THUNDER BAY -- Here are the top stories from May 2018, as selected by tbnewswatch.com editor Leith Dunick. We'll be rolling out our look back at the year gone throughout the rest of December, culminating with our most read stories of the year on Jan. 1.
- Indigenous leaders slammed the selection of Justice Patrick Smith as the new dean at Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin School of Law. They were enraged at the choice, saying Smith was the judge who jailed Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation Chief Donny Morris and five councillors in 2008 for refusing to allow mineral exploration on their community’s traditional lands. Nishnawbe Aski Nation Deputy Grand Chief Derek Fox called the move an insult to First Nations.
- Nicholas Necan was handed a life sentence with no parole eligibility for 13 years, convicted of second-degree murder in the brutal 2016 beating death of 60-year-old George James Gerard. Court heard the victim was beaten to death over a 45-minute period while minding his own business in his apartment.
- Students at Dennis Franklin Cromarty took their push for a new school and living centre to Ottawa, where they presented their case, along with teachers and school administrators, to several members of Parliament and senators. They were promised their letter would also be delivered to the prime minister.
- Premier Kathleen Wynne paid a pre-election visit to the city and defended Liberal commitments that included free pre-kindergarten child care, the start of government-paid prescription drugs and dental care, at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association’s annual general meeting. Wynne was questioned why that money wasn’t being spent on infrastructure. Conservative Leader Doug Ford and NDP Leader Andrea Horwath also attended the meetings.
- Thunder Bay Police, in a foreshadowing of gun violence to come in 2018, investigated a sough-side shooting outside a notorious bar. A 28-year-old man was sent to hospital with non life-threatening injuries, with police saying they were consistent with being hit with shotgun pellets.
- The city’s new taxi bylaw came into effect, after getting final approval from Thunder Bay city council. The new regulations set guidelines for traditional taxicab companies and ride-sharing services, allowing for surge pricing and an unlimited number of licences in the city.
- Local school bus companies say bus registration projections show ridership was expected to dip by one-third, after students in high school and senior elementary schools were forced to register for bus service to and from the classroom. About 3,100 students signed up for bus service, though 4,700 were eligible.
- A 20-year-old robbery suspect was arrested and charged with attempted murder after allegedly threatening and assaulting a Mac’s Convenience Store employee at the company’s Red River Road location. The move spurred Mac’s to revisit store hours in Thunder Bay, closing most locations at midnight.
- A Thunder Bay North Stars player was in court to face assault charges after an off-ice incident at a Superior International Junior Hockey League game. Avery Siau, who returned to the team in November, was accused of punching Dryden coach Kurt Walsten, while the player was already sitting out a suspension. He was booted from the league for 25 games.
- The business community got some good news when ReGen Med was named Ontario’s tissue-processing centre. The decision was expected to create 30 full-time jobs, including 27 in Thunder Bay, and add about $10 million to the local construction economy.
