More Flood Talk Monday Night

City Council will be creating a "Flood Relief Fund Committee" at its weekly meeting Monday night. Councillor Joe Virdiramo says they'll be formalizing the committee and what it will look like. Virdiramo says the flood relief committee will be in charge of accepting applications from people requesting funds.

12-hundred Confederation College Students Graduate

Over 12 hundred Confederation College Students are now ready for the working world. They graduated from the school today during ceremonies at the Community Auditorium. One of them is Anna Krezminski who graduated as a personal support worker.  Krezminski is from Poland and has been living in Thunder Bay for 18 years.  Kreziminski already has a job to go to at Hogarth Riverview Manor.

NDP Leader Vows To Promote T.Bay's Needs

NDP Leader Andrea Horwath says she will hold the Premier's feet to the fire when it comes to rolling out relief for the City's flood victims.  Horwath says now that the City is deemed a disaster area she will still be readily available to Mayor Keith Hobbs.  Horwath toured the flood area this afternoon.

Thunder Bay Declared A Disaster Area

It is official! Minister of Municipal Affairs Kathleen Wynne has declared the City of Thunder Bay, the township of Conmee as well as the municipality of Oliver-Paipoonge Disaster Areas for the purpose of receiving funds from the Provincial Disaster Relief Assistance Fund. Minister Wynne says up to 16 million dollars from Provincial funds is coming to our area. Homeowners are eligible to have their homes, food, and major appliances replaced or restored.

Highway 11/17 Open

The Ontario Provincial Police have cancelled their Highway advisory for the Northwest region. Highway 11/17 is now open at Vibert Road and also at Hume Road. Washouts from the flood forced sections of the highway to be closed but it is now open.

Housing Starts In May

The Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation is forecasting a strong year for Thunder Bay. Analyst Warren Philp says only one thing concerns him about 2012 and it's the high demand for contractors after the recent flooding. The latest figures show there were 22 single-detached starts in May, which is even with the same amount last year.

Kathleen Wynne News Conference June 8, 2012 11 AM

Live broadcasting by Ustream

Jobless Rate On The Rise

The rate of unemployment in Thunder Bay is on the rise according to Statistics Canada.  Our rate went from 5.2 percent in April to 5.7 in May.  Meanwhile, the national unemployment rate was 7.3 per cent last month.

N.D.P. Leader To Visit Thunder Bay Today

N.D.P. Leader Andrea Horwath is also in the city today. Her agenda includes visiting an East End home which was devastated by the flood, a meeting with Mayor Hobbs and a tour of the Atlantic Avenue Water Treatment Plant. Horwath has been peppering Premier Dalton McGuinty during question period this week as to why it has taken so long to declare Thunder Bay a disaster area.

3 Forest Fires Started Thursday

There are 20 active forest fires in Northwestern Ontario but none in the Thunder Bay and Nipigon Districts. The Ministry of Natural Resources is reporting three new fires which started yesterday. The Sioux Lookout District has the most fires with 9, there are 5 in the Red Lake area and one each burning in the districts of Dryden, Fort Frances and Kenora. Information Officer Debbie McLean says if the rain in the forecast holds true, the fire hazard rating will drop to low for the South and Central portions of the region, but remain high to extreme in the North.

Cats Lose Again On Road

The Thunder Bay Border Cats are looking forward to a return home to Subway Field this weekend. They lost 5-3 to Mankato last night, dropping their record to 3 and 6 on the season. The Border Cats have just 1 win in 7 tries on the road this season. They also have a depleted line-up with 10 players involved in college baseball playoffs.

Standard & Poor's Rating for T.Bay

Standard and Poor's is boosting the City's credit outlook from stable to positive. Treasurer Carol Busch says the costs associated with clean up of the flood will not impact their outlook. Busch adds their credit rating stays at A plus.

Wynne Expected To Make Disaster Announcement

Premier Dalton McGuinty's promise of financial assistance to Thunder Bay is music to the ears of Mayor Keith Hobbs.   The pledge comes in a letter to our mayor today which also indicated that Municipal Affairs Minister Kathleen Wynne will be here Friday and Mayor Hobbs hopes she brings the news we've been waiting to hear that the city is a disaster area.  An announcement by the Minister is being made at 11 o'clock at St. Peter's Church and will be carried live  on this news web page

RBC Gives 10-Thousand To Flood Relief

Yet another bank is putting their money where their mouth is.  The Royal Bank's RBC Foundation is putting 10-thousand dollars toward Thunder Bay flood efforts.  The money will be used by the Canadian Red Cross.

Easter Seals Celebrates 90 Years

Easter Seals is celebrating 90 years of helping out physically disabled kids in Thunder Bay. Erika Maki attended an Easter Seals Summer Camp in 2010 and says it was a memorable experience. Maki says meeting other kids with similar disabilities made her feel normal. Easter Seals is currently looking for volunteers for their upcoming summer events.

Premier Tells Hobbs Help Is On The Way

Premier Dalton McGuinty is responding to Mayor Keith Hobbs' pleas for disaster relief funding. McGuinty sent out a letter to Hobbs today saying several officials from provincial ministries and agencies are on the ground working with city staff on assessing damages. McGuinty pledges there will be financial assistance from Ontario. The letter ends saying the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing will be in the City Friday.

Grassy Narrows Man Murdered

A 22 year old Grassy Narrows man is dead and one man is in custody. Treaty Three Police say they were called to an incident at the First Nation Community near Kenora on Monday. Currently in custody is a 19 year old who has the same last name as the victim. He was arrested Monday and has been charged with Second Degree Murder and Assault with a Weapon. He will appear in a Kenora court tomorrow.

L.U. Athletes Help Flood Victims

Lakehead University basketball teams are going back to volunteer with flood relief efforts in the East End. Firefighter's Association President Eric Nordlund says he was really impressed with the women's team in their first clean-up effort. Plans are in place for a large group of L.U. men's and women's players to help residents in the East End again today.

President's Breakfast A Success

The President of Confederation College is a more than happy with the turnout. Jim Madder hosted the first annual President's breakfast this morning and had an audience of 340. He spoke for half an hour about the college and its role within the community and how the institution is adapting to its needs with a specific focus on the mining sector.

Water Restrictions Could Be Lifted Monday

There may be an end in sight to the voluntary water restrictions in the city. Spokesperson Darrell Matson says they'll wait to see how much rain falls on the weekend then reassess the situation on Monday.  Matson says that water conservation efforts by the public have helped.