for November 13th to release the recommendations of KPMG. The consulting firm has spent the past couple of months picking apart City departments, facilities and operations in a bid to find roughly 2-million dollars in savings over the next 3 years. Council is not bound to the recommendations but all members have stated that they will take the report seriously. Labour relations, personal and land issues will be dealt with in a closed door meeting the same day between Council and KPMG.

Man Arrested For Threats

Police say they have arrested a city man whom they allege is connected with threats to police, businesses, media outlets, politicians and others since June of last year.   They believe anonymous letters to these people and organizations originated with one person.  Charged with 21 counts of Uttering Threats is 46 year old Eric Wirkkala.

Terrace Bay Mayor Steps Down

The mayor of Terrace Bay has resigned, citing what he calls "irreconcilable differences" with councillors over a potential reassessment of the town's pulp mill. Michael King is upset that Council has opted to negotiate a settlement with the owner of the mill. AV Terrace Bay has decided to file for a reassessment of its municipal tax rate with the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation. King says he would rather see council fight the company's application. In a statement, the township's four councillors predicted the review will likely result in a drastically reduced tax rate for the mill, since recent applications from similar operations in Dryden and Espanola have led to decreases in excess of 65 per cent.

Board Regrets Staffer's Comment

The catholic school board is expressing regret  to three students at Pope John Paul the Second school who were offended by the remark of a staffer.   The board says the staff member was referring to the last week's fire on the James Street Bridge.   The students are from the Fort William First Nation and they were asked if they had purchased some beef jerky before or after the bridge fire.   The board says it has spoken with the families of both students about the incident and looking at the matter very closely.

Hernandez Verdict Postponed

It will be another two weeks before Thunder Bay's Christian Hernandez learns his fate.   The 28 year old is charged with impaired driving causing death in connection with a collision in December of 2010 that resulted in the death of 45 year old Richard Carmichael. Carmichael was walking across the street at the time. Justice Joyce Pelletier was to have delivered her verdict in the case today,  but says she will have it ready on November 18th instead.

Mishaps Send Half Dozen To Hospital

Police say two separate traffic mishaps on the weekend sent a total of 6 people to hospital.  The first happened on Saturday night on Oliver  Road near Jackpine Road when they say an SUV collided with the rear of another vehicle.  Four people in the SUV were taken to the regional hospital for treatment.    Later that evening on the highway at Sistonen's Corner two tractor trailer units collided sending two people to the Health Science's Centre. 

Pedestrian Struck

City Police continue to investigate an accident that involved a pedestrian last night.  Police say around 10 o'clock a 26-year old Thunder Bay man was hit by a vehicle in the 200 block of Robertson Street.  The man was taken to Regional Hospital where he is listed in critical condition. Anyone who may have information on the accident is asked to contact Thunder Bay Police.  

Working with the James Street Bridge

With the James Street Bridge expected to be closed a little while longer for cars and trucks Councillor Joe Vidiramo says drivers must remain patient. The Councillor believes given the bridges history it's worth it to take the extra time needed to ensure the job is done right. Vidiramo also mentioned replacing the bridge as a possibility that should not go overlooked.

Addition to Mission Island

The Lakehead Region Conservation Authority will continue to add to the Mission Island lookout. Donna Blunt is the groups Vice-Chair and spoke at the Thunder Bay District Municipal League this past weekend. Along with increased maintenance and planting, the group will introduce four new interactive panels in the new year.

Pumpkin Compost

Now that Halloween has past doesn't mean you need to throw your Jack-O-Lantern in the garbage. The Great Pumpkin Compost is an environmentally friendly way to dispose of your old pumpkin. Collection bins are placed at the County Fair Mall on Dawson Road, the Lakehead Labour Centre on Fort William and the Westfort Playfield off Neebing Avenue. The bins will be open until November 15th.

Cell Phone Protection Bill Passes

The Provincial Government is supporting cell phone users by passing the new Wireless Services Agreements Act.  The final vote on the legislation was held last week and Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro says they'll be protecting wireless customers by ensuring contracts be written in plain language with all the basic fees and extra charges clearly spelled out.  Mauro adds the new law will mean fewer surprises for people when they enter into cell phone and wireless service contracts in the Spring of 2014.

FedNor and the Agricultural Showcase

A variety of businesses from northwestern Ontario will be featured at the Royal Winter Fair in Toronto over the next couple of days. Greg Rickford is the minister responsible for FedNor, and says they have sponsored a major exhibit at the showcase. The Northern Ontario Agri-Food Pavilion runs until November 10th. Products like barbeque sauce, salad dressing and wild rice are just some of the things that will be on display at the exhibit.

Council's Back Bill's Bill

Several Municipalities are throwing their support behind Thunder Bay Atikokan MPP Bill Mauro's private members bill calling for the Spring Bear Hunt to be brought back.  Thunder Bay's City Council recently sent a letter of support to the Ministry of Natural Resources backing the bill.  Mauro says it's good to get support from the region and suspects other town councils are following Thunder Bay's suit.  The bill comes up for debate on December 14th.

Call For Unity

The Mayor and the Chief of Fort William First Nation are standing side by side and calling for unity in the wake of racist comments.   In a symbolic show of support the two held a joint news conference holding eagle feathers in Council Chambers. Several racist tweets and facebook messages were posted after the James Street bridge fire.

LU Maclean's Magazine Ranking

Rave reviews for Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.  Maclean’s magazine’s annual University Rankings places Lakehead in second place among Ontario’s primarily undergraduate universities.  When compared to all Canadian universities in this category, Lakehead climbed two spots from last year’s results to rank tenth overall. L-U finished first in social sciences and humanities grants, total research dollars and in library services.

Hep A Case In T.Bay

The Health Unit is investigating a case of Hepatitis A of a Wendy's employee.  The worker at the Red River Road location tested positive and anyone who consumed any food from that restaurant between Oct. 11th to 26th may have been exposed to the virus. People who consumed food from this restaurant during this period should watch for signs of illness and contact their health care provider if they experience any of the following: fever, loss of appetite, abdominal pain, tiredness, nausea, vomiting, dark urine, pale stools or yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice). Symptoms can develop anywhere from 15 to 50 days after exposure to the virus.

UA Changes Flight Time

There's a new departure time coming for flights to Chicago from Thunder Bay.   Airport officials say that starting December 19th the United Airlines flights will depart at 7:20 each morning.  Right now that flight leaves at 6 am.    There is no change to the time the flight from Chicago arrives in Thunder Bay.  It remains at 9:05 pm.

Trains Going Over James Street Bridge

Trains are now going over the James Street bridge following this week's fire. Lindsay Fedchyshyn of CN Rail says the damaged portion of the rail line was fixed by this morning, however vehicle traffic is still not being allowed to cross. Fedchyshyn says the consultant will prepare recommendations on what work needs to be done to the road portion of the bridge.

Golf Links Opening Soon

Golf Links Road should be back open to traffic in two weeks time.   City Engineering Manager Rick Harms says they're on schedule and are putting the finishing touches on the road.  Harms says weather permitting we could see Golf Links open the week of November 18th.

Needle Found In Candy

City Police say a needle was found in Halloween treats Thursday night.   A parent told officers her kids were trick or treating in the Kakabeka Falls Village when they came home and found the needle in their loot.   Police are encouraging parents to make sure all treats are carefully looked at and any questionable pieces should be thrown out.  This incident is being followed up by police to try to determine if it was intentional or accidental.

BB Gun Seized

Police are investigating a weapons incident from Tuesday that saw a 16 year old man sent to hospital.   A group of friends were at the John Kusznier Memorial Park area when a BB gun was fired and hit the youth in the face near his eye.  The weapon used in this incident has been seized by police and the investigation is continuing.

Movember

It's Movember, and local men will be growing their facial hair to raise awareness about Prostate Cancer. Movember Campaign Chair Jon Hendel says there's many ways residents can take part in the fundraising effort.  Last year's local Movember campaign raised almost 30-thousand dollars.For more information visit www.movembertbay.com and www.movember.com.

Fall Feast Away For People To Come Together

The City's 3rd annual Fall Feast is on today at the Lakehead Labour Centre.  The event is meant to bring both First Nation and non aboriginal residents together as a community.  Aboriginal Liaison Officer Ann Magiskan says it's important for the community to work together especially after offensive comments were made on social media sites about the James Street bridge fire.  The event runs until six tonight.

Two Morning Fires

City fire crews are on the scene of a major fire at Frankie and Johnny's Auto Body shop at 830 North Vickers Street.  Fire units arrived at the blaze at 6:40 this morning and a second alarm was called in immediately.  No injuries have been reported and North Vickers Street is closed between Forest Avenue and Northern Avenue.  Meanwhile, there was extensive damage to an upholstery store in the 400 block of North May Street following an early morning fire.  Four pumpers and an aerial platform truck were called to the scene around 3:40 this morning and battled the blaze for close to two hours. Fire investigators will be on the scene today to determine the cause.  There were no injuries.

College Program Gets Accredited

Confederation College's Medical Laboratory Assistant program is receiving two year accreditation from the Canadian Medical Association.  The accreditation shows that the program has met national educational standards.

Inquest Into Lee Antoniak's Death

The Ontario Coroner's Office is conducting an inquest into the death of 31 year old Lee Antoniak.  Antoniak died in April 2012 as a result of injuries received during the course of his employment at a construction site in the City. The hearing will take place on December 18th.

Update On James Street Bridge

More investigative work continues at the charred James Street Bridge.  The Ontario Fire Marshal is expected to conduct more testing on the bridge throughout the day, trying to find the cause of the Tuesday night's fire.  Over 80 planks of burned wood have already been removed with more coming.  Security is also very tight with a perimeter being staffed while officials continue their probe.

LU Teepee In Tatters

City police are investigating a case of vandalism at Lakehead University.  They say someone used a sharp object to rip some slits into a  teepee on university grounds.  LU has designated that grounds as a ceremonial lodge site.  The area includes a sacred fire pit, a sweat lodge and it is used by students and members of the community for Aboriginal ceremonies. Police don't know when the incident took place.

Baseball Bid One Step Closer

Officials of the Thunder Bay International Baseball Association are pumped after a bid to host a major junior baseball tournament took another step forward. Spokesperson Warren Philp says  Baseball Canada has agreed to take our bid to the International Baseball Federation and he thinks our chances are good especially because of our success in hosting the World Junior's in 2010. The Federation is expected to make a decision early in the new year on who will host the 2015 under 18 Baseball World Cup.

Bridge Fire Brings Out Racists

The ugly face of racism appears to have reared its head as a result of the James Street bridge fire. Both Facebook and Twitter were abuzz on Tuesday night when the bridge caught ablaze.  A local blogger who lives on the Fort William First Nation says that some of the Tweets he saw on Twitter that night cross the line as being offensive.  He called it a Ku Klux Klan parade and was concerned that some of the rants came from young people in the city.  Mayor Keith Hobbs condemns the racist diatribe and says he even encountered a racist comment on his own Facebook account.  The original blog post can be read here.

LU Starts New Program

 Lakehead University is expanding its programming in Central Ontario.  The Thunder Bay school is teaming up with Georgian College to develop a four year degree in electrical engineering.  The program will be available in the fall of 2015.

Leaf & Yard Waste Collection Starts Friday

Curbside collection of leaf and yard waste starts tomorrow.  The collections will take place on your regular recycling day, between November 1st and November 14th.  Each bag has a weight limit of 40 pounds.

New Businesses Open

There's some new life in the Park Avenue and Cumberland area.  A new business called "The Gym" on Park Avenue is one of three new businesses in the area including High Tide Tattoo Parlor and Connect the Dots. Empty buildings were renovated in the area and the new businesses made their homes in them.

67 Year Old Charged In Collision

A 67 year old Atikokan resident is facing charges after a two vehicle collision at the intersection of the Harbour Expressway and Highway 11/17.  The incident on Tuesday saw extensive damage to both vehicles.The driver is charged with failing to stop at a red light.

Local Man Sentenced For Tax Evasion

A Thunder Bay engineer and director of Norall Group Contracting is paying the price for tax evasion. The Canada Revenue Agency says Carl Gustafson was sentenced recently in the Ontario Court of Justice to a fine of over 84-thousand dollars and given a 9 month conditional sentence. He plead guilty to one count of income tax evasion and has two years to the pay the fine.

E-Bike Driver Charged

OPP are charging a 31 year old with drinking and driving an E-Bike. On Tuesday, police saw two men on the bike not wearing helmets so they decided to pull them over at the intersection of Red River Road and Highway 11/17. The officer noticed when speaking with the driver that there was the smell of alcohol in the air. The local man was arrested and charged with two drinking and driving related charges.

Heart Of The Continent Partnership

A new tourist idea is being discussed for our region, and both sides of the border would be part of the plan. A group called the Heart of the Continent Partnership, wants to create a new travel destination by connecting the dots between International Falls and Duluth in Minnesota and Fort Frances and Thunder Bay. The group is on the verge of raising 200-thousand dollars that would fund the project.

Safety Tips For Halloween

Every year at Halloween, The OPP and City Police makes a conscience effort to promote trick or treat safety to children. And, while young people need to be cautious tonight....drivers need to be mindful of the holiday as well.  Being visible and travelling in groups will also help to make this a safe Halloween.

Treaty Three Police Hire Consultant

Work continues to protect the Treaty 3 Police Service. The board of directors has decided to seek a consultant who will look at the long term sustainability of the force. Board Chair Eli Mandamin says one of the consultants responsibilities will be helping to search for new police chief. Earlier this year the police service laid off a number of officers, slashed benefits, and issued 45 day lay-off notices due to a lack of funding.

New Changes to the Christmas Parade

This years Christmas parade will have a few new changes. Volker Kromm is co-chair of the event and says that one of the new additions will be a giant Christmas card that will show up at the parades sponsor stores. Kids are encouraged to sign the card with a message for Santa. The parade route is also new, being reversed from years past now beginning at the Real Canadian Superstore parking lot. The parade is November 16th at 10am.

Engineer Pleads Guilty To Tax Evasion

A Thunder Bay engineer and director of Norall Group Contracting is paying the price for tax evasion. The Canada Revenue Agency says Carl Gustafson was sentenced recently in the Ontario Court of Justice to a fine of over 84-thousand dollars and given a 9 month conditional sentence. He plead guilty to one count of income tax evasion and has two years to the pay the fine.