ISSUE #66

Good morning,

Half-way through another week! I hope you’re having a great one.

In today’s issue, we cover:

• Tug gets momentary reprieve 🚢

• Daily Poll -Free salvage?

• Red River touch-ups 🚧

• Blue-green algaee help ☀️

• Over $1 million in drugs seized👮

• In-person citizenship ceremony returns 🇨🇦 

• Firefighting training  🔥

• Things to do this week 🗓️

• House of the day -2023 bungalow🏡

- Marcus Luft

Local

Whalen Tug Spared… For now

The James Whalen tugboat received an 11th-hour reprieve from the scrapyard.

In a 9-3 vote, the council directed the administration to look into a third option for the tug, which has been sitting beached near the James Street swing bridge ever since being saved from a watery grave.

The city had put to tender the scrapping of the boat. Two bids came in.

Marine Recycling Corp came in at $579,600.

LH North Ltd came in at just over $1.1 million.

The new wrinkle comes from Harbour Metals, a local scrap recycling company that says it can take the boat off the city’s hands for free.

The city will now wait three weeks while a new report is prepared for this option.

Harbour Metals was originally not considered because they couldn’t meet the removal deadline at the end of May.

However…

It costs the city $5,000 a month to store the boat where it is, so some argued that since we’re paying now, we shouldn’t wait longer.

Yes, but the new offer is free… The math seems to be mathing to me.

What do you think? Let us know in the poll below.

Daily Poll

Today’s question is:

Construction

Final Touch-Ups Coming

The last thing any of the businesses on Red River between Court and Water St want to hear is that more construction is coming.

It’s been a horrible two summers for them.

But the city is planning on returning theren to finally finish the job.

However, they are stating it won’t be nearly as disruptive.

Work is still needed to finish some streetscaping, traffic signal upgrades, and renewal of the walkway between Scotiabank and Black Pirates Pub.

Some detours are expected, but everything is slated to be done by the end of summer.

Conservation

Blue-Green Algae Help

The Lakehead Regional Conservation Authority has announced the launch of the Shoreline Protection: Cyanobacteria Education and Outreach project.

That’s a mouthful.

Cyanobacteria, more commonly known as blue-green algae, are potentially toxic and have impacted multiple area lakes in recent summers.

The project will support the planting of native vegetation to improve water quality by reducing nutrient loading and enhancing shorelines.

Property owners experiencing these blooms are invited to apply for a professional consultation.,

Ten applicants will be selected, and they will receive onsite advice, a planting plan, and about 100 plants to re-vegetate their shorelines.

Crime

Huge Drug Seizure

Thunder Bay Police conducted a pair of targeted drug trafficking investigations, which have resulted in the seizure of over $1 million worth of illegal substances.

Project Decoy ran from October to December 2024 and yielded over $750,000 worth of drugs, $160,000 in cash, three handguns, a shotgun, and one vehicle.

Project Incognito, which was a spinoff of Project Decoy, netted the arrest of seven people and the seizure of over $350,000 in drugs, three firearms and a pair of vehicles.

45 people were arrested. 25 of those were from the city, with the rest being non-local (most came from southern Ontario).

Immigration

In-Person Citizenship Ceremony Returns

As it did with many things, COVID-19 stopped the tradition of in-person citizenship ceremonies.

However, that all changed this past week.

60 new Canadians crossed the stage at the Italian Cultural Centre to be sworn in as citizens.

People from 18 different countries took the oath. Some have lived here for a few years, some for a few decades!

Before this, swearing in ceremonies were done virtually, online.

Indigenous News

Forest Fire Fighting Training

Three First Nations organizations are getting funding to support the training of wildland firefighters.

Keewaytinook Okemakanak, which represents six remote First Nations, will train 25 youths in wildfire prevention and mitigation with $329,000 in funding.

The Whitefeather Community Resource Management Authority was allocated just under $1.6 million and will provide firefighter training for 144 community members of the Pikangikum First Nation.

In Sioux Lookout, the Independent First Nations Alliance, which includes five First Nations, will train 50 firefighters with $2 million in funding.

All trainees will receive Type II training, with the money coming from the federal government’s Fighting and Managing Wildfires in a Changing Climate Program training fund.

Things to do This Week

Events In and Around the City

March 26

Name That Tune - Cover Songs
Musical trivia night
Sleeping Giant Brewing Co - 712 Macdonell St
7pm-9pm
$ FREE

Magic and Wine Night with Mackinley’s Delusions
Wine and magic show
Grotto Trattoria - 28 Cumberland St N
6pm-8pm
$ FREE

Ira Johnson Band
Live music
Howl at the Moon - 8 Cumberland St S
8pm
$ FREE

March 27

WOoDSIDE Social Club Featuring Morning Light
Live music
Woodside Bar - 251 Red River Rd
7pm-9pm
$25

Celtic Night - Tbay Trad
Live music
Red Lion Smokehouse - 16 Cumberland St S
7:30pm-9:30pm
$ FREE

Open Mic Comedy
Live amateur comedy
The Foundry - 242 Red River Rd
8pm-11pm
$ FREE

Karaoke

• Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 5 - 229 Van Norman St
  7pm-11pm

• Howl at the Moon - Sober Karaoke - 8 Cumberland St S
  9pm

• Nortenos Cantina - 235 Red River Rd
  9pm

• Polish Combatants’ Association - Branch 1 - 209 Cumberland St N
  9pm

• The Waterhouse - 9 Cumberland St S
  10pm

• The Alley - 236 Cumming St
  10pm

March 28

Acoustic Night
Live music
Nortños Taqueria - 698 Arthur St W
7pm-10pm
$ FREE

TBSO Northern Lights - Natasha Fisher
Live music
Da Vinci Centre - 340 Waterloo St S
7:30pm
$25-$50

50s - 60s Classic Rock Featuring Pat Silvaggio
Live music
Royal Canadian Legion - Branch 5 - 229 Van Norman St
8pm-11pm
$5 (at the door)

The Gin Tonics Live at The Social
Live music
The Social - 1047 Dawson Rd
8pm-11:30pm
$ FREE

Pitbull Party at The Outpost
Party, music, dancing
The Outpost - 955 Oliver Rd
9pm
$10 (at the door)

Page 38: Double Header Weekend at The Wayland
Live music
Wayland Bar & Grill - 1019 Gore St W
10pm
$5 (at the door)

Cold Lake Sun with Darren Foley and the Luminescence
Live music
The Foundry - 242 Red River Rd
10pm
$5 (at the door)

Blood Shots live at the Cantina
Live music
Norteños Cantina
10pm
$5-$10 (at the door)

Karaoke:

• The Hodder - 481 Hodder Ave
  9pm

• The Social - 1047 Dawson Rd
  9:30pm

• The Bar - 863 Red River Rd
  10pm

• The Waterhouse - 9 Cumberland St S
  10pm

March 29

Vinyl Saturdays
Music
Red Lion Smokehouse - 16 Cumberland St S
3pm-9pm
$ FREE

Blues House Party 6
Live music
Da Vinci Centre - 340 Waterloo St S
6pm
$35 (at the door)

CWE Presents The Point To Prove Tour
Live wrestling
Moose Hall - 434 Fort William Rd
6pm-9pm
$25-$30

The Last Days of Judas Iscariot by Stephen Adly Guirgis: A Green Room
Live theatre
Cambrian Players - 818 Spring St
7:30pm
$15

Monster Mayhem: Night of 1000 Lady Gagas Drag Show
Live performance
Black Pirates Pub - 215 Red River Rd Suite 101
9pm
$15-$20

Page 38: Double Header Weekend at The Wayland
Live music
Wayland Bar & Grill - 1019 Gore St W
10pm
$5 (at the door)

Aneurysm: Tribue to Nirvana live at The Cantina
Live music
Norteños Cantina - 235 Red River Rd
10pm
$5-$10 (at the bar)

Thirsty Monks with Juan Jose live at The Foundry
Live music
The Foundry - 242 Red River Rd
10pm
$5 (at the door)

Karaoke

• Westfort Prosvita - 721 Gore St W
  8pm-12am

• Howl at the Moon - Sober Karaoke - 8 Cumberland St S
  9pm

• The Hodder - 481 Hodder Ave
  9pm

• Norteños Taqueria - 698 Arthur St W
  9pm

• The Social - 1047 Dawson Rd
  9pm

• The Bar - 863 Red River Rd
  10pm

Home of the Day

259 Carl Avenue

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

2+3 bedrooms
3 bathrooms
1,100-1,500 sqft

$599,900

Bungalow built in 2023.