TBRHSC probing possible assault

Officials at the Regional Health Sciences Centre have a confusing staff and security situation to deal with. Human Resources officer Don Halpert says they recently received a report from a staff member who claims she was assaulted. While they determined it wasn't serious, police were called anyway. Halpert says they are still trying to verify the facts of the case. He adds they're reminding staff that security is available if they wish.

United Way launches Pennies from Heaven

The United Way is back to give some worth to the lowly penny. It's launched the 15th annual Pennies from Heaven campaign. The goal this year is to raise 20 thousand dollars which will go towards the overall 2010 campaign objective. As in past years there will be collection cartons sent to every home in the city. They can be used to collect pennies, and when full, can be dropped off at various city locations.

NOSTA President steps down

There will be a change at the top of the North of Superior Tourism Association. President Lori Paras has stepped down from her position. The move comes after months of turmoil within the organization the including infighting during the annual general meeting in December.

NWO agencies get upgrade cash

The McGuinty government has provided some northwestern Ontario social service agencies with money for repairs and upgrades. About 110 thousand dollars will be used to fund 29 projects including a new furnace and air conditioning system at the Thunder Bay branch of the Ontario March of Dimes.

Drug bust at the Thunder Bay Airport

A 22 year old Thunder Bay man is facing a trafficking charge after being arrested at the Thunder Bay Airport. He was apprehended after he recently arrived on a flight from Toronto. Police say he had a quantity of Oxycodone and Percocet pills with a street value of about 10 thousand dollars.

Thunder Bay arrest in kiddie porn probe

A Thunder Bay man is one of 35 people across the province charged in connection with a child pornography investigation. City police Detective Inspector Phil Levesque says the man was arrested Tuesday at his home and a personal computer was seized.   Charged with accessing child pornography is 61 year old Michael Daniel Bewcyk. He appears in court March 22nd.

Youth Action Council wants to make a difference

Young people in Thunder Bay now have a new organization to represent them. The Youth Action Council aims to bring together a vast range of groups to form one unit. Spokesperson Matthew DeGagne says they want to be a youth voice for the community. He says they'd like to work with city council and other adult organizations in the city. DeGagne says it would be nice to have input on decisions made that affect youth.

Youthscape kids shine

The kids from Youthscape Thunder Bay are pretty proud these days. Over the last two years the program been responsible for some 30 projects at a cost of 180 thousand dollars.  Sandra Albertson is with the United Way, which helped with the funding, and calls the final results amazing. In some cases the projects were organized by, or designed to help, disadvantaged youth within the community. They were put on display at the Prince Arthur Hotel on Wednesday.

Rotary Club back with it's house lottery

The Fort William Rotary Club is back with its' annual house lottery. Tickets are 100 dollars each and chair Bob Hookham says proceeds go towards several local charity organizations.   He says those charities include the Regional Food Distribution Association, the George Jeffery Children's Treatment Centre and the Dew Drop Inn.   The draw is taking place July first.   Photo:  Bob Hookham, Jill Zachary, Mayor Lynn Peterson, Ajoy Chatterjee

Rugby Olympics come to LU Hanger

Teams from a number of Lakehead Public Schools celebrated Rugby's inclusion into the 2012 Sumer Olympics with a tournament. Teams dressed up and took part in an Olympic style parade and played flag Rugby matches at the Lakehead University Hanger. This is the third year the tournament has been held.

Thuner Bay hosts zone 1 meeting of the OAPSB and OACP

Issues facing policing in Northern Ontario is taking centre stage in Thunder Bay at the Zone one of the Ontario Association of Chiefs of Police meetings. Chief Bob Herman and his Northern Counter Parts along with Police Services board members met yesterday and today for an joint meeting.  Herman says some of the big issues discussed include the need for a provincial crime prevention strategy and an update to the police services act.  Herman says having all the Chiefs and Board members on the same page is vital when working with the Government.

School board says eight is enough

There will be no change to the number of trustees on the Lakehead Public School Board. Trustees have voted to keep their number at 8 even though public schools in Armstrong and Collins were added to the boards' jurisdication. Chair Deborah Massaro says the decision had to do with student numbers, adding there wasn't enough of an increase to justify another trustee to represent their interests. The board had until March 15th to decide on adding the extra trustee

Hyer says the message is the medium

When you're in opposition the message is more important than the result. That's how MP Bruce Hyer describes the failure of the NDP motion to cancel funding for the Harmonized Sales Tax. Hyer says as long as attention was drawn to the subject their job is done.   The Liberals sided with the Conservatives in voting down the NDP motion

Local writer finalist for literary award

A Thunder Bay writer is up for a National Award. Marion Agnew entered her short story All I Can Say in the CBC Literary Awards. She was chosen from among 6 thousand submissions to be one of 80 finalists. She calls it a wonderful honour. She says the story is about her mother and a person she knows who is deaf. Agnew is pleased they are now known to more people. Six english language winners will be announced March 18th. The top award is 6 thousand dollars.

Workers at Ka-Na-Chi-Hih now unionized

25 workers at an addiction treatment centre in Thunder Bay are now part of the Canadian Auto Workers union. The CAW says employees at Ka-Na-Chi-Hih contacted the union about numerous concerns regarding health and safety and scheduling. The centre is located on Dease Street. It targets Aboriginal youth with holistic care that takes into consideration traditional and contemporary teachings and values.

Housing starts remain sluggish

It continues to be a slow building season in Thunder Bay. Canada Mortgage and Housing says that there were just 3 housing starts in the city last month. However spokesperson Warren Philp says there are early indications it could pick up in the spring.  Figures show that we are only slightly ahead the housing starts that took place at this time last year.

Low income recycling program not quite ready

The city is still not ready to go public with a taxpayer funded plan to help low income residents with their recycling. Two years after it was first proposed to city council the wait continues. City Works manager Darrell Matson admits it was tougher to put together than they first thought. They assumed it would simply be a matter of copying another communitys' program, but there wasn't one, so they had to create one from scratch. The issue comes back before council April 12th.

City Council approves 2010 budget

City council has given final approval to the 2010 budget. It means a total property tax increase of 1 and 3 quarters per cent. It also means a water rate increase of about 8 per cent. City treasurer Carol Busch says the average taxpayer will have to shell out around a hundred dollars extra a year.  Busch says the average homeowner will pay about 31 hundred dollars a year for taxes and water.

The body of a missing Terrace Bay man has been found

The search for a missing Terrace Bay Man has come to a tragic end. The body of 41 year old Jean Steven Giguere was found by the OPP divers yesterday. Giguere went missing after going for a walk on Lake Superior near Rossport Saturday.

Visitor restrictions in place at Versa Care Thunder Bay

Visitor restrictions have been placed on Versa Care after an outbreak of Gastrointestinal illness. Officials say all admissions, transfers, discharges and social activities have also been cancelled. The health unit is encouraging anyone feeling ill to stay home to stop the spread of infections.