WestJet Brings New Service To T.Bay

WestJet Airlines is bringing a new service to Thunder Bay. The company announced this morning that it will start Encore routes between Toronto and Thunder Bay and between Thunder Bay and Winnipeg.  WestJet says the new service will start in June.

Police Find Hikers

City Police say two 17 year olds are safe after getting lost at the Cascade Conservation Area on Sunday afternoon.  The two teens took their dog for a hike in the trail system, got lost and called home for help. Police went out on snow machines and found them in the area of the Shuniah Mine. Both the hikers and the dog were very cold and possibly suffering from frost bite. Police are urging people who are heading out for hikes to be adequately dressed for the weather and to stay on a trail system that they are familiar with.

Drivers Approve Deal

City buses are rolling today after a strike by transit drivers was avoided over the weekend.  An all night mediated session led to an agreement early Saturday morning.  Drivers with the Amalgamated Transit Union, local 966, voted 76 percent in favour of the new deal Sunday.  Transit workers had been without a contract since June of 2012.  City Council will vote to ratify the contract at its meeting tonight. ATU President Sheila Kivisto says the five year deal includes an increase in wages.

Missing Teen Found

A teenager is home safe after going missing over the weekend.  Thunder Bay Police found 17-year old Rayna Johah in the company of another female last night on south May Street. Jonah, who was uninjured, was reported missing on Friday after last being seen at the County Fair Walmart.  

Light Night At Council

It's a light night at City Council tonight. Up for discussion...a request to allow a 4 unit apartment building on Hutton Park Drive.  City Staff were also scheduled to talk about a by-law issue dealing with the number of pets a person can own but that topic is being put off for the time being.

Head Lice Policy Changed

The Catholic School Board is changing its head lice policy. Spokesperson Omer Belisle says it was their approach to keep kids with head lice in school as long as their parents were taking action to stamp out the bugs. However, some parents were not taking the appropriate actions. Belisle says they will keep kids in school as long as their parents vow to treat the head lice.

Model Ship Finds Home

A model of the ship MV Thunder Bay will soon be on display at the Mariner's Hall at Prince Arthur's Landing.  City Archivist Matt Szybalski says Canada Steamship Lines presented the City with the model of the Laker on a visit to the Port of Thunder Bay in September. The MV Thunder Bay made its maiden voyage in 2013.

Nobel Peace Prize Nominee Coming To T.Bay

Diversity Thunder Bay will have a prominent figure attending their March 20th 'Celebration Breakfast'. Dr. Izzeldin Abuelaish is a three-time Nobel Peace Prize nominee and will be speaking at the event in support of ending racial discrimination.  Chair Tina Tucker says their guest speaker brings with him first hand experiences. Abuelaish is now an Associate Professor at the University of Toronto.

Moose Populations

The Ministry of Natural Resources is conducting aerial surveys this winter, determining the local moose population in Northwestern Ontario. Spokesperson Jolanta Kowalski says the survey will have an impact on how hunting tags are distributed. Currently there are roughly forty-six thousand moose in hunting regions.

Ischkinakker Shaker

Just under ten-thousand dollars is going towards the United Way's Community Fund following the 11th annual Ischkinakker Shaker on December 23rd. The money will be spread between sixty-four human service programs. Roughly six-hundred people were in attendance.

Missing Person

Thunder Bay Police are asking for your help in locating 17 year old Rayna Jonah who was reported missing on Friday. Jonah is described as being aboriginal, 5'7 140lbs, with long black hair. She was last seen wearing a blue jacket around the County Fair Wal-Mart that evening. Anyone with information is being urged to contact police.

NOVA At The Valhalla Inn

Tonight's Northwestern Ontario Visionary Awards at the Valhalla Inn will include over 72 nominations. Shift, Thunder Bay's Young Professional Network is one of the organizations behind the awards, Spokesperson Keith Anderson says he is very pleased with the high number of nominations. The NOVA top 20 under 40 celebrates residents who have accomplished great things in their community.

Bus Strike Averted

Talks between the Amalgamated Transit Union and the City of Thunder Bay have resulted in a  last second tentative deal set to keep buses on the road. Local ATU President Sheila Kivisto says talks lasted throughout the night and that now its a matter of having the deal gain the approval of drivers and city council. Kivisto adds that if the deal holds up Monday morning commuters shouldn't notice any disruption in service. Kivisto is recommending acceptance.

Climate Change Initiative Adopted

Mayor Keith Hobbs is joining other mayors in supporting a new plan aimed at helping Great Lakes and St. Lawrence cities adapt to climate change.  The province is kicking in 145 thousand dollars towards the initiative.   The mayors adopted the plan at their regular meeting in Windsor. They noted that all municipalities in the region are feeling the effects of climate change already,  citing the flooding in Thunder Bay and Duluth.

Chamber Thoughts On City Spending

A new report being released by the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce suggests the city's current spending habits will see a consistent increase in taxes for both home and business owners. Camillo Lento is a Professor at Lakehead University and was involved in developing the report.  Lento says its important to examine the city's current spending.  Lento adds that in their report, Thunder Bay was ranked lower than most other relative communities when it comes to spending efficiency.

HAGI Wants Talks To Go Well

The head of HAGI Community Services for Independence wants both sides in transit talks to consider disabled passengers that need to take the City bus to their medical appointments. Specialized transit is now managed by the City as of January 1st of this year.   Mediated contract talks are scheduled to continue today.  Transit drivers will be in a legal strike position on Monday.

Four Proposals For Municipal

Lips are sealed at City Hall about the four proposals that have been submitted for Municipal Golf Course.   Spokesperson Joel DePeuter says the private sector plans are being reviewed but he's prohibited from giving away the details only to say they are all legitimate and promising.   City councillors will be seeing the proposals in the spring.  The city has put the course up for sale in an effort to save money.

Rally At St. Joseph's Hospital

Unifor is rallying at St. Joseph's Hospital in support of their 500 health care members. Local President Kari Jefford says employees are angry since top officials continue to get bonuses while regular employees see no new benefits.  Jefford notes their members are overworked and are experiencing fatigue.

Food Grant Program

The province is providing up to fifty-thousand dollars in grants to Ontario school boards to support healthy eating.  The Healthy Eating in Secondary Schools program will provide a one-time grant to schools taking an innovative approach to developing smarter eating habits.  A total of 2.2 million dollars is being invested into the program.

NOSM Looking For Members

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine looking for some new board members.  They need four people to join their Board of Directors in September of this year.  The deadline to apply to the board is February 17th.

Dryden Comm. Centre Meeting

An information session on the planned closure of the Dryden Police Communications Centre got testy last night.  A crowd made up mostly of officers, Dryden Police Association members, dispatchers and their families attended the session. Dispatcher Cindy Skeene says switching to Owen Sound Police will result in a loss of the human touch.  Owen Sound Police Chief Bill Sornberger says they have state of the art technology and the staff to handle Dryden dispatch calls and the public won't notice any difference.

TSB Releases Report

Faulty floats are being blamed for a plane crash northwest of Kenora almost a year and a half ago. The Transportation Safety Board has released it's final report into the crash on Trout Lake on August 1st, 2012. The TSB says the floats likely went out of alignment shortly after take off, resulting in a loss of airspeed, and ultimately causing the plane to stall and crash.  While the occupants sustained only minor injuries, investigators suggest quick work by local residents and emergency service personnel likely contributed to the survival of the occupants of the plane.

Bus Talks Continue

It's coming down to crunch time between the City and it's transit workers.   Mediated contract talks are scheduled to continue today.  Transit drivers will be in a legal strike position on Monday.

Highway Closures

OPP say Highway 102 has been reduced to one lane at Strawberry Creek Hill following an incident where a tractor trailer hit several guide rails before sliding off the road into a ditch. The driver of the vehicle is recovering from non-life threatening injuries. Also Highway 11 west of Geraldton has been reduced to one lane following a collision.

Flu Death Reported

The Health Unit is reporting that another person has died from the flu bringing the total number of influenza related deaths to six. There are also currently 93 lab-confirmed cases of the flu in the Thunder Bay area.

Boil Water Advisory For Armstrong

The Health Unit is issuing a boil water advisory for Armstrong residents drinking water from their Water Treatment Plant.  Armstrong Local Services Board notified the Health Unit of a mechanical failure at the Water Treatment Plant, which may have compromised the quality of the water supply. The advisory will remain in effect until the Health Unit is confident the water treatment plant is capable of providing safe drinking water.

SUV Driver Charged

Thunder Bay Police are charging the 53 year old driver of an SUV with a turning violation after a collision on Golf Links Road this morning. The SUV hit a school bus this morning sending the woman driving the SUV to the hospital with minor injuries. Nobody on the bus was injured.

Classic Tournament Gets Sponsors

The Thunder Bay's PGA Canada Classic is taking shape with two new sponsors being announced. Executive Director Scott Smith says the Valhalla Inn has come on board to help with this summer's event as a sponsor and as the tournament's official hotel.  The Chamber of Commerce has also come on board as a sponsor pledging 12-thousand dollars.

Passenger Volumes Increased

Thunder Bay's Airport is reporting higher passenger volumes in 2013.  President Scott McFadden says last year over 779-thousand passengers flew in and out of the City. McFadden attributes the 2.4 percent increase to the arrival of United Airlines and new flights offered by Wasaya.

HWY 17 Open

Highway 17 at Breezy point road East of Ignace is now open to both lanes of traffic.  It was closed for part of today due to multiple motor vehicle collisions. No injuries have been reported.

HWY 61 Open

Highway 61 just South of Riverdale Road is now open to traffic after it was closed following an accident this morning. A 71 year old man was sent to the hospital with serious injuries after the driver of a Toyota Corolla slid into him.  OPP Constable Diana Cole says it's a situation of wrong place at the wrong time. The driver of the vehicle wasn't injured and the vehicle sustained extensive damage.  The investigation is continuing.

Airport Premium Parking

Thunder Bay's Airport is introducing a new long term parking system.  It includes spaces in the short term parking area for the price of 20 bucks a day. President Scott McFadden says the most recent expansion of the parking lot increased the number of spaces available to the door.

LU Gets Cash

Lakehead University is getting 132 thousand dollars from the Canada Foundation for Innovation. The money will be used to purchase equipment that researchers will use to take waste from the forest industry and create environmentally friendly chemicals for mine rehabilitation.

ATU Negotiations On Today

Talks are scheduled today and tomorrow with the Amalgamated Transit Union and the City.  President Sheila Kivisto says she's optimistic a deal can be reached.   If an agreement isn't reached by January 20th the local transit workers will be in a legal strike position.

Health Unit Board New Chair

There's a new Chair and Vice Chair at the Board of Health. Norm Gale is heading up the Health Unit's board and Joe Virdiramo will act as his second. The board elections took place on Wednesday.

Highway Safety Site Launched

The OPP's new Highway Safety Education Committee is launching a Safe Winter Driving Campaign. The group was formed last year and is launching a website courtesy of funding from the Ministry of Transportation.  Sgt. Dave Bel says they've identified road user safety issues. The MTO funding also allowed the group to develop a safe winter driving strategy for the region which they'll promote through the new website.

Sexting Leads To Child Porn Charges

A sixteen year old Kenora boy is charged with distributing child pornography after what police say was a case of sexting.   They say it follows the discovery of sexually explicit photographs of a 17-year-old girl on an electronic device.  They say the pic had been distributed by a youth.  

Cause Of Garage Fire "Undetermined"

There's nothing to indicate what may have started a  garage fire at 19 Empress Avenue this morning.   Fire inspector Kevin Anderson says about all he can say for certain is that the fire started on the outside of the structure  and the cause will remain a mystery and will go in the books as undetermined.   No one was hurt in the blaze and the garage was heavily damaged.

Witnesses Sought In Hit & Run

Police are searching for the driver of a pick up truck they say was involved in a hit and run accident early Sunday morning at around 3 o'clock.  Sgt. Glenn Porter says the pick up rammed into the back of a car that was stopped for a red light on Memorial Avenue at the Harbour Expressway.   They say the driver of the pick up truck left the scene without checking on the condition of anyone in the car.  Police want your assistance in identifying who the driver of the pick up was.

Kidnapping Suspect Makes Court Appearance

The man arrested in Dryden for allegedly kidnapping his two sons will have his case heard in Alberta. 29-year-old Illhami Butin  was stopped Monday afternoon by Provincial Police on a Canada-wide warrant. The man was wanted for abducting his 3-year-old and 4-year-old sons in Edmonton and attempting to bring them to Toronto. Butin made a brief court appearance this morning and was told that Edmonton Police would be coming to pick him up. He will remain in Dryden custody for a maximum of six days as he may be out earlier depending on when the transfer will be completed.

Committee Meeting In T.Bay

A provincial government committee is meeting in Thunder Bay today to discuss the needs of children and adults living with mental illnesses and intellectual disabilities. The group has been touring Ontario talking to stakeholders about how the Province can better coordinate the delivery of developmental programs and services across many provincial ministries.

NOSM Hosting International Conference

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine is hosting an international recruitment conference tomorrow. Dean Dr. Roger Strasser says northern European countries are coming to Thunder Bay to learn from Canada's strategies to attract health care professionals to under-serviced areas. Strasser says later in the afternoon they'll listen to the delegates from Sweden, Norway, Iceland, Scotland and Northern Ireland on what they're doing to attract Doctors.

Chamber Talks With Finance Minister

The Chamber of Commerce was just one of many local groups that were recently given 3 minutes to talk with the Finance Minister about the upcoming Ontario budget. President Charla Robinson says they tried to jam as much information and concerns into those fleeting moments. A pre-budget consultation hearing for the broader public will be held next Tuesday at the Valhalla Inn.

OPP Nab Alleged Kidnapper

A Toronto man who police say kidnapped his 3 year old and 4 year old sons from Alberta has been arrested in Dryden. The Edmonton Police Service alerted OPP and the man was spotted driving through Dryden around 4 o'clock Tuesday afternoon. Police arrested 29 year old Ilhami Butin. He faces 2 counts of child abduction, 2 counts of kidnapping and 1 count of uttering threats. He remains in custody and is due in Dryden court today. The two young boys were unharmed.

Lawsuit Filed

Keystone Air Service and the estate of the dead pilot are both named in a lawsuit filed by the lone survivor of a plane crash in northwestern Ontario. Three passengers and the pilot were killed when the plane crashed at North Spirit Lake in January, 2012. Brian Shead survived the crash and he has now just filed the lawsuit in Winnipeg court. The lawsuit is seeking unspecified damages for pain and suffering and loss of enjoyment of life.

Giving It Another Go

Another attempt is going to be made to have a vast area spanning the border of Ontario and Manitoba declared a UNESCO World Heritage site. Ontario and Manitoba want to have an area of boreal forest recognized by the United Nations. Last year the World Heritage Committee deferred its decision and now the Manitoba government says its re-working its application. The deadline is February 1st, but if they can't make that they will have to wait until 2016.

Chamber Launching New Site

The Chamber of Commerce website is getting a face lift. The organization is launching a new site tonight at www.tbchamber.ca. The site boasts better navigation and a responsive layout on all devices including cell phones and tablets.

NAN Likes Court Decision

The Nishnawbe Aski Nation is pleased the Superior Court has ordered the Federal Government to release documents relating to abuse at a residential school in Fort Albany. Survivors of that school have called for the documents since they first found out they existed in 2003. The Superior Court's decision came down in December of last year.

Two Byelections Called

There will be two byelections in Ontario next month.   Premier Kathleen Wynne announced today that voters in the southern Ontario ridings of Niagara Falls and Thornhill will go to the polls on February 13th.   The byelections will fill vacancies created in the provincial legislature.

Overnight Blaze

City fire crews battled a garage fire on Empress Avenue near the corner of Red River Road.  A second alarm was called in around 4:45 this morning and it took firefighters close to a half an hour to bring the blaze under control.  A total of five units were on the scene.  Two cars were inside the garage, but was there no damage to any other buildings in the area and there were no injuries.