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Council may amend official plan
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 2/19/2007 8:01:44 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=92665

The agenda is small so it could be a brief meeting for Thunder Bay city council Monday evening. It is headlined by a call from administration for the city to pave the way for new energy generation opportunities in the city's heavy industrial areas.

A report from staff is recommending that the city amend its official plan to allow the generation and distribution of electricity in heavy industrial zones. The amendment is hoping to introduce policies that will support the creation of renewable and alternative energy. It's expected this will help the energy industry redevelop underutilized industrial lands for the purpose of energy generation uses.

The report was authored by Katherine Dugmore, manager of planning for the city.

Waterfront vision shared at forum
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 2/19/2007 8:00:56 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=92652

There was an opportunity this weekend for city residents to have their say about the future of the city's waterfront.

The city's waterfront development committee played host to an open forum to gather input on what the community thinks is the best course for reshaping the 52-kilometre long waterfront. The session comes just weeks short of the unveiling of the committee's master plan.

How do you imagine Thunder Bay's Waterfront over the next ten years? While some residents see a commercialized park, with shopping centers, eateries and pubs, others want recreation, walking trails, and artwork, included in the 52-kilometer stretch of land. Erin Pupeza, would like a memorial incorporated in the development. She says after seeing a monument in Vancouver honouring fallen soldiers lost in Afghanistan, she feels it's time our city do the same.

While Pupeza is proposing a statue, another group is hoping for something a little larger. Laura Fralick of the Lake Superior Place organization, says there is definitely potential for a major center on the waterfront, a center that will reflect what the city is all about. She compares the lofty proposal to the Sydney Opera House in Australia.

Committee chair, Mark Bentz says engaging the community in the development process of the Waterfront is very important. He says residents seem to be on the same page as the committee, all looking toward a vision that will cater to the locals.

On Wednesday March 7, the community is once again invited to join the waterfront development committee for the unveiling of the Marina Park Village master plan. The event will be held at the Community Auditorium, starting at 7 p.m.

Things are looking up this week, but we lost two historic buildings in fires recently. The Canadian Bank of Commerce (3 storeys, 1911 | Victoria Avenue East) and 49 N Cumberland Street (2 Storeys, 1920s ; Building that used to have Mr. Print and Cupello Law). There are now many people calling for the city to step in and give tax breaks to owners of historic buildings to make it easier for them to fix them up and maintain them.

Commercial building gutted by fire
Tb News Source | Web Posted: 2/19/2007 8:05:34 PM
http://www.tbsource.com/Localnews/index.asp?cid=92647

Investigators continue the search for clues into the cause of a fire that destroyed an entire north-side city block on Saturday.

Thunder Bay Fire and Rescue Service responded to a structural fire at 49 Cumberland Street North, a vacant commercial building, at about 8 a.m. Crews from five stations had to be brought in to help fight the blaze that eventually gutted the structure and caused a portion of the roof to collapse. At one point, heat from the fire was so intense it flew the windows out on the front of the building.

An investigator from the Ontario Fire Marshal's Office was sifting through the remains Monday. Rolf Waffler says the investigation may take some time because of the weather conditions.

''As you can appreciate with the water and now ice that's formed it's going to take a while to get our areas cleared out so we can make a thorough investigation'' he said.

There have been reports of homeless people using the building which led to concern someone may have been inside at the time of the outbreak. But fire officials say a search of the property came up negative.