1. Fires in Northwestern Ontario set a 50-year record for most area burned.
By mid-August, 622,000 hectares had burned in the region, passing the 621,000 record set in 1961. Despite the broken record, the actual number of fires confirmed was relatively low at 712.
2. Bouncers across the city faced fines up to $25,000 and a year in prison following a sweep of local bars by the OPP’s anti-rackets branch.
Under provincial regulations, security guards at bars and other establishments must have a valid license issued by Ontario and wear a proper uniform that clearly identifies them as security personnel. 105 charges were laid.
3. The last remaining evacuees from the region’s forest fires went home over the August long weekend.
4. A two-year-old girl was killed in a vehicle-pedestrian collision on Vickers Street. Flowers and teddy bears marked the place outside of Kylie McKay’s home where she was struck by a relative’s SUV as she was being dropped off. Officers questioned the male driver and later releasd him without charges.
5. Closing arguments wrapped up on a pre-inquest hearing into the death of Reggie Bushie.
The hearing was looking into the eligibility of jury roles in the region due to a lack of representation by First Nations.
6. More than 700 Harley Davidson motorcycles roared through the city as part of the 23rd annual Ontario Provincial Harley Owners Rally came to Thunder Bay.
The three-day event was the biggest motorcycle event the city has ever seen.
7. Workers at the local Bombardier plant went on strike after the union and management couldn’t reach an agreement on a contract for more than 700 workers at the facility.
Hundreds of workers spilled onto Montreal Street just after 4 p.m. as the deadline passed. An agreement was reached five days later.
8. The province spent more than $107 million battling forest fires in the region over the summer.
More than 2,000 personnel, 21 water bombers, 96 helicopters and thousands of pieces of equipment were used to combat the record-setting season.
9. The province announced more than $600 million for highway improvements in Northern Ontario could mean up to 4,000 jobs over the next two years.
By 2014, about 50 kilometres of highway between Thunder Bay and Nipigon will be four-laned. One of the larger projects will see a four-laned, cable-stayed bridge over the Nipigon River.
10. A team of archeologists was discovering 9,000-year-old artifacts near a construction site at the intersection of Hodder Avenue and Highway 11-17.
Archeologists were expecting to find spearheads and other artifacts at the site.
