Province And Marten Falls Sign MOU

The provincial government and the Marten Falls First Nation are agreeing to continue talks on the Ring of Fire project.  Both sides have signed a Memorandum of Understanding.  . Under its terms the community and the province will work together to address employment, economic development and environmental impacts of the massive chromite mine.

Rickford Doles Out FedNor $

There's federal government cash coming to the area.   MP Greg Rickford says half a million dollars from FedNor is going to fund two projects.  The first is 360 thousand dollars for the expansion of the Rubin Business Park in Murillo.   Rickford also announced 150 thousand dollars for the Northwestern Immigration Portal run through the city of Thunder Bay. 

Great Lakes Deal

Thunder Bay's Mayor is among the supporters of the Great Lakes Water Quality Agreement. Canada and the US signed the deal today. Keith Hobbs says the new agreement addresses the issue of climate change preparedness which is important to communities in the basin.

Books With No Bounds

Two teenaged Oakville, Ontario sisters are collecting books for kids living in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation.  Emma and Julia Morgus bought books with their own money and accepted donations leading to over 3-thousand books being collected.  Emma says they are now looking to raise money for shipping the books north.  To follow the Books with no Bounds cause you can look them up on Facebook or Twitter.

Medal Recipients Announced

Add nine more Thunder Bay residents to the list of locals being honoured during the Queen's Diamond Jubilee year. The latest list of  Jubilee medal recipients shows a cross section of city residents, from a former city councillor to a church minister. Here's the rundown of the recipients...Kay Geravelis who established the Vale Community Centre, Sandra Guthrie, businessman Larry Joy Senior, Anglican Minister Deborah Kraft, Jolene Kemp, Pauline Krupa, Jack Remus, Fay Steadwell and Lawrence Timko who, at 30 years,  holds the record for the longest serving city councillor in Thunder Bay. 

T.Bay Jobless Rate

A slight change in our jobless rate.   There were more people looking for work in Thunder Bay last month than the month before.  Government figures from Statistics Canada show the rate went up slightly in August to 6.3 per cent from 6.1 per cent in July.  Across Canada the rate in August was 7.3 per cent.

Campbell on MNR Offices

The Provincial government is being challenged to hold consultations before deciding to close any Ministry of Natural Resources office in this region. In the Ontario legislature, Kenora-Rainy River MPP Sarah Campbell stated the government needs to learn from its mistakes. Campbell is in Thunder Bay today. Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci is promising the government will be consulting local communities before any cuts are made. 

Construction Season Slowing

The construction season in Thunder bay is slowly coming to an end. The major inconvenience for traffic is still happening on Montreal Street and Neebing Avenue affecting mostly residence in the area and workers at Bowater. City Engineer Rick Harms says projects are still on the horizon until the end of October but so far they are on budget. One more major project is set to start next week on Algoma Street between John and Bay Street.

Main Arteries Closed Saturday

The City of Thunder Bay is warning motorists about road closures Saturday for the Fort William Fall Street Fair. Victoria Avenue is shut down between Brodie and Simpson Street. May Street is also closed to vehicles from Mile Street to Donald Street. Those main arteries are closed until 6:00 o'clock tonight.

United Way Sets New Goal



The United Way has set its new fundraising goal of just over 2.6 million dollars.  Chair Carol Busch says they had a hard time reaching their goal last year but they're not going to let that discourage them this year.  The United Way financially helps support 28 local agencies.

Sharing The Healing

The healing continues for residential school survivors in Northwestern Ontario. This week in Thunder Bay many are gathering like Albert James from McDowell Lake First Nation, who says it's good to hear a lot of victims are coming to terms with their trauma. He says healing has taken place in their lives now. Walking Together, Sharing our Journey continues at the Airlane Hotel until Sunday.

Crime Prevention Through Design Training

Thunder Bay Police are taking part in a training program that looks at why crimes occur at convenience stores, public parks, and housing complexes.  Barry Horrobin of the Windsor Police Service will be teaching Crime Prevention Through Environmental Design to local officers.  Horrobin says convenience stores are tricky.  Horrobin suggests convenience stores change their layout inside the store so cashiers have better visibility.  Horrobin says housing complexes need to have shrubs cleared away to make it more visible, as well as good lighting to make people feel safe.

Fire At Loch Lomond Water Treatment Plant

Thunder Bay Fire Crews are on the scene of a fire at the Loch Lomond Water Treatment Plant. The fire department got the call just after 2:30 about the blaze. Captain Kelly Patterson says fire fighters are on the scene. Patterson says there's paper filters burning in one of the tanks and it's causing a lot of black smoke.

USW Reaches A Deal

Employees at the Lac des Illes mine won't be going on strike afterall. Their union, the United Steelworkers reached a deal with the company early Thursday morning according to union rep Herb Daniher.  The union won't release the deals details until a vote is held at the mine site on September 10th and the 14th.  Meanwhile, the union also ratified it's deal with the grain handlers who operate on the waterfront.

Doors Open 2012 Thunder Bay

The doors will be open to heritage homes and buildings in Thunder Bay once again this Saturday. City Heritage Researcher Lee-Ann Chevrette says it's a great opportunity for residents to see inside buildings that are normally not open to the public. This year's sites include the Museum, Prince Arthur Hotel, St. John's Anglican Church, Hillcrest High School, the Finnish Labour Temple, and the Brodie Resource Library. Doors open is free and being held at locations across the City on Saturday from 10 until 4 pm.

Fort William Streetfest Saturday

Fort William will be busy Saturday as the fifth annual Streetfest gets underway.  Fort William Business District Spokesperson Tina Huk says downtown Fort William is thriving. Huk says many people don't realize the amount of stores the south core has.  Just down the road from Streetfest the City's Riverfest along the Kam River will be held.

Horizon Wind Submits REA

Horizon Wind is submitting it's request for environmental approval for their proposed Big Thunder Wind Park.  The company has included feedback from public input sessions, as well as studies on the Loch Lomond watershed, and area wildlife and plants.  The Provincial Government's approval of the REA is one of the steps towards construction of the wind park.

First Week Of School At Con College

The first week of the new school year at Confederation College is going smoothly. President Jim Madder says they've been welcoming about 23 hundred new students this year and expects total enrollment to hit about 8 thousand.

Moving Day At LU

It's moving day at Lakehead University. Hundreds of out-of-town students are moving into the University residence, many for the first time. The University's orientation program continues into next week.

NOIC Pats Itself On Back

The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre is patting itself on the back by bragging about how much of a positive effect it's had on the local economy.  Spokesperson Judy Sander says it's important to let the public know about the organization's successes.