We’re doing something different with our top 10 news stories of the year.
Traditionally, the tbnewswatch.com editorial staff makes a list of the news stories they believed were the year’s most important. This year we’ve taken the editorial department out of the equation and have let you – the reader -- decide what the top stories of 2011 were.
Here are the top 10 most read local news stories of 2011:
1. Big mess – Windstorm leaves destructive mess at the airport.
This one went viral.
It started with initial reports from police that a roof at the airport had collapsed. Our Twitter and Facebook feeds quickly exploded with chatter about this news.
Moments later, city police had more information and were able to clarify that wind blew off a portion of the corrugated roof at the airport. The parking lot was a mess and several vehicles sustained significant damage.
Once the final story was posted, Twitter and Facebook referrals kept people coming to tbnewswatch.com, bringing our servers to capacity.
2. Student sent home – Alexandria Szeglet’s pro-choice protest
Alexandria Szeglet’s pro-choice message caught national attention.
The St. Patrick High School student made a statement by adding a strip of green tape to her school uniform with the word “choice” written on it.
The silent protest became louder than she would have expected. Not only did it fire up a debate on tbnewswatch.com about the appropriateness of the pro-life and pro-choice debates at school, but it also caught the attention of national newspapers like the National Post and the Globe and Mail.
3. Deadly explosion – Tragedy rocks Terrace Bay
The fatal incident at Terrace Bay was a very sad day for the region.
While it was an incredibly emotional moment for the community of Terrace Bay, the grief spread across the entire Northwest and beyond.
4. Major Raid –Police seize $1 million in narcotics and property
Maybe it was the name of the raid – Project Dolphin – or maybe it was the sheer volume of drugs and allegedly stolen property that was seized, but whatever it was this raid had people reading.
5. Two-year old killed – No charges laid after tragic accident
There’s not much that can be said about this incident. The facts are laid out in the original story. The circumstances surrounding this youngster’s death shocked the community.
6. Armed standoff –Man arrested after peaceful conclusion
Thunder Bay Police Service were involved in more than one armed standoff this year, but something about this one had people’s attention.
What began as a visit from a bylaw officer, ended in the peaceful arrest of a suspect by Thunder Bay Police Service officers. That arrest took place after four hours of tension.
7. Body found – The tragic end of the Jordan Wabasse story
The disappearance of Jordan Wabasse had the attention of the entire community for months. So when a body was pulled from the Kaministiquia River in May there was little doubt as to the identity.
The story continued even after the body was identified, and even attracted national attention to the issues surrounding First Nations teens from the far north and whether or not they are properly prepared to handle urban living.
With questions still surrounding this serious issue, there’s no doubt that the story will continue into 2012.
8. Lived to the fullest – A look at the life of a notable advocate for those with Cystic Fibrosis
Carla Stamp’s impact on the community was significant, and that is why the story about her life was one of the year’s most read.
Stamp became a well-known face of the community for her yearly appearances on the Cystic Fibrosis Mother Day telethon. She also became an advocate for those with Cystic Fibrosis and helped many who suffered with the disease.
“Carla was very positive person,” her mother, Mary Long-Irwin, told tbnewswatch.com in September. “She always went along for the ride. She never ever felt sorry that she had Cystic Fibrosis.
“A few days before she went into the ICU, she explained to me, because she knew something was wrong, she said to me that ‘I just want to make sure that you understand that I don’t regret anything in my life at all. I got to live and do everything I wanted to do including getting married.’”
9. Mayor threatened – Embracing the region’s Aboriginal population fuels angry threat
In 2011, the mayor made all kinds of headlines. So, it’s no surprise that at least one of those headlines made it onto this list.
While speaking at an annual racial discrimination breakfast, Mayor Keith Hobbs told those in attendance that he had been the victim of a threat.
Hobbs added that his desire to have Thunder Bay become Nishnawbe Aski Nation’s symbolic 50th territory led to that threat.
10. Bomb scare – Threat forces Bombardier workers into the cold
Having the local Bombardier plant evacuated in December because of a bomb scare caught people’s attention, but it was the city’s response that really had people reading.
City buses were sent to the plant in an effort to keep employees warm during the bomb scare. The story led to a debate about whether or not it was appropriate to temporarily shut down transit services in this kind of scenario.
The debate became heated in the comment sections of stories published later on, which focused more on the transit issue.
