Friday, October 19, 2012

Lindstrom Gets 10 years

A Thunder Bay man is going to prison for 10 years after being convicted in  the 2009 death of Richard Quimet.   Eric Lindstrom received his sentence in a city courtroom today.  Lindstrom is the last of the two men charged in connection to the incident to be sentenced to prison.   Earlier in the process Chistopher Gregorchuk was given a 10 year term for his part in the slaying.   Court was told that Quimet was beaten to death  and his body was taken to a remote area up highway 527 and burned.

City Looks At Sir John A

The City is looking at the vacant Sir John A MacDonald site at it's meeting Monday night.  Staff is asking council to turn down a request to turn the school into a technical office.

LU Athletics Weigh In On Multi Plex

Lakehead University Athletics is interested in becoming an anchor tenant in the new proposed event centre that the city is considering building.  The 57-hundred seat venue has certainly peaked the interest of Athletic director Tom Warden. Warden says talks between the city and Lakehead University would need to happen but he sees it as a chance for the university and Thunder Bay to host future national events.

Gichigami Express Coming To Grand Marais

Organizers with a new 3 day dog sled race in the States are hoping Thunder Bay residents will cross the border to watch.  Beth Drost is the Coordinator of the Gichigami Express that will take place in Grand Portage on January 6th.  Drost explains the history behind the name.  Drost says Grand Marais and Grand Portage have a long history of mushers.

Be A Fan Day Thursday

Local law enforcement will be sporting red shoe laces in support of the local chapter of the Special Olympics.  Constable Julie Tilbury says you can help support local athletes as well by buying a pair of red shoe laces from a variety of area stores.  A flag raising ceremony at City Hall will be held on "Be A Fan Day" which is Thursday.

Hobbs On Police Board Replacement

There's at least several City Councillors interested in replacing Mayor Keith Hobbs on the Police Service Board.  Hobbs says council will consider who is the best person for the job.  One of the names being tossed around informally includes Councillor Brian McKinnon.

Local Comic Reaches 150th

"Welcome To Hereafter" is the title of an on-line comic book publication by a Thunder Bay man.  The comic is about to celebrate a milestone. It's 150th edition will be published Monday.  Creator Bry Kotyk says he hopes to see more local artists dive in.  Click here to visit Welcome to Hereafter. 

Court Street Closed Sunday


Drivers beware of sections of Court Street Sunday.  A stretch of roadway between River and Elgin Streets and Harrington Avenue will be off limits while crews install a new watermain connection.  Work starts at 8 Sunday and will continue until work is complete.

Liberal MP Tries To Save ELA

The vice-chair of Fisheries and Oceans is fighting to keep Northwestern Ontario's Experimental Lakes Area open.  Liberal MP Lawrence MacAulay has put a motion through the House of Commons to keep the ELA open.  He says the closing costs outweigh the annual operating cost.  The government is facing public and political pressure to continue funding the ELA.

International Blues Fest

The Thunder Bay Blues Society is bringing the funk to the city Friday and Saturday night.  An International Blues Challenge is taking place tonight which will see competitors vie for a trip to Memphis. Vice President Murray Armstrong says it's a wonderful opportunity for local artists.  The event is taking place at the Apollo.

Military Training At East Dog Lake

Training will be taking place in East Dog Lake area this weekend for the Lake Superior Scottish Regiment.  The soldiers will be practicing land & water training.  Captain George Romic says there will be blank ammunition fired while troops cross the river.  Romic adds, don't be surprised if you see military vehicles travelling in the Dog Lake area.

Warden Avoids Scherban Talk

The fallout continues for Lakehead University's hockey program as they continue to answer questions as to why Head Coach Joel Scherban was fired yesterday.  Speculation has players refusing to play for Scherban despite getting off to a 3-and-1 start.  Athletic Director Tom Warden has named Mike Busniuk as Interim Head as the team plays on the road tonight in Waterloo.  Warden won't comment on the firing but does hold Scherban in the highest regard.  Jeremy Adduono and Colin Zulianello have also stepped in to help Busniuk as Assistant Coaches.

Inflation Rate Goes Down

The cost of living in Thunder Bay has gone down. The inflation rate went from  0.3 percent in August to negative point one in September.  Meanwhile, Canada's inflation rate last month stayed the same.

Strat Plan For TBRI

The research arm of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre is out with its four year strategic plan.   CEO Michael Wood says the top priority is to focus on advances in medical imaging like MRIs, X-Rays and PET scans.

OLG Casino Makes Payment

The OLG Casino is paying the city it's latest share in slot machine revenue.  This time around the Ontario Lottery and Gaming Commission is providing just over 609-thousand dollars to Thunder Bay.

TSB Still Investigating Fatal Accident

The Transportation Safety Board is still working on the early stages of its investigation into a fatal plane crash in Pickle Lake.  Peter Hildebrand says crews are still trying to get through the heavily dense wooded area and get the plane upright.  He says that's when the true investigation can begin.  Three men from Quebec died in the crash.

Talk4Healing Live

Aboriginal women in Northern Ontario can now access a new help line. Talk4Healing Coordinator Robin Haliuk says it's often hard for these women to get support services.  The hotline is open 24 hours a day; 7 days a week and offers service to Northern Ontario women.  The help line is being funded by the Ontario Native Women's Association for the next 3 years.

Text HOPE

The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation is teaming up with Tbaytel on a new fundraising initiative.   A 10 dollar donation can be made for breast cancer research by texting the word "Hope" to the number 20222.  Foundation President and CEO Glenn Craig says the donation will appear on your next cell phone bill.

Aboriginal Business Day

The Entrepreneur Centre wants aboriginal business to expand.  They're celebrating aboriginal business day today by bringing in a slew of guest speakers.  Spokesperson Ron Humphreys hopes more people will inquire about their services.  To check out the guest speakers including CBC's Wab Kinew you can stop by the Victoria Inn.

Jasper Place Anniversary

Seniors home Jasper Place is celebrating it's 20th anniversary today.  Spokesperson Donna Ostram says their facility is one of a kind.  Jasper Place is home to over 100 seniors.