Look back: Nov. 2010

1. Death at a dog park
A chihuahua-mix dog died at the city’s Winnipeg Avenue off-leash dog park after allegedly being attacked by a larger dog that many believed was part pit bull, a breed now illegal in this province.

The dog’s death sparked emotional reactions from many resident dog owners. Some of those people called for the termination of the alleged pitbull, while others demanded the courts spare the dog entirely.

The matter became more complicated when the owners had to prove that Jimi did not have any pit bull lineage. The courts will revisit the matter in the new year.

2. Standoff on Court Street
Police warned residents to stay away from the south corner of Court Street when a 42-year-old-man, who allegedly had a gun, kept police at bay for more than 24 hours.

The man later surrendered to end the standoff. Police then arrested and charged him. Police say the man allegedly used a shotgun to threaten his former spouse. The 39-year-old-woman wasn't injured.

3. Police chief announces retirement
Thunder Bay Police Service Chief Bob Herman announced he would retire, an announcement that came after 32 years of service with the force.

Since he started with the service, Herman said the role of an officer has changed from a law enforcer to a social safety net for a community. Herman’s potential replacement will be a matter for the next police board meeting in December.

4. From haircut to human rights case
The Human Rights Tribunal named members of the Lakehead District School Board, Thunder Bay Police Services Board and the Ministry of the Attorney General in a human rights case involving a hair cutting incident at McKellar Park School in April of 2009.

A teacher’s assistant cut the hair of a seven-year-old First Nations boy at the school on April 16. Following a police investigation, the Crown attorney ruled that no criminal charges would be laid.

Lawyer Julian Falconer, who represented the child's family, said they would look to seek financial compensation. He called what happened to the child a "gross human rights violation.”

5. Truth and Reconciliation
The Truth and Reconciliation Commission’s three-day conference in Thunder Bay had area survivors of the infamous school system looking for closure.

The commission concluded that some survivors and their families had trouble forgiving the federal government and the churches involved for what had happened to them.

TRC officials said they were concerned that not all the stories from residential school survivors would be told. One suggestion was to have some of the stories told in schools as part of the curriculum.

6. Bambi dies
Lawerencia Bembenek, better known as Bambi, died at a Portland, Ore. Hospice at 52.

The one-time Milwaukee police officer, who was sent to jail in March of 1982 for murdering her then-husband’s ex-wife, made headlines when she escaped from prison and was eventually discovered working at a Thunder Bay restaurant.

7. Officer charged
Thunder Bay Police Service officers charged one of its own with numerous offenses following an accusation that Ontario Sex Offender Registry records had been falsified.

Police charged Const. Toni Grann, 43, with 12 counts of breach of trust. Grann served with the Thunder Bay Police Service for 11 years and was suspended with pay following the charges. Police said the constable responsible for the convicted sex offender registry and it’s co-ordination of the data allegedly falsified a number of records between 2005 and 2010.

8. Keith’s curfew
Mayor Keith Hobbs sparked debate and discussion nearly a month before officially being sworn into office when he proposed that a citywide curfew would help to curb crime and keep youth safe.

Hobbs said he wanted to place a curfew for residents younger than 16-years-old. He said the idea of a curfew came to him while he was campaigning for the municipal election, saying that several residents brought it up while he was door knocking.

Hobbs brought the matter to city council where it received a mixed reaction.

9. Lakehead University goes wireless
Lakehead University voted to change its previous stance on wireless technology and decided to offer Wi-Fi to the entire campus. Wi-Fi wasn’t available at the school because former LU president Fred Gilbert decided to practice due diligence by not having the wireless access for fear of adverse health effects from electromagnetic fields.

10. Coal out, natural gas in
The province gave the go-ahead to turn the city’s coal-fired generating station to a natural gas station. The two remaining coal-burning plants on Mission Island will begin the conversion process into natural gas plants in 2011 with the work expected to be completed within three years.

Gary Shchepanik, chief steward for the Power Workers Union, welcomed the move to natural gas. He said the change will save up to 120 jobs at the plant.