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Steve Gow

About Steve Gow

Steve Gow is journalist and media professional with more than 20 years’ experience in radio, television and digital/print media. You can contact Steve at gows@radioabl.ca.

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Thunder Bay Airport

Airport adds program to assist people with hidden disabilities

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The Thunder Bay International Airport is taking steps to be more inclusive for those with hidden disabilities.

The airport authority has announced it has partnered with the Hidden Disabilities Sunflower Program, an international initiative that supports people with non-visible disabilities.

“The Sunflower Program started in 2016 at London Gatwick Airport,” says the airport’s director of business development and revenue management, Jackie MacDonald about the growing initiative. “Since 2016, it has grown into a globally-recognized symbol for individuals with non-visible or hidden disabilities.”

The program allows those with hidden disabilities to wear a lanyard displaying a sunflower that will voluntarily share that they may need a helping hand, understanding, navigating or more time at the airport.

“This can range from things such as autism, people dealing with chronic pain, they may have a brain injury,” says MacDonald, adding that also includes people with ADHD, dementia and hearing loss. “In terms of the airport, they could be traveling with anxiety. That’s a huge thing at airports.”

MacDonald says all relevant staff at Thunder Bay Airport have been trained to recognize the symbol and offer assistance to those wearing the sunflower lanyard in a respectful, understanding manner.

Lanyards are available now and can be picked up at the airport at the accessible check-in counter on the main floor of the terminal building or in administrative office on the third floor.

“For us, it’s all about the passenger experience,” says MacDonald. “We always want to make sure our passengers have a positive experience when traveling through our airport.”

NOIC-Buidling

Centre launches program to help local businesses adopt to AI

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Small businesses across Northwestern Ontario are getting a chance to learn how to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into their operations.

The Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC) in Thunder Bay has launched a new AI training and funding program that offers entrepreneurs comprehensive and hands-on training.

The Building Blueprints for AI Adoption (BBAA) program is a structured five-session workshop series that focuses on five key topics.

“It’s an application process that we’re meeting with companies and looking at eligibility,” says James Ellard, senior business advisor of marketing with NOIC, adding interested companies can apply by booking a free BBAA consultation. “We are only allowing so many companies into it so it is exclusive.”

For companies that are eligible to participate, they will have access to training that is valued at $5,000 for the discounted price of $150.

The workshop-based program, which begins in February, aims to help regional businesses uncover opportunities and plans for AI integration including learning how to design marketing campaigns, how to sell using chatbots and other AI-powered incentives.

It will also teach business owners how to streamline operations by automating administrative tasks, managing files and organizing meeting notes to enhance efficiency.

“If a company is new to AI or has been dabbling, this really gets into a lot of the nitty gritty details,” says Ellard.

The end goal of the program is ensure participants can create a practical AI adoption plan tailored to their business. In additin, once those businesses form that plan, they can apply for up to $20,000 in funding to put it into action.

“The training is great in itself and it’s a great deal,” says Ellard, noting “It allows them to leverage that money (to) really execute and implement those AI initatives that are really going to help out their company create those efficiencies and really compete with other companies outside of our region that they normally couldn’t.”

NOIC was established in 1999 in Thunder Bay to support information technology start-ups in the region. It has since expanded to encompass all forms of innovation with an office in Kenora opened in 2019.

Doctor consults with patient via video call.

Virtual healthcare on the rise in rural regions of Ontario

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More rural Ontarians will soon be turning to more virtual means of healthcare in the future.

According to the medical director at Dialogue, Canada’s largest employer-funded virtual healthcare platform, more than half a million rural residents in Ontario do not have a primary care provider, which is causing a “healthcare crisis” in more remote regions of the province.

“This is publicly available data,” says Dr. Marc Robin about the figure from a recent report published by the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA). “We know that there’s about 2-and-a-half million people out there that don’t have a family doctor and out of that group, about 525,000 in the rural areas don’t have access to a primary care provider.”

However, Dr. Robin says that figure is offset by the fact that ten million Canadians do have access to employer-funded virtual care, which makes the online option a growing and integral part of the healthcare system.

He adds he expects even more people will turn to virtual care as family physicians begin to retire in rural regions of Ontario.

A recent study found 1.74 million Ontario patients were attached to a doctor aged 65 or older, which is typically considered retirement age.

“People expect access to healthcare the same way they access their banking in some ways,” says Dr. Robin. “So it is really important that the healthcare system can meet people where they are and the best way to find them is on their smartphone.”

people standing near house with red light decor during night time

Police offer safety tips as kids head out for Halloween

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Thunder Bay Police are reminding trick-or-treaters to stay safe before they hit the streets for Halloween.

Ahead of the spookiest night of the year, the force is sharing tips to ensure everyone stays safe and has fun.

Among the top rules for parents is to instruct kids to be extra careful before crossing streets and to watch for vehicles.

Parents should also ensure trick-or-treaters’ costumes are bright, fit well and can be clearly seen in the dark.

Trick-or-treaters should also carry a flashlight, stay close to well-lit areas and dress warmly.

Additionally, police advise children to trick-or-treat with people from their household or close social group and never trick-or-treat alone.

As well, children should never enter homes, particularly of strangers.

“I would recommend to all kids to make sure you are with an adult before you go inside,” says Constable Colin Brescacin, school resource officer with the Thunder Bay Police. “And if an adult is not around, I would just kindly say ‘no, thank you’ and not go inside.”

As for motorists, there are also several tips to keep in mind as costumed children scour the streets in the hunt for Halloween candy.

“The big tip I would give motorists ahead of Halloween is to just slow down,” says Brescacin. “Going a little bit slower just gives you that extra reaction time if someone pops out unexpectedly.”

assorted plastic containers on brown wooden shelf

Dryden Food Bank seeing more visitors than year ago

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The manager of the Dryden Food Bank says more people are coming their doors than in 2024.

Al Huckabay says around two per cent more people are using the local food bank on a monthly basis than last year.

He says newcomers who have expired work visas and are out of work make up the most noticable jump in clients, followed by families.

“Because of the cost of food,” says Al Huckabay. “They’re just finding it hard to make ends meet, even though some of them are still working.”

He adds the rising cost of housing and heating is also driving many new clients to use the Dryden Food Bank.

Huckabay says the rising cost of food, in particular, isn’t just contributing to more people needing the food bank’s services.

“We rely on donations,” says Huckabay, adding that includes government and public grants. “Sometimes our grants are drying up or getting smaller and yet the price of food continues to go up so we’re not able to utilize the bang for the buck to try and purchase food (so) we’re able to purchase less food but using more money.”

He says that is forcing Dryden Food Bank to limit handouts as they stretch the food on their shelves as far as possible.

Earlier this week, Food Banks Canada announced that monthly visits to food banks were up 5 per cent nationally over 2024.

In a study, the agency found food banks in Canada saw nearly 2.2 million visits in a single month.

That is double the monthly usage recorded just six years ago.

Thunder Bay Community Auditorium

Classic rock act Foreigner kicks off busy November at TBCA

November will be a big month at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium.

Not only has the renowned arts centre just celebrated its 40th anniversary but the venue will be hosting several hit artists on its stage to round out the year.

Among the attractions coming to the auditorium in November are 90’s alternative pop act Smash Mouth (Walkin’ on the Sun, All Star) and top-selling Canadian country stars Paul Brandt and Terri Clark, who are reuniting for their highly-anticipated Homecoming 2.0 tour.

However, before those topline artists grace the stage, classic rockers Foreigner will be entertaining local audiences on Sunday.

“This is a legendary band that’s playing arenas on this tour and they’ve downscaled their show specifically to play the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium so it means a lot,” says Thunder Bay Community Auditorium acting general manager, Andrew Edwards about the American hitmakers behind radio staples like Juke Box Hero and Cold As Ice.

“I think it’s amazing that our facility in Thunder Bay is a desired landing spot for international touring acts so a lot of booking agents and artists do earmark to perform at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium when doing a Canadian tour.”

He says there are still tickets available for the Foreigner show, adding that Canada’s own Geordie Brown will appear as guest vocalist during their set.

In addition to hosting the aforementioned musical stars, Thunder Bay Community Auditorium will also feature two performances from the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra, including a night of music from the James Bond movie franchise on November 8.

December will also be notably busy at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium with such acts scheduled as country stars Aaron Pritchett and George Canyon, Toronto punk band PUP, tribute show Abbamania and rising star Aysanabee from Sandy Lake First Nation.

There will also be holiday-themed shows from Johnny Reid, The Tenors as well as the family-friendly SpongeBob Musical coming to the arts centre ahead of Christmas.

opp harborfront (2)

Police issue warning to Red Lake property owners after break-ins

Provincial police are asking residents with property in the Red Lake area to check their assets and items after a series of burglaries in the area.

The call comes after the Ontario Provincial Police (OPP) announced officers had located items believed to be connected to the incidents.

The officers recovered the items while executing a search warrant at a Red Lake residence earlier today.

Property owners are encouraged to check camps, cabins and outbuildings for signs of damage or forced entry and check for missing items as soon as possible.

Anyone with information should contact Red Lake OPP at 1-888-310-1122 or submit anonymous tips to Crime Stoppers.

The investigation is ongoing.

a pile of pistachio nuts sitting on top of a table

Salmonella outbreak sees pistachio products pulled off shelves in Ontario

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Pistachios sold in Ontario have come under the microscope amid an ongoing salmonella scare.

The Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) has issued a recall for various pistachio and pistachio-related products across the province.

According to a release from the CFIA, East India brand green pistachios, Konscious Kitchen paleo and vegan pistachio bars and raw pistachio kernels from Enayat Farms and have been recalled.

The CFIA notes that “each of those companies are responsible for some, but not necessarily all, of the recalled products.”

The food inspection agency warns the recall also impacts bulk vegan pistachios sold from May 28 to June 5, which are distributed to hotels and restaurants but not sold directly to the public.

The warning advises people not to eat, sell or distribute recalled pistachios and related products.

Salmonella poisoning can cause fever, headache, nausea and abdominal cramps in healthy individuls while young children, pregnant women, seniors and those with weakened immune systems could contract serious and sometimes deadly infections.

The latest recall comes as the CFIA continues an ongoing nationwide investigation involving an outbreak of salmonella related to pistachio products across various provinces.

person holding yellow and white pen

Ontario medical authority urges vaccination ahead of alarming flu season

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An organization representing the province’s physicians is calling for all Ontario residents to get vaccinated this fall.

The Ontario Medical Association (OMA) is warning we could see a record-breaking flu season, partly due to rising numbers of people avoiding immunization.

OMA president Dr. Zainab Abdurrahman says the reasoning behind the prediction is the number of infections seen in Australia earlier this year.

“We always look to Australia and surrounding areas because they experience the season ahead of us,” she says. “Those similar trends are often predictive of what we’ll be seeing here and they had another record-breaking season from influenza infections and seeing the complications of that.”

In a release, OMA noted that Australia recorded more than 410,000 lab-confirmed flu cases this year — surpassing the previous high of 365,000 in 2024.

“That is why we are really pressing hard in terms of pushing for everyone to be vaccinated and be prepared for this winter,” adds Dr. Abdurrahman.

She says OMA calls on all Ontarians to take advantage of the free flu and COVID vaccinations made available to all residents as of this past Monday.

While vaccines are available to all members of the public through pharmacies, family doctors, and public health units, Dr. Abdurrahman encourages residents to talk to their doctor if they have any concerns.

“Unfortunately, we know that there is a lot of misinformation that is online,” says Dr. Abdurrahman. “So we really want to ensure that people can have these conversations with someone that they trust.”

drydenhall

City of Dryden wants residents to help design strategic plan

Residents of Dryden are being invited to add their input to help the city shape its strategic plan.

The City of Dryden has launched a short online survey that it hopes will help inform the priorities city council will make over the next five years.

The survey consists of just eight questions but the results will be shared with city council and departments.

The survey can be found here and interested residents are encouraged to review the current strategic plan at: www.dryden.ca/strategic-planning

According to the City, the goal of the strategic plan is to help “deliver sustainable municipal services and infrastructure with courtesy, integrity, transparency and fiscal responsibility.”

Deadline to participate in the survey is November 18.

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