Open House For Cooperative Program At College

Confederation College is hosting an open house this afternoon from 4-6pm for its Community Integration Program that provides students with special needs supervised field placements. Program Coordinator Karen Kemp says there was a learning curve for staff involved in the programs first class, but that the program was a success.

Government Building Remains Closed

The government building on James Street remains closed because of a water main break this week.  A spokesperson for Infrastructure Ontario says the problem is closer to getting fixed after the leak was found and isolated.   He expects that water service to the building will be restored later today and that government offices will be back in business tomorrow.

Johnson Ponders Mayor's Job

A veteran Thunder Bay politician is considering a run at council's top job.  Rebecca Johnson tells our newsroom  she hasn't finalized her political plans for this election yet but running for mayor is not out of the question.  However.  she says that she wants to weigh all her options before deciding on exactly what she will do.  Johnson says many people have asked her to take a shot at the mayor's chair.

Police Chief Favors New Law

The Conservative Government is considering more lenient laws against the possession of marijuana. The new law looks to allow police to ticket anyone caught with small amounts of marijuana rather than charging them criminally. Thunder Bay Police Chief JP Levesque is in favor of the proposed law, but says it is too early to comment on specifics. Levesque says loosening the law would make for less resource-intensive punishment and keep police budgets in toll.

Facebook Page Addresses Civic Election

There's more and more movement on the civic election front these days.  Former Shuniah councillor J-P Fraser is hosting a Facebook page that allows candidates new and old to have a voice on the Internet.  It is set up to allow candidates to state their platform and get their information out to a wider audience.   Fraser says you can also get politically active on Twitter with the hashtag #nwoelections.

Anti-Hudak Campaign Coming Here

The Ontario Federation of Labour's  Rights At Work drive is coming to Thunder Bay next month.  It's a campaign that is designed to draw attention to what they believe is a plan by Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak to dismantle the union movement in the province. The gathering is happening Tuesday, April the first at the Lakehead Labour Centre form 7 until 9 pm.  

Vantroba Shows Up

The search is over.  A city man who didn't show up for his court case this week has turned himself into police.  Frank Vantroba was charged in connection with a dog attack in Tarbutt Park in 2012 that seriously injured an 11 year old boy.    When he didn't appear for his trial,  a bench warrant was issued for his arrest.  The 59 year old will be in court this morning.

Wirkkila Sentenced

A quick end to a city court case.   Only 4 months ago Eric Wirkkila was charged with numerous count of uttering threats, and now he finds himself staring at 18 months behind bars.    Wirkkila was sentenced yesterday after pleading guilty to 16 of those charges.  The incidents spanned a period from July 2012 to October of last year involving letters written and sent by the 46 year old to police, businesses, media outlets and politicians.

House Fire On Ryerson Crescent

Thunder Bay Fire officials are investigating a morning house fire at 436 Ryerson Crescent. Crews responded at 8am and began to fight the blaze in the basement. The fire made it into the wall and extended into the attic causing significant damages to the buildings roof and interior. No one was home at the time and nobody was injured.

Video Shows NWO Crash

A Sioux Lookout man and his wife are glad to have come out of a traffic mishap on the Trans Canada Highway near Kenora recent.  Ralph Ireland posted the dramatic video on his Facebook page

College Tight Lipped About Excursion

Confederation College says it will not confirm a report that some students in  a winter survival training course on the weekend suffered from frostbite.   The course is supervised by the Lakehead Search and Rescue Unit.   The College will only say that the staff along with members of  Lakehead Search and Rescue will review current protocols-ensuring that the health and safety of students and instructors will continue to be a priority.

Municipal Leaders Meet

Beginning today, the Federation of Canadian Municipalities' Board of Directors is meeting in Thunder Bay. The 75 member Board will meet to discuss important questions of how the federal government's New Building Canada Fund will help to meet local needs, and will also talk about the growing housing crisis facing Canadians. The meetings will continue from March 5-7.

Thunder Bay Man Charged

A Thunder Bay man is pleading guilty to hunting-related charges. The man is being fined $625 for hunting a furbearing mammal without a license. He is also being fined $1250 for making a false statement to an MNR conservation officer after telling officers he did not have a gun in his vehicle on November 16, 2013.

Government Building Closed

The Ontario  Government building on James Street is closed because of a water main break.   We are told by an worker that the water main problems began late yesterday afternoon.    Employees are being told to work from home.  

Accident Victim Identified

Officials are now identifying the Thunder Bay man who died in a traffic accident on Highway 11 west of Hearst.  Dead is 24 year old Patrick Quessy-Briere.  Police say that he was the driver of a pick up truck that collided head on with a transport on Sunday.

Mauro Introduces Can-Con Bill

Thunder Bay MPP Bill Mauro is introducing a private members bill that if passed will ensure that more of the money Ontario municipalities spend on mass transit vehicles will stay in Ontario. The Buy in Canada for Mass Transit Vehicles Act, would require that at least 60 percent of the cost of mass transit vehicles purchased by Ontario municipalities with the assistance of provincial funding be made up of Canadian labour costs, material costs, overhead, and profits.  Also, the legislation would require that the final assembly of these mass transit vehicles take place in Canada.

Stabbing On North Side

A 40 year old woman is in custody this morning facing a charge of aggravated assault after what police say was a stabbing last night in the Windsor Street area.   A 35 year old woman was treated in hospital for her injuries,  which are not considered life threatening.   Police say the two were known to each other and that alcohol was a factor.

The Blitz Is On

Beauty and body art shops are being told to be on the alert.  Health inspectors are spreading across the city conducting an inspection blitz.  It's to highlight the importance of infection prevention and control practices.  Those services include tattooing, piercing , hair styling and manicures.

Staffing Concerns At Nipigon Hospital

The Ontario Nurses Association is concerned about the staffing levels at the Nipigon District Memorial Hospital.  They feel workloads are unsafe and have compromised patient safety. Nurses have called for an independent assessment committee to examine their work issues. The review will be held from today until Thursday.

OEB Holding Meetings

The Ontario Energy Board is releasing information about it's next steps in consultation with Ontarians regarding the proposed Energy East Pipeline.  The $12 billion project will transport crude oil from from Western Canada through Northern Ontario to Quebec and New Brunswick.  The board will hold a series of public meetings to discuss the proposed pipeline route. They will be Thunder Bay on March 26th.  Separate meetings will be held during the same period  with First Nation's and Metis communities to seek their views on the project.