14 Million Announced For Health Care Locally

Health Minister Deb Matthews is announcing 14 million dollars to help improve access to emergency care and other healthcare providers in Thunder Bay. The cash will support Thunder Bay’s three largest health care providers: Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre, St. Joseph’s Care Group and the North West Community Care Access Centre.   The money will also be used to recruit up to 10 full time and 14 temporary emergency room doctors, staff 10 acute care hospital beds that will be able to treat up to 600 more patients every year. The hospital will also use the cash to create 26 new beds to help more people with long-term illnesses receive specialized care.

Driver Charged In Accident Near Kenora

Kenora OPP are charging a 36 year old Manitoba man with failing to yield after a dashboard camera captured a scary incident at the intersection of Highway 17 and the Kenora by-pass. Police say an eastbound vehicle hit a northbound pickup truck that had allegedly failed to stop for the stop sign.  The Manitoba man is also charged with using a handheld device while driving.

Fire At Fort Frances Voyageur Motel

Rainy River OPP are investigating a fire at the Reid's Voyageur Motel in Fort Frances.  A 39 year old man who was staying at the motel remains in hospital and his condition is being monitored.  Police are releasing few details and are looking for anyone who may have seen anything to call Crime Stoppers.

Mayor Disputes Survey Findings

Mayor Keith Hobbs isn't a fan of the Moneysense.ca's best places to live in Canada survey. Hobbs doesn't put much stock in Thunder Bay's 109th ranking out of 200 cities.  Hobbs note one glaring error on the list, the unemployment rate.   The survey has our city with an 8.4 per cent rate while the latest Stats Canada figure is 5.8 per cent.  Hobbs also disagrees with whether the City is walkable and bikable since we have a much longer winter than other Cities in the survey.

City Utility Sponsors Fishing Tourney

Tbaytel is again attempting to raise its profile in the region.   It's now the title sponsor of one of the most popular fishing tournaments in northwestern Ontario.   The company has come on board with a 3-year  commitment for the Dryden Walleye Masters.  This is the 25th anniversary of the popular tournament which features over 40-thousand dollars in cash and prizes.

Powwow Weekend @LU

It will be a weekend of First Nations celebration at Lakehead University.   The LU Native Student Association is hosting its annual powwow today until Sunday.    Activities get underway with the warm up starting at 6 o'clock this evening at the CJ Saunders Fieldhouse.  The Grand Entry takes place tomorrow at 1pm.

Matthews To Make Announcement

Health Minister Deb Matthews is in the city today and is going to make a health related announcement.   The government says it will be about helping health providers in Thunder Bay better service patients in northwestern Ontario.   Many are hoping the news will help to ease the overcrowding problems at the Regional Health Sciences Centre.

Money Handed To Festivals

Northwestern Ontario is going to be lively this spring and summer thanks to new money from the Provincial Government.  Through the Celebrate Ontario 2014 program, the province is helping 229 festivals and events.  Thunder Bay's May 24th Franco-Festival is getting 68-thousand dollars.  Another Lakehead festival the Celebration of Pop Culture is 69-thousand dollars. The Hymers Agricultural Society will also see money to help put on Hunter Jumper Show. Around the region, Kenora will see 22-thousand for the Muskies on Main, and another 38-thousand for a summer arts festival. Fort Frances will get 73-thousand dollars for a music festival.

Film Fest Is Back

It's over two decades old and still going strong.  The 21st annual Film Fest presented by the North of Superior Film Association is back this year with a series of 16 feature presentations.  Organizer Marty Mascarin says there are 16 feature films to be presented this year 8 dramas, 5 comedies and 3 documentaries.  The movies will  presented at Silver City on consecutive Sundays, March 23rd and 30th. Mascarin says one of the highlights is the Canadian documentary "Watermark" )

City In The Middle Of Best Places Ranking

MoneySense.ca is ranking Thunder Bay 109 out of the 200 best places to live in Canada.   It shows the city with no population growth, a household income of about 75 thousand dollars a year and an average house price of almost 232 thousand dollars.   Northern Ontario cities that rank ahead of us include Sudbury, Timmins and Kenora, but we still rank ahead of Sault Ste. Marie and North Bay

Workplace Rights The Focus Of Ads

Ontario is launching an advertising campaign to help ensure vulnerable workers know their workplace rights. The ads will direct workers to a new section on the Ministry of Labour website. It is there where they can get more information on their rights to be treated fairly on the job, work in a safe and healthy workplace, and be trained to address workplace hazards. The information is also available in 27 languages.

Million Dollar Ticket Sold Here

The city has a new millionaire.  A winning million dollar ticket from last night's Lotto 6/49 draw was  sold in Thunder Bay.  And that's not the end of it, the Ontario Lottery and Gaming says a 100 thousand dollar Encore ticket was also sold in the Thunder Bay region, matching the last six of the seven Encore numbers drawn.

Afghan Mission Ends

Canada's military involvement in Afghanistan is now over.   The last of the soldiers left this week following a ceremony in Kabul.  A Canadian military officer in Thunder Bay says our city played a major role in the  conflict.  Lt. Colonel Geoff Abthorpe says that 140 reservists from here took part in the mission and 2 of  them died.   Abthorpe believes the mission was successful because Canada achieved all of its objectives.

Expect Late Start To Shipping Season

The new shipping season in the Port of Thunder Bay is still a couple of weeks away.   Port Authority CEO Tim Heney doesn't see it starting until the end of the month at the earliest after the Welland Canal opens on March 28th.  When the season does get underway, he says there will be a lot of prairie grain waiting to be loaded on to arriving ships.  Meantime, there will be some activity in the port in the near future.   Heney expects an American icebreaker in our harbour sometime next week.

Documentary Explores Soil

The Bay Street Film Festival is presenting the Symphony of Soil Documentary this evening above The Hoito restaurant.  Festival Administrator Zoe Gordan says the films director Deborah Garcia will be in attendance. The 104-minute documentary  feature film explores the complexity and mystery of soil and was filmed on four continents. Tickets are 7-dollars or pay what you can if you are a student or senior. The screening begins at 7pm. )

Plastic Pollution In Great Lakes

A scientific advocacy team says tiny plastic beads from facial cleansers and body scrubs have turned up in the Great Lakes at what they call "alarming levels".  Several companies plan to phase out the use of the microbeads. Stiv Wilson with Five Gyres Institute says the public can take action of its own. Wilson says unlike other plastics, the microbeads aren't adequately captured by sewage treatment and could pose a huge risk to wildlife and fish.

CRIBE Supports Pulp Mill Technology

The Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy is announcing that their partnership with Greenfield Alcohols is being extended.  The provincial research corporation is putting 1.3-million dollars into a project that looks to make pulp mills more efficient and provide new sources of revenue.  CRIBE has invested a total of just less than 3-million dollars into the project through two phases, CEO Lorne Morrow its something they are optimistic about. The technology will be put into use at the AV Terrace Bay Mill, its goal is to extract clean sugar from hardwood.

Investigators Conduct Interviews In Ottawa

Investigators with the Thunder Bay Police Service and Thunder Bay R.C.M.P are in Ottawa today. They are conducting interviews with people connected to the Ottawa University hockey program. It is part of an investigation into an alleged sexual assault that took place when the team was in Thunder Bay for a pair of games early February. Chris Adams is Executive Officer with the Thunder Bay Police and says they could be in the capital for several days.

More Water Problems

There's lots of ice on Memorial Avenue near Squire Street today and it has nothing to do with a water main break.   City spokesperson Gerald Luty says that because of the warm weather the melting snow flooded the catch basin and it overflowed and froze.  Crews will be working this afternoon to fix the problem.  Meantime Luty says his department continues to be busier than ever, yesterday there were three water main breaks on the north side they had to fix.

No Medal For Weldon....Yet

There's no medal for Thunder Bay's Robbi Weldon at the Paralymics in Sochi Russia. Weldon was one of a handful of Canadians who competed in the Nordic sprint cross country ski races today.    She along with her guide Phil Wood, of Canmore, Alberta., had their day come to an end in the semifinals of the women's visually impaired category.  Weldon competes again on Saturday.