Here are the stories that made headlines in December
1. Leaders in Attawapiskat filed an injunction to stop the federal government’s decision to put third-party management in charge of the community’s finances.
Chief Theresa Spence signed off on the injunction against the Department of Aboriginal Affairs and Northern Development after a meeting with Aboriginal Affairs Minister John Duncan Dec. 15 in Thunder Bay.
2. Mayor Keith Hobbs returned to the Thunder Bay Police Services Board Dec. 20 after being removed during an investigation by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission that claimed he breached confidentiality by discussing things from an in camera board meeting.
Two lawyers representing Hobbs rang up legal bills of nearly $14,000. The incident also cost the Police Services Board more than $4,700 in legal advice.
A libel and slander lawsuit filed against Hobbs by former police chief Bob Herman cost another $5,700 in legal fees for Hobbs while the Police Services Board paid more than $13,000 for Herman’s legal representation.
3. A 53-year-old man, the victim of a Dec. 17 assault, died on Christmas Eve. Thunder Bay Police were called to the Victoria Inn and found an injured male, in one of the hotel rooms.
The victim was taken to hospital and listed in critical condition for much of the week.
A 33-year-old man was initially charged with assault, but those charges were later upgraded to second-degree murder.
4. Despite protests from a small number of people, thousands of city residents flocked to the waterfront Dec. 16 to take in the recently completed first phase of the project, which saw more than $60 million spent.
The unveiling of Prince Arthur’s Landing included the lighting of the controversial $904,000 beacons and waterfront development committee chairman Mark Bentz said the look and feel of the park set a new standard for Thunder Bay.
5. Three youths attempted to rob a south side Mac’s Convenience Store on Dec. 15 but were stopped by a police officer who happened to be passing by.
One of the accused held a knife to the clerk’s throat until police talked him down. The attempted robbery happened just weeks after Mac’s announced new security measures at their Thunder Bay stores in response to the high number of robberies in the city.
6. A Toronto-bound WestJet Boeing 737 made an unscheduled stop at the Thunder Bay International Airport Dec. 3 when a passenger on board became unruly.
The passenger argued with flight attendants about lighting a cigarette on board the aircraft and he allegedly struck a flight attendant.
Police say there were concerns that he may have made threats regarding a bomb on board. The plane was searched as a precaution and no explosives were found.
7. A late-night fire gutted the Boyer Truck Sales building on Arthur Street Dec. 27. The blazed started around 9 p.m. and caused several explosions.
The company had shut down the building for the holiday and no one was inside at the time of the fire. Firefighters began tearing down the building the next day and an investigation into the cause of the blaze is ongoing.
8. After being turned down by the federal government in their bid for $20 million to help pay for a new events centre, city officials say the plan may be back on track.
City manager Tim Commisso said on Dec. 13 that the feds have told Thunder Bay the convention/trade centre portion of the $80-million project is eligible for P3 Canada funding in the next round of allocations.
The city was originally turned down for a number of reasons, including not having a viable site plan and economic impact statement, as well as the nature of the project itself.
9. Fort William First Nation started taking the steps to close the illegal landfill on Squaw Bay Road and eventually restore the land.
The dumpsite has been in existence for decades and there have been initiatives to try to close it several times before.
10. Christmas Cheer hit an unfortunate first this year.
Officials running the annual campaign were forced to turn people away this year for this first time in the organization’s history. The charity gave hampers to feed 6,600 people this season, an increase of more than 600 hampers compared to 2010.
