Hudak Will Not Make Debate

Tim Hudak will not show up for the northern leaders election debate in Thunder Bay next week.  His spokesperson  says the PC leader has scheduling conflicts.  Organizer Iain Angus of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association says the event will go ahead anyway with the NDP's Andrea Horwath and Kathleen Wynne of the Liberals.  Angus says the precedent was set during the last election when the northern debate went on without Dalton McGuinty.

Northern Evacuations Over The Weekend

Another weekend, and more evacuations from another northern community. About a thousand people were removed from the Attawapiskat First Nation due to flooding. About 140 were airlifted to Fort Frances, while others ended up in northeastern Ontario and Quebec. It's hoped the evacuees should be able to return home as early as today as water levels begin to subside.

Inspection Due For Police

The Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services is going to be paying City Police a visit in the near future. A rep for the Province alerted Police that they are due for an inspection.  Chief JP Levesque says it's almost been eight years since their last review.  A date for the inspection has yet to be set but they are hoping to arrange one in the fall.

Overtime Costs At Court

The City and Chief of Police will be sitting down to talk about ways they can save money through eliminating overtime costs.  Chief JP Levesque says they want the City to allow changes through their provincial offences court.  The City is in charge of running the provincial offences court and Levesque says they've found that most times police officers have shown up to court and have been told they're not needed.

Zone Policing Starts June 3rd

It's been almost 2 years since City Police first started talking about moving towards a zone policing model. In just under two weeks the new way of policing will take effect on June 3rd. Chief JP Levesque says there were some delays.  The new schedule means officers will go to work each day in the same part of the City and one side won't be more busy than another.

Flood Warning Remains In Dryden Area

A flood warning remains in effect in the Dryden area. The Ministry of Natural Resources says the warning will stay in place until Friday morning.   The MNR adds it will re-evaluated at that time. Flooding has already occurred along Highway 605 as well as Highway 105. Water levels are expected to rise over the next couple of days impacting low lying areas, streams and water crossings.

Payback Time

The Mayor is sporting a new do.  Keith Hobbs made a hockey bet over the Montreal Canadiens and Boston Bruins playoff series and he lost.  His worship now has the Canadiens logo painted on the side of his head.  Hobbs says he will keep in on a day or two but admits it's starting to sting a little.

OPP Report Two Weekend Fatalities

The Ontario Provincial police say  that two people died on OPP-patrolled roads over the Victoria Day Long Weekend. One man died in eastern Ontario when the farm tractor he was driving failed to negotiate a turn on a township road.  Another man died following a single vehicle collision in northeastern Ontario.

Hudak Can't Confirm Debate Appearance

Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak has not confirmed his appearance at next week's northern leaders debate in Thunder Bay.  His spokesperson says that while Kathleen Wynne and Andrea Horwath made the decision that particular date works well for their schedule, Hudaks people are looking at options because the date conflicts with his other visits.

Stillwater Still Proceeding

It's all happening according to the general manager of Stillwater Canada.  Clark Gilbert says the wheels remain in motion to have a copper and palladium mine built outside of Marathon.    Gilbert says it all rests on a number of key items, including putting together another environmental assessment for the provincial government.    He says if major changes are required to the environmental report it could be a long process.  Gilbert says the company should know early next year on the best way to move ahead.

Kiptoo Wins Again

Gilbert Kiptoo is the winner of the Firefighters Ten Mile Road Race. The Kenyan runner crossed the line in just over 51 minutes. This is the fifth straight time Kiptoo has won the race.

Road Race Underway

The annual Firefighters Ten Mile Road Race is underway. A record 1,100 runners registered for the race.

Wynne To Attend Northern Debate

The leader of the provincial Liberals has confirmed that she'll be participating in a northern debates at the end of the month. The debate between the three provincial leaders is scheduled for May 26th in Thunder Bay at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association conference. NDP Leader Andrea Horwath, who will also be at the debate, says that the Liberals refused to join the debate during their last campaign. Horwath adds that she looks forward to the debate. It's not yet known if PC leader Tim Hudak will attend the debate.

Police Kept Busy

A busy day for Thunder Bay Police.  Police responded to a two vehicle collision yesterday at the intersection of James Street and Churchill Street, which sent one driver to hospital with injuries. In another incident, police, fire, and gas crews responded to a natural gas leak on Ogden Street. Police say the leak was caused by someone doing yard work. No one was injured in that incident.

No More Room For Evacuees

No word yet on where Attawapiskat First Nation flood evacuees are headed. The northern First Nation declared a state of emergency this week due to rising water levels in the community. Thunder Bay Fire Rescue deputy chief Dave Paxton says the city is at capacity as a result of Kashechewan First Nation flood evacuees already in the city. Paxton says nearly 900 evacuees need refuge until water levels return to normal.

Shake Up At St. Joe's

St. Joseph's Care Group is doing some budget trimming. CEO Tracy Buckler says 11 registered nurses in long term care will be replaced by personal support workers in a move that will save the health care organization about 150-thousand dollars while minimizing the number of layoffs. Buckler believes the transition should take the rest of this year to complete.

Red River Subway Robbed

Thunder Bay Police are investigating a robbery at a Red River Road Subway restaurant. Police say a man entered the restaurant with a large knife and fled with an undisclosed amount of cash. An OPP tracking dog was brought in to help locate the suspect.

Stay Off The Tracks

Thunder Bay Police are reminding everyone of the dangers of being around railway tracks. This comes after three youths were seen trying to jump onto a moving train in Oliver-Paipoonge. According to police, none of the youths were injured in the incident, but were issued a warning. Police say anyone found near the tracks can be charged under the Railway Safety Act.

Police Monitor May Long

The long weekend is upon us, and police, as always, will be out in full force. Police will be on the lookout for impaired drivers, seat belt infractions, distracted driving and aggressive driving. Police are reminding drivers to plan ahead and take plenty of time to get to your destination safely. OPP will also be paying close attention to ATV drivers. The number of deaths linked to off-road vehicles has hit a four year high and has doubled in just two years.

Water Street Closed As A Precaution

The city is closing a section of Water Street around the area of the pedestrian overpass.  It's being sectioned off because a glass panel on the overpass was found detached during a routine scheduled cleaning today. Crews are working on repairing it and should it not be complete by Monday, a back up plan for a detour is in place for the Firefighters 10 Mile Road Race.