Look back: March 2010

1 Tragedy on the Expresway
Runner Katherine Chezick was killed when she was hit by a vehicle on the Thunder Bay Expressway. Chezick was in training for the Iron Man Triathalon, the pinnacle of the sport, held each year in Hawaii.

2Bus plans axed
City council nixed a plan to put a replacement for the now-torn-down Brodie Street bus terminal on Donald Street, between Archibald Street and Syndicate Avenue. Nearby residents had expressed outrage at a lack of consultation by the city. The city later chose a city hall location for the temporary facility.

3 Child pornography charges laid
A custodian at McKellar Park Central School was arrested and charged with one count of accessing child pornography. The local suspect was one of 35 people charged in a cross-province sweep. The allegations have not been proven in court.

4 Murder sentence
Michael Shingabis is sentenced to life in prison for the second-degree murder of his 37-year-old common-law girlfriend Sybil Stoney.

He also received five years for indignity to human remains for having sex with her after she died. Police discovered the body after Stoney’s mother grew concerned having not heard from her daughter in several weeks. Police found her in a state of decomposition buried under a pile of clothes in Shingabis’s Bethune Street home.

5 Blockade concludes
A two-month blockade near the Marten Falls access point to the Ring of Fire came to a peaceful end after Northern Development, Mines and Forestry Minister Michael Gravelle met with leaders from Marten Falls and Webequie First Nation.

Marten Falls Chief Eli Moonias said they were concerned about several issues, including the environmental impact of the multi-billion project, as well as the potential for employment.

6 Hobbs makes campaign official
Though rumoured for months, retired police officer Keith Hobbs files to run for Mayor on March 25, officially launching a campaign that would take him to victory in October.

7 Film festival finds home
After a year-long search, the North of Superior Film Association’s annual film festival finally found a home. The two-day festival would now be hosted at SilverCity Thunder Bay after the Cumberland Cinema closed its doors, leaving the festival homeless.

Instead of a traditional weekend festival, films were showed on two consecutive Sundays.

8 Big partnership announced
TBayTel signed a deal with Rogers that ultimately landed all of the latter company’s Northwestern Ontario customers with TBayTel. In exchange TBayTel agreed to allow Rogers access to its regional network providing customers with coast-to-coast coverage.
9 RFDA finds home
The Regional Food Distribution Association finally found its new home, taking over the former Diamond Bingo building on Syndicate Avenue. It will replace their current MacKenzie Street home.
 
10 Golden girl returns
More than 100 fans were waiting at the Thunder Bay International Airport to greet the city’s newest Olympics Champion, Haley Irwin.  
 
Irwin, then 21, appeared exhausted as she passed through security. She hugged her mom, aunt and some friends before she began signing autographs for fans who had been waiting for her at the airport. She didn’t stop until everyone who wanted an autograph or photograph with her got one.