Airport winds gusts were 115 kph

A meteorologist says it's unlikely that a tornado may have touched down on the Thunder Bay Airport Wednesday night. However Environment Canada's Marie-Ev Giguere says they can't rule it out either.  She says so far they have not seen any pictures or damage to prove that it was a twister. However,  Giguere says wind gusts at the airport that evening were 115 kilometres per hour

Victim of accident identified

Police now know the name of the pedestrian who was killed after being hit by an SUV on Central Avenue Wednesday. He is 66 year old Peter Paul Perkovich of Thunder Bay. Police spokesperson Chris Adams says police were able to identify him through some old fashion police work when they matched some keys found on the man to a vehicle in the area.

Jeffrey tours fire zone

The Provinces's Minister of Natural Resources is getting a first hand look at how the forest fires in Northwestern Ontario are being handled.  Linda Jeffrey says she has flown over Red Lake 85 and has spoken with the organizers on the ground.  Jefferey says she will not declare a State of Emergency saying it wouldn't accomplishment anything more than what is taking place now

City continues to receive evacuees

About 800 more forest fire evacuees are expected to pass through Thunder Bay today on their way to other host communities in the North.   That's in addition to the thousand that passed through on Wednesday.  The Confederation College hangar at the airport is being used to house the evacuees while they wait in the city.

Herman accepts apology, drops legal action

Bob Herman says his legal issues with the Mayor are over now that Keith Hobbs has made a public apology over remarks Hobbs made in March. Herman says he served his libel notice on the Mayor to protect the integrity of the Chief's office. He says it's unfortunate it took 3 months to get done but says it's in the best interests of the community to put the issue behind. Herman says all he wanted was to get an apology.

Jury roll issue still haunts inquest

Three days are set aside in the City for a hearing prior to the Reggie Bushie Inquest.   An inquiry lawyer is planning to call a total of 5 witnesses to discuss the issue of First Nations representation on jury rolls in the Thunder Bay District.   The inquest will examine the circumstances surrounding the death of the 15 year old with a hope that recommendations will be made on preventing similar deaths of First Nations students who attend school in the City far from their homes.  The jury roll issue has so far prevented inquest from going ahead.

Storm damages airport

No one was injured after last night's storm ripped a portion of the roof off the Thunder Bay Airport Terminal building.  Metal sheeting flew off the building and damaged over a dozen cars in the parking lot.  It is business as usual today and so far there are no delays due to the damage.  The storm also knocked out power for over 6 thousand customers in the South of the city but crews have managed to restore power to all but around 400 customers.  Thunder Bay Hydro officials say it could be until later this afternoon before some areas are back online.

Portion of airport roof blows off

Officials are trying to assess the damage from a freak  accident at the Thunder Bay Airport on Tuesday evening which saw a portion of the corrugated metal roof of main airport terminal blow off.  Police say it crushed two cars in the parking lot and knocked over a light standard, but no one was injured.   The estimate of damage isn't known and the exact cause of the accident has yet to be determined. The incident happened around 8:30

Keith Hobbs apologizes to Bob Herman

Mayor Keith Hobbs looks to be out of legal hot water after he publicly apologized to former Police Chief Bob Herman. In a prepared statement Hobbs said sorry for implying in March that as chief, Bob Herman intercepted his private communications.  Hobbs also apologized for implying Herman unlawfully disclosed private communications.

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Police probe fatal pedestrian accident

Thunder Bay police say they are investigating a fatal accident in which an SUV collided with a pedestrian.  It happened on Central Avenue between Fort William Road and Memorial just before 1 o'clock. Police say they are having trouble trying to identify the victim.  They say it's a man in his 40's or 50's with a light complexion and he was missing part of a left finger.

Airport activity picks up during evacuations

The Thunder Bay Airport is a hive of activity as evacuees from the forest fires in the far north are flown here.  One witness says the Hercules transports are coming and going with evacuees from First Nations communities and mines that are threatened by the fires.

Clement visits with MNR fire personnel

FedNor Minister Tony Clement says the forest fire situation is very serious and he is asking the Province to take the initiative and ask for help. Speaking in Dryden Wednesday, Clement says the Federal Government is doing everything it can from providing Hercules transports to Aboriginal Affairs assisting in the evacuations.   In terms of emergency assistance relief Clement says its up to the Province to ask for Federal support.

PETA protests at local butcher shop

The People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals staged a demonstration outside Bay Quality Meats complete with lots of saran wrap and other props. PETA spokesperson Emily Lavender says they're trying to show people the realities of slaughterhouses. A number people who didn't agree with PETA's demonstration were there to voice their opinion.

19 new fires in the Northwest

Northwestern Ontario forests remain a tinderbox as wildfires continue to rage. New fires are flaring up everyday with 19 reported yesterday. At least 18 First Nations have declared emergencies 4 of them are preparing for full evacuations while 6 are partially evacuated. There are 3 stubborn blazes , one is in the Red Lake District and two in the Sioux Lookout District

N-W-O was H-O-T

4-weather records were set in Northwestern Ontario Tuesday .Red Lake was the hot spot in the Region hitting 35 degrees smashing a 70 year old record.  Ear Falls reached 34, Dryden and Kenora were at 33 degrees. It was 30 in Thunder Bay but no record was broken.

Swimming advisories posted at beaches

Don't bother going to Chippewa Park or Boulevard Lake to go swimming, because the Health Unit says you risk getting sick.  Advisory signs are up warning that there are high bacteria levels at both locations.

Charity ride set to continue

The saga of Britain's Paul Everitt continues in Thunder Bay today. Everitt is the man who is cycling to support the troops in Afghanistan was forced to stop in Wawa after his bike broke down...but he says thanks to Dingwell's Machinery his bike is being fixed. Everitt hopes to be back on the road in the next 24 hours.

PETA Protests Packaged Meat

Thunder Bay is getting a visit from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals.  Vegan's will be lying nearly naked on large meat trays covered in plastic wrap.  The protest is taking place at Bay Quality Meats at noon.

Health Unit says protect yourself from the smoke

With smoke from forest fires now reaching Thunder Bay, the District Health Unit has some warnings. Spokesperson Abby Mackie says it shouldn't be taken lightly and that people most at risk should protect themselves. He says those include children, seniors and those with breathing difficulties. Mackie suggests staying indoors as much as possible and avoiding any necessary outdoor physical activity.

Boshcoff has traffic light concerns

There's nothing that can spark a debate in Thunder Bay like the number of traffic lights. Councillor Ken Boshcoff thinks we have too many and wonders if we've been removing any that aren't needed and if there are any plans to reduce the number of traffic signals. City engineer Pat Mauro says it comes under review every few years.