News

50/50 Crosses $3 Million

Someone is going to have a VERY Happy New Year in 2025! (now that was said last year too and it didn’t end super great for the winner - if you know you know - so if you do win, perhaps some restraint would be wise…)

The jackpot is ratcheting up quickly, and has already blown past $3 million. At this clip, it wouldn’t be surprising if it went over $4M before the draw date.

Last years grand prize was $3.98M.

There are still early bird draws to come worth $145,000, with $50K of that alone happening on December 31.

Proceeds from this months draw are going to support revamping the emergency department at the hospital (which I think any of us who have had to sit there for 7 hours will agree is money well spent). 

The grand prize draw date is Jan 3, 2025, with tickets available to purchase until 11:59pm on Jan 2.

And speaking of tickets, click below to buy yours today!

Daily Poll

Travel or Stay Put?

As predicted, the poll of which Christmas movie is the all-time best, generated some heated answers! Here’s the order in which you guys voted them:

1. It’s a Wonderful Life

2. National Lampoons Christmas Vacation

3. A Charlie Brown Christmas

4. Miracle on 34th Street

5. The Grinch

6. Home Alone

7. White Christmas

8. Elf (tied with Love Actually)

9. Rudolph the Red Nosed Reindeer (my childhood is crying a bit)

Travelling over the holidays - your thing or not? Let us know!

Education

Bus Route Changes Drop Attendance

To borrow a line from National Lampoons Christmas Vacation: “well of all the lousy ways to save a buck…”

The Ontario government changed the funding formula for school bus services this year, leading to a doubling of the distance required to qualify for busing.

By the end of September kids affected by the changes saw a drop in attendance at school by 38%.

By the end of November that was up to 49%.

Of those students with declining attendance, 52% identify as First Nations, Metis or Inuit.

Of especially large concern are the kids walking 20 to 40 minutes to school when the temperature drops to -25 or lower.

In a case of the Toronto being the center of the universe, and Thunder Bay being Pluto so who cares, Toronto averages 0.7 days a year with temperatures of -25 or lower compared to Thunder Bay’s 18.

The Lakehead District School Board is sending a letter to the Minister outlining their concerns and the human rights impact this inequality will have on children.

Logistics

Canada Post Update

Striking Canada Post workers have been mandated back to work as of yesterday.

They’ve been on strike since November 15.

As you can imagine, it’s going to take some time before it is ‘business as usual’.

Here’s what you can expect:

• Parcels in the system already will be processed first

• No new commercial volume of shipments until at least tomorrow (Thursday)

• New international mail will be accepted on Monday (Dec 23, 2024)

• Expect significant delays for the rest of the year and into 2025

You can click below for more information, but I hope it’s not a glimpse into the future, because as of me writing this, the Canada Post news release section is just showing a blank page, even though this is where these updates originated from.

God speed Canada Post.

The Outdoors

$75 Million for Fish

The province of Ontario is providing $75 million to help support Ontario’s fish population.

The province stocks 8 million fish a year into Ontario’s waterways.

The money is going towards upgrading their fish culture stations, specifically:

• New station to raise Walleye on Blue Jay Creek Fish Culture Station on Manitoulin Island which should increase Walleye production by 600% annually

• Improvements to the North Bay Fish Culture Station

• Improvements to Hill’s Lake Fish Culture Station in Englehart

Additional improvement include modernizing equipment, increasing capacity to grow larger fish and overall cost savings measures.

I don’t fish myself, but I sure am grateful when those who do give us some Walleye!

Roadwork

Summit Ave Update

A quick update on some road work:

Summit Ave will be closed today and tomorrow to complete some sewer line work.

The road will be closed at the John St corner, but during this time the north end of Summit will remain open to local traffic only.

There’s no impact to John St.

I’m sure it will be completed on time as indicated above…

First Nations News

Boil Water State of Emergency

Marten Falls First Nation has had to upgrade it’s boil water advisory to a state of emergency.

The culprit?

Raw sewage spilling into the water system upstream and entering the water intake.

There was an operational failure in the wastewater system which has led to a high risk to all residents that get their water from the water system in Marten Falls.

Marten Falls, located 640km north east of Thunder Bay, has been under a boil water advisory for 18 years.

Get Your Christmas On 🎄

Get Ready for the Fatman Coming Down the Chimney!

30+ Pop-Up Vendors - Goods & Co. - Dec. 7, 8, 14, 15, 21, 22

Santa Visiting & Photos - Vanderweese - Dec. 14, 15, 21, 22

Santa Photos - Intercity Shopping Centre - Nov 16-Dec 24
Monday - Friday in November 3pm-7pm
Monday - Friday in December 11am - 7pm
Saturday - 10am - 6pm
Sunday - 11am - 5pm
Dec. 23 - 10am - 8pm
Dec. 24 - 10am - 2pm (he’s gotta get back to the North Pole!)

Things to do This Week

Events In and Around the City

Elf: The Musical
Musical stage production
Magnus Theatre
December 17, 18, 19, 20, 21 (show times at 2pm & 7pm - check with Magnus for your preferred date)
$25-$55

Under the Mistletoe - The Edge Effect
A Cappella Christmas musical performance
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
December 18 @ 7:30pm
$45 - $455

Café Paris Holiday Special - Foundry Social Club Featuring Martin Blanchet Jazz Quintet
Live Jazz performance
The Foundry
December 19 @ 7pm-9pm
$25

Christmas Dinner & Dance
Group & small business dinner networking event
Slovak Legion
December 20, 21 @ 6pm
$55

Ron Kanutski presents Stand Up Comedy Night
Stand up comedy event - 19+
Royal Canadian Legion
December 21 @ 6pm
$25-$30

TBSO Pops - Home for the Holidays
Symphony live performance
Thunder Bay Community Auditorium
December 21 @ 7pm
$25-$50

Home of the Day

248 Prospect Ave.

(Realtors if you want your home featured - send us an email: [email protected])

2+1 bedrooms
2+1 bathrooms
1,124 sq ft

$399,900

College Heights, semi-detached with finished basement, with a deck off the back.