MARCH: Event centre gains momentum, Finlandia in debt, trafficking case comes to an end

10. Dog owner Frank Vantroba was found not guilty two years after his English bulldog bit the face of a youngster in 2012 at Tarbutt Street Park.

9. Money Sense magazine listed Thunder Bay as the No. 1 place in Canada to buy real estate, based on average price, how much homes increase in value and rental-price. The national magazine says the city has been quietly rebranding itself as a regional medical, commercial and government hub.

8. Police busted a suspected marijuana grow-operation and arrested a pair of Thunder Bay residents at a semi-rural home. About 250 plants, 7.3 kilograms of dried marijuana and 1.34 kilograms of marijuana resin were seized in the bust. Pollce estimated the value of the drugs at $460,000.

7. The Fraser Institute released its annual elementary school report card and two schools were at the head of the class – St. Margaret School and Crestview Public School. Both scored 8.4 out of a possible 10 points. Overall the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board landed seven schools in the local top 10 list.

6. Deep in debt, the Finlandia Club turned to the Internet to help lift the century-old organization out of its financial turmoil. The Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign sought $15,000 to help alleviate challenges from recent renovations. They were successful.

5. Despite outcries from Coun. Rebecca Johnson that the tax-levy increase was still too high, city council passed the budget, increasing spending by 3.83 per cent over 2014. Johnson brought a number of last-minute cuts to the table, including closing city-run daycares and selling Strathcona Golf Course, but to no avail.

4. The controversial hotel project at Prince Arthur’s Landing hit a snag early in the month when it emerged that contractors and suppliers had placed liens on the development, claiming months of unpaid bills. The Resolve Group’s Gisele MacDonald blamed the situation on the architect and promised not only would the money be paid, but the project was still on schedule for a 2016 opening.

3. Matawa First Nation chiefs voice their objection to Noront planned purchase of Cliff Natural Resources’ Ring of Fire stakes, stating they believed the company and the Ontario government had put a gun to their heads. Neskantaga First Nation chief-elect Wayne Moonias said Noront was operating beyond the scope of a framework agreements signed in 2014 and that the First Nations involved should have a say in the transaction.


2. Despite opposition from several councillors, the city voted to move forward to Phase 3 of the event centre process. However, several days later city officials learned the federal government would not give them the go-ahead to use gas-tax funds to cover Ottawa’s portion of the controversial project. The city called an emergency news conference to make the announcement.

1. After months in court, John Henry Tskekouras was found guilty of drug trafficking charges. Police say his arrest, made during operation Project Dolphin, and subsequent conviction has dealt a considerable blow to the local drug trade. Court evidence showed Tsekouras used sophisticated methods to peddle narcotics in Thunder Bay. He was sentenced to 9.5 years in prison, but later released on bail, pending an appeal.