Salvation Army Gets Money From Target

The Salvation Army's breakfast program in Thunder Bay is benefiting from a charity donation by Target Canada.   The department store giant is splitting the 160 thousand dollar donation among 23 Salvation Army programs in the country.

T.Bay Man Charged In Collision

OPP are charging a 24 year old Thunder Bay man with a drinking and driving related charge.  It stems from a single motor collision on Highway 622 just north of Atikokan. He'll appear in Atikokan Court on January 23rd.

Safe Drivers In T.Bay

Thunder Bay drivers are being recognized as some of the country's safest. The Safe Driving Study comes from Allstate Canada and is based on the amount of collisions per one-hundred cars the company insures. Thunder Bay placed tenth amongst communities with the best collision rates at 4.3 percent between 2011-2013.

DSSAB Meeting To Discuss Pets

The Social Services Board is going to discuss how best to deal with client's pets ruining their housing units. In some cases the board has been left with a 30 thousand dollar repair bill. CAO Bill Bradica says it's a tricky situation. Bradica says there's been reports of staff being bitten by animals and even some tenants being hurt by other people's pets.

Police Seize 50K Worth Of Drugs

 A 44 year old Montreal man is facing a variety of drug related charges after a search of a North side hotel room on Monday.  Staff Sergeant Murray Brown says they seized 50-thousand dollars worth of crack cocaine and prescription Fentanyl powder. The man will be in court on Friday and Police are asking the court to deny his bail.

NOMA Meets With Premier & Ministers

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is pleased with their recent meetings with the Premier and Natural Resources Minister. President Dave Canfield says they spoke about the Thunder Bay Generating Station and the property reassessments on large industrial properties. Canfield says talks with the MNR's David Orazietti went ok and notes there are still some struggling points with the Forest Industry.

Mass CPR Training Session Planned

Superior North EMS, the City and the Heart and Stroke Foundation are working together to provide a mass CPR training session this Saturday.  Deputy Chief of EMS Wayne Gates says it's important for the public to know what to do when someone is having a heart attack. The free mass training session will take place this Saturday at Westmount Public School from 10:30 until 12:30.

LU Signs Agreement With Aboriginal Leaders

Lakehead University is signing an agreement with the Nishnawbe Aski Nation as well as several other First Nation groups.  The agreement is meant to set up a respectful working relationship regarding the Faculty of Law. Aboriginal leaders will meet on a semi-annual basis to discuss issues relating to Aboriginal perspectives of the law.

Hospital Gridlock Gets NDP Attention

The over crowding at the local hospital is reaching the ears of Provincial politicians at Queen's Park. NDP Health Critic France Gelinas says cancelling surgeries because there aren't enough beds is unacceptable. Gelinas feels if there were more community supports people wouldn't have to rely so heavily on the hospital's emergency department.

Chiefs Reject Education Act

Regional Chiefs meeting in Thunder Bay this week are rejecting the Federal Government's First Nations Education Act.  The Ontario Regional Chiefs held a news conference on Wednesday to say they have plans to implement their own education vision through a direct action strategy which will be implemented by communities across the province.

Vets Get NOMA Support

The Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association is backing local veterans and calling for the Federal Government to keep the Thunder Bay Veterans Affairs office open. NOMA passed a resolution today calling for the Feds to change their mind on the scheduled office closures. World War 2 Veteran Roy Lamore says the Federal Government's planned closure of the local office is disrespectful.

Energy Task Force Video Sent To Province

The region's energy task force is spreading their message through a new online video.  Members of the group delivered a copy of the 16 minute video to members of the Provincial Government.  The video outlines Northwestern Ontario's electrical system and the role that the Thunder Bay Generating Station plays in the region.

Northwestern Ontario - A Place to Grow Electrically from Generator on Vimeo.

Horizon Wind Releases Statement On Meeting

Horizon Wind isn't giving much credence to word they walked out of a meeting with Fort William First Nation Tuesday.  The company released a statement about the meeting and said it was clear the community wanted to speak to the Province about its perspectives on the wind farm project and clarify the process. They say they are still willing to speak with the First Nation and carry out any on-going discussion. The release goes on further to say they are actively looking for participation on a Community Liason Committee that will allow for two way communication and  make sure problems that come up are raised and addressed. The company adds they welcome further conversation with members of the Fort William First Nation.

Marathon OPP Report Incidents

Marathon OPP are reporting several collisions on Highway 17 recently. Police dealt with transports hitting rock cuts, a truck hitting a guide post, and a cattle vehicle hitting a rock cut on Monday. The OPP are encouraging drivers to drive at appropriate speeds considering road conditions, visibility and driver experience. Meanwhile, OPP are also reporting a pick up truck hit a woman as she was walking across the road in the Pic Mobert First Nation. The incident happened early Tuesday morning and EMS brought the injured woman to the Wilson Memorial Hospital. Police have interviewed the driver and will be following up with further interviews of people on the scene.

Horizon Walks Out Of Talks With FWFN

Horizon Wind isn't commenting on why it walked out of a meeting that included Fort William First Nations Chief Georjann Morriseau.    Morriseau says the meeting was called to discuss treaty rights with Horizon and the Ministry of Environment  before any decisions are made  on the company's proposed wind farm on the Nor' wester Escarpment.  She says that shortly after the meeting began company officials walked out without giving a reason.  Morriseau considers the consultation process with Horizon to have broken down.

Casino Staff Vote To Join USW

Office staff at the OLG Casino want to join the United Steelworkers Union.  In a certification vote on Monday, staff voted 83 percent in favour of joining the USW.  The administration staff vote comes after the casino's gaming floor employees voted to join the union as well. The union now represents 210 casino employees.

Mazza Hiring Creates Political Storm

The Wynne government is getting hammered over the decision by the Health Science's Centre in Thunder Bay to hire former Ornge CEO Chris Mazza for work in the ER.   Progressive Conservative Frank Klees is especially critical of the move  since Mazza had such a tainted past with the provincial air ambulance service.  Klees calls the hiring of Mazza a complete disrespect for the taxpayers of the province. Health Minister Deb Matthews says the decision to hire Mazza was a local one.

Horizon Wind Meeting Held Today

The Fort William First Nation, Horizon Wind and the Ministries of Environment & Natural Resources are meeting in Thunder Bay today.  They're discussing the planned wind farm on the Norwester Mountains. Escarpment Committee Spokesperson John Beals says they held a rally outside the meeting this morning to support the First Nation. The Ministry of Environment is currently reviewing Horizon Wind's renewable energy application.

Matthews Questioned Over Hospital Crisis

The provincial government is under pressure to ease the gridlock situation at the Health Science's Centre in Thunder Bay.   Health Minister Deb Matthews, under questioning at Queen's Park, says the government is trying to make sure the health authority is very focused on finding ways to resolve the overcrowding problem and calls it  a top priority

Rafferty Weighs In On By-Elections

Thunder Bay Rainy River MPP John Rafferty is weighing in on the results of last night's Federal By-elections. The Liberals retook Toronto Centre and the Montreal riding of Bourassa while the Conservatives reclaimed two Manitoba ridings. Rafferty says the NDP have no regrets. Rafferty notes it's too soon to say if last night's election results will be an indicator of how the next Federal Election will go.