ISSUE #70

Good morning,

We made it to Friday! Hopefully the snow starts melting and everyone has a great weekend.

In today’s issue, we cover:

• Meeting about rumoured Costco site 🛍️

• Daily Poll -Do you want a Costco?

• Science fair’s 61st year 🔬

• Potential layoffs at Alstom 🚇

• Toronto teens arrested👮

• Concern over culinary program suspension 🧑‍🍳

• Heading to Harvard 

• Things to do this week 🗓️

• House of the day - Mariday Park home 🏡

- Marcus Luft

Local

Rumoured Costco Site Meeting

If you have an opinion on the potential new Costco site, do I have good news for you!

A public meeting will be held on April 14 at City Hall.

The meeting will take place just before the meeting where council will vote on a zoning amendment for 1091 Central Ave.

The city isn’t saying if the proposed site, which is listed as a large retail warehouse and gas bar, is actually for Costco.

But all signs are pointing to that being a good guess.

There is no requirement for the owner of the property to disclose if it’s Costco or not.

If you’d like to submit written comments and/or register for online participation, the deadline is April 11.

Daily Poll

Today’s question is:

Monday’s Results:

You can download the full results (including comments) here in an Excel file (email addresses have been removed for anonymity).

Education

Science Fair Celebrates 61st Year

The Northwestern Ontario Regional Science Fair is celebrating its 61st year.

The event, taking place at Confederation College’s TEC Hub, featured students from grade 4 to 12 displaying their STEM projects.

The top six projects from Grades 7 to 12 go on to compete at the national fair.

The fair had about 90 projects on display. Unfortunately, due to weather, students from further out in the region were unable to attend in-person, instead competing virtually.

The fair covers from Marathon all the way to Manitoba border and is judged by a team from Thunder Bay and a few from Ignace.

Local Labour

Alstom Union Announces Suspected Layoffs

The Alstom plant is starting to feel the pinch of a lack of contracts.

If more work isn’t secured, the plant will have to lay off about 250 employees starting in June, according to the Unifor Local 1075 president.

The current light rail vehicle (LRV) contract is coming to completion, and has about 200 members work on the line.

Currently around 400 people make up the Alstom workforce and if the layoffs proceed as projected, it will leave 150 still working.

Currently the plant is also working on a GO Transit refurbishment. Once that ends they’ll start work on the 181-car contract awarded in January.

The work can keep the plant going until around 2032, but the hope is they will receiving the 55 new trains for the TTC Line 2 contract.

Alstom itself isn't confirming the statement, but are looking at future workforce needs based on the contracts that they have.

Fingers crossed for everyone!

Crime

Toronto Teens Arrested

Thunder Bay Police responded to a call on Wednesday afternoon for two people who were unwanted in a home and refusing to leave.

As officers pulled up, one suspect ran but was apprehended shortly after.

A second suspect was found in the home.

Polices say they found a loaded handgun, along with cash and suspected fentanyl and cocaine.

A 15-year-old and a 14-year-old, both from Toronto, face a total of 10 charges.

Education

Concern Over Culinary Cancellation

The Thunder Bay food scene is sounding the alarm over the indefinite suspension of the Confederation College culinary management program.

Local restaurant owners are concerned about the lack of new culinary talent coming through the pipeline.

Confederation College said a comprehensive review showed that the culinary program is no longer financial viable.

The college has said it intends to explore more cost-effective models for the future.

Sadly we are not the only city to have suspended programs. Other colleges, including Loyalist, Centennial, St. Lawrence, and St. Clair have all suspended their culinary programs.

Indigenous News

Indigenous Business Ambassador Going to Harvard

Jason Rasevych, a local Indigenous business ambassador and entrepreneur is going to Harvard.

President and found of the Anishnawbe Business Professional Association, Rasevych is now one of 52 Canadians accepted into the seventh cohort of the Harvard Business School executive education certificate program.

The program is the Leading People and Investing to Build Sustainable Communities, and is delivered in partnership with the Aboriginal Financial Officers Association of Canada and Harvard University.

Congratulations, Jason! We look forward to seeing how this shapes your leadership moving forward.

Things to do This Week

Events In and Around the City

April 4

Jazz and old Fashioned Fridays ft. Mood Indigo
Live jazz music
Anchor & Ore - 2240 Sleeping Giant Pkwy
6pm-9pm
$ FREE

The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical
Live musical theatrical production of the popular kids book
Trinity United Church - 30 Algoma St S
7pm
$17.31 (youths 18 and under)-$22.63 (general admission)

TBSO voices - Melody and Magic
TBSO performs Duruflé’s celebrated Requiem
Hilldale Lutheran Church - 321 Hilldale Rd
7:30pm
$25-$50

Conflix Band Night
Live music with proceeds going towards funding their film night
Black Pirates Pub - 215 Red River Rd
9pm
$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

Voodoo Prophecy
An evening of heavy metal w/ classic Heavy and NU Metal
Wayland Bar & Grill - 1019 Gore St W
10pm
$5 (at the door)

April 5

The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical
Live musical theatrical production of the popular kids book
Trinity United Church - 30 Algoma St S
2pm & 7pm
$17.31 (youths 18 and under)-$22.63 (general admission)

The CCPAC and Friends Variety Show
Members of the Performing Arts Club in a show full of laughs, songs, dance & more
Confederation College - 1450 Nakina Dr
2pm & 7:30pm
$0 (for ConCollege students) $10 General Admission

Storytime with Mz Molly and Friendz
Storytime is an interactive, joy-filled celebration of diversity and acceptance followed by a 30-minute guided crafting session
Waverley Public Library - 285 Red River Rd
2:30pm-4pm
$ FREE

Vinyl Saturdays
Dust off your records and be your own DJ
Red Lion Smokehouse - 16 Cumberland St S
3pm-9pm
$ FREE

Voodoo Prophecy
An evening of heavy metal w/ classic Heavy and NU Metal
Wayland Bar & Grill - 1019 Gore St W
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 Hooder Ave
  9pm

• Norteños Taqueria - 698 Arther St W
  9pm

• The Social - 1047 Dawson Rd
  9pm

• The Bar - 863 Red River Rd
  10pm

April 6

Sex Toy Bingo
Pretty much exactly what the title says
Wayland Bar & Grill - 1019 Gore St W
1pm-3pm
$ FREE

The Lightning Thief - The Percy Jackson Musical
Live musical theatrical production of the popular kids book
Trinity United Church - 30 Algoma St S
7pm
$17.31 (youths 18 and under)-$22.63 (general admission)

Home of the Day

138 Kenogami Ave S

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

2+2 bedrooms
2 bathrooms
801 sqft

$349,900

Cute Mariday Park home.