THUNDER BAY - Here are the top stories from October 2018, as selected by tbnewswatch.com reporter Matt Vis. 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.
- Thunder Bay city council underwent its biggest shake-up in more than a decade when city voters cast their ballots. Former MPP Bill Mauro held off Frank Pullia to win the mayoral race. First-time candidates to win office include McIntyre’s Albert Aiello, McKellar’s Brian Hamilton, Neebing’s Cody Fraser, Westfort’s Kristen Oliver and Peng You, who captured the most-large votes by a wide margin. Veterans Linda Rydholm, Iain Angus, Joe Virdiramo and Larry Hebert were among those to feel the sting of defeat on election night.
- Premier Doug Ford made his first visit to Thunder Bay since forming government, stopping at the Resolute Forest Products pulp and paper mill. Ford told media that he believes the best way out of poverty “is something called a job” when asked about his government’s decision to cancel the basic income pilot project.
- Police investigated two homicides that happened in the span of two days on opposite sides of the city. Three people have been charged with first-degree murder in the death of Ashley McKay after the 25-year-old’s body was found in a Cumming Street Apartment. Peter Keeash is facing a murder charge in the death of Irene Barkman, who passed away days after being found unresponsive at a Dufferin Street residence.
- A pair of fatal fires claimed a total of three lives. Kyle Stoney, 30, was left dead after a Trillium Way blaze and Tracey Mawakeesic was arrested and charged with criminal negligence causing death. A Taylor Drive fire resulted in the deaths of two people, whose identities were not publicly released.
- Dallas Bailey, 20, was killed in a highway crash on a slippery section of the Thunder Bay Expressway. His father has called on the Ministry of Transportation to install concrete medians down the middle of the highway to divide traffic.
- Public health nurses at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit hit the picket lines, rallying against wages that they said were the lowest in the province for their line of work. The strike lasted nearly a month before the two sides reached an agreement in mid-November.
- Kirsten Wesley was sentenced to serve nearly two more years behind bars after previously pleading guilty to manslaughter for the September 2016 death of 20-year-old Leslie Moonias. Moonias was stabbed after the couple got into an argument and was found dead the next morning by his five-year-old nephew.
- A 58-year-old man was killed after being run over by three vehicles on Fort William Road. According to police, the man was laying on the road at the time of the incident and all three vehicles attempted to take evasive action but were not successful. Police have not declared whether any charges will be laid.
- A Greyhound bus passed through the city for the final time as the transportation company ended its Western Canada service. That leaves regional carrier Kasper Transportation as one of the only options for intercommunity bus service in Northwestern Ontario.
- Tyler Boily, who had previously served jail time for causing a 2014 highway crash that resulted in two fatalities, was arrested by Thunder Bay police after running a red light and then attempting to hit an officer with a hammer after a brief chase. Boily faces multiple charges including dangerous driving and assaulting police.
