Here are the stories that received the most attention in Week 12 of 2015.
5. City owed $1.8M in back taxes
More than 120 properties owe the city a combined $1.8 million in tax arrears dating back to 2012.
Those properties could go up for sale within one year if the property taxes aren't paid after a city council vote on Monday night.
About 95 residential properties total more than $1 million of those taxes while 28 non-residential properties owe a combine $808,000.
Topping the list is Hilldale Gardens Retirement Living at 309 Hilldale Rd., which owes more than $393,000 to the city. Another $131,000 is owed by 500 Victoria Ave. E while the former Quick Lube at 2841 Arthur St owes $114,000. The Shoreline Hotel owes $94,000.
All figures are as of Dec. 31, 2014.
4. Man swarmed in apartment complex, robbed and stabbed
A 24-year-old man is in hospital being treated for stab wounds after being robbed at a South May Street apartment complex.
Police say the man was approached by a group of six to eight males who stole personal items from him and stabbed him in the process.
The victim managed to escape and went to Shelter House for assistance. From there he was taken to Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for treatment of his injuries.
3. Thieves make off with $26K worth of smart phones from Intercity Shopping Centre kiosk
Thieves with noses for technology are being sought by Thunder Bay Police.
Police say the Touch Unwired kiosk at Intercity Shopping Centre was targeted and robbed last Thursday night at about 9:20 p.m.
According to a release, police say two males entered the mall, with a third acting as a lookout. They broke into the kiosk and absconded with $26,000 worth of smart phones. They fled in a black minivan which was parked by the Moxie’s restaurant entrance.
2. Police investigating after a body was discovered in Junot Park
Police are investigating a "sudden death" after a body of an adult male was found at a North side park Wednesday morning.
Thunder Bay Police Service had areas of Junot Park marked off with tape and its Crime Scene Unit was on scene around 10:30 a.m. The body, an adult male, was discovered in a lightly wooded area North of the park's recreation trail by a passerby around 9 a.m. He ran to the nearby Junot Fire Station to get help. Fire fighters confirmed the man was dead. Police are holding the scene and waiting for results of a post-mortem.
Police officials on Thursday confirmed foul play is not suspected and it is not a criminal investigation.
1. City council votes to push event centre plan to design and build phase
The event centre conversation dominated this week in news. Between two council meetings, councillors and community groups speaking out, it was the most read subject of the week.
The city is moving ahead with its proposed event centre.
In an 8-5 vote Thursday, city council was satisfied with an updated financial proposal that could see it spend more than 50 per cent of the $114 million cost for the event centre.
In a special meeting Thursday council learned that it could debenture nearly $30 million should the province match $23 million in gas tax funding, not the asked for $36 million the city has asked for.
The vote means the city will extend its letter of intent with the Thunder Bay Live Consortium to the end of April and move to the project's design and build phase if federal and provincial funding comes through. The city's share would be $41.9 million, $36 million from the province, $9.5 million from the private sector and $23 million from federal gas tax funding.
