In an effort to investigate the rates of aboriginal mothers who breastfeed their babies, as well as the number of slips and falls by patients in the province of Ontario, the Registered Nurses Association of Ontario recently donated more than $250,000 to fund studies aimed at looking in to the problem.

Supporters of the studies say that the findings could have a dramatic effect on the health of residents in the region and could also help physicians, nurses, and other healthcare workers provide solutions to prevent the first problem, and then the next.

According to Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s chief nursing executive and VP, the hospital has over 40 falls by patients each month – a number that clearly needs to be addressed.

Some of the measures Ellacott wants to implement at the hospital include using a new strategy when admitting high-risk seniors, checking the environment surrounding the patient, securing their restraints, and instructing nurses to recognize and keep a close eye on patients likely to suffer from falls.

The study on breastfeeding on the other hand, will be done by Karen McQueen of Lakehead University. She and her team of researchers will look into why aboriginal women stop breastfeeding earlier than other mothers in Canada.

Having a hard time finding that perfect piece of swimwear or swimsuit? Well I found the perfect shop in Thunder Bay – Sand ‘n Sea.

It is stocked with all types for swimwear and cruisewear, you won’t able to leave the store without purchasing 2 or 3 pieces! If you are planning a destination wedding, or a vacation this year, shopping for swimwear will most likely be an item on your “to-do” list. It can sometimes be difficult finding a swimsuit you like, or that fits you just right. Well Sand ‘n Sea is open all year round offering the best in swimwear and cruise wear. No mather your body size, shape or age, you will find something at Sand ‘n Sea. Their professional staff will be able to help you choose the perfect color, style and size. Visit Sand ‘n Sea today!

This week’s headliners in the City of Thunder Bay tackled health matters and police issues in the city. If you failed to read this week’s newsmakers, don’t fret. Here’s a short recap for you.

Officials from the Heart and Stroke Foundation pointed out that Thunder Bay has a high death rate from illnesses that afflict the heart, such as heart disease and stroke. Apparently, close to 3000 people each year are diagnosed with these diseases, forcing them to be confined in hospitals and undergo treatment. The foundation has promised to organize activities to combat this trend.

Health however, doesn’t seem to be a problem for Mike Link, aged 64, and his wife, Kate Crowley, aged 60. They’re planning to walk around the shoreline of Lake Superior, the 3^rd largest lake in the world by volume. The 5 month journey will prove to be challenging for the couple, something only very few people have done before.

Thunder Bay’s Police Service had their hands full this week. The chief spoke to council and outline their problems and issues. Meanwhile, the city’s police officials took to the streets to apprehend those caught using cell phones while driving. Fortunately, only a few violated the new law.

Anyone in the Thunder Bay area who’s been to Lake Superior will most likely agree that it’s a majestic sight. But two grandparents from the United States want to take that experience even further, this time by hiking around the whole shoreline of Lake Superior on the 29^th of April.

64-year old Mike Link, and his 60-year old wife, Kate Crowley, plan to walk around the Great Lake on April. They estimate the whole journey to last around 5 months. If you’re wondering why, the American couple is doing this in hopes of raising awareness on the fragility of this majestic fresh water lake, the 3^rd largest in the world by volume. According to them, it would be a shame if their grandchildren miss out on Lake Superior’s beauty.

Link pointed out that since Lake Superior is so huge, people forget how fragile it is. More people need to know about how to preserve this body of water for the future, he added.

The 2800-mile journey is expected by the couple to take around 5 months. Link says he wants to take things slow and not rush, seeing as how the weather in the area is known be a bit unstable.

Thunder Bay’s Police Service has their hands full this year, with more and more reports of substance abuse coming in from concerned residents. Police Chief Bob Herman spoke before council on Monday night detailing police issues in the City of Thunder Bay. He reported that 2608 intoxicated people were arrested in the city – a very high number consider Sudbury only apprehended 279 people. The chief pointed that indeed, the city has a substance abuse problem. And because the city only has 7 detox beds, many of those arrested are being locked up in jail, when in fact, they shouldn’t.

According to Chief Herman, this is a health issue. Police shouldn’t be locking up these individuals; they should treated by medical personnel. He notes that the city needs to address this problem with a new program and proper funding.

Another issue that’s causing problems for Thunder Bay’s Police Service is the number of non-police calls complaints they’re receiving. He said that over 25 percent of the calls the service gets having something to do with matters like a neighbor with a barking dog, or something of that sort.

Chief Herman also reasoned out why he’s against the reduction of the police service, saying that every officer is crucial, especially with the workload they have.

With the distracted driver legislation’s education period ending on the 1^st of February, the City of Thunder Bay’s Police Service is pleased to report that they only issued 8 tickets to violators, while the Ontario Provincial Police handed out seven tickets to drivers caught using their handhelds while on the road.

Thunder Bay Police traffic Sgt. Glenn Porter noted that the education period must have worked, seeing as how few violators have been caught. It’s a clear sign that some people do know better than to use their phones and other similar devices when driving, he said.

However, he also said that some people are still not complying with the law. In fact, Sgt. Porter himself stopped a man who was talking on his phone while waiting for the green light in an intersection. When he asked the drive to pull over, the man simply said that he thought the police were still giving away caution tickets. Sgt. Porter thinks that it’s only a matter of time before word spreads that police are actually laying down charges that will hurt anyone’s wallet.

Another problem Sgt. Porter observed was the high occurrence of speeding vehicles, especially on the stretch of road near Thunder Bay Mall. Police in the area have issued over 80 tickets for speeding.

Although Red River Councilor Brian McKinnon often has a schedule that’s just slammed with important meetings, events, and the like, he still finds time to hit the gym and break a sweat on a regular basis.

According to Heart and Stroke Foundation’s area manager Tara Monteith, more people in the Northwestern region of Ontario should follow his lead. She recently spoke at a Fit for Heart event held in Thunder Bay in support of the national heart month.

She pointed out that the City of Thunder Bay has a very high death rate when it comes to heart disease and stroke. Over 2,800 people a year are diagnosed and hospitalized for heart issues, forcing the foundation to find ways and methods to reduce these disturbing numbers, she added.

The foundation is also looking for opportunities to help those afflicted by heart conditions and the like, Monteith said.

The goal, she said, is to encourage more and more people to walk the talk, to be concerned about staying physically fit and to do whatever they can to live active and healthy lifestyles. She points out that residents in Thunder Bay can do so by joining the Heart and Stroke Foundation’s numerous fundraising events.

If you’re around the Thunder Bay area next week and are looking for a healthy activity to get you in shape without really breaking that much of a sweat, than we have a very interesting event of sorts that you might want to check out.

Happening on the 10^th of February, from 1 to 4 in the afternoon, the Thunder Bay 55 Plus Centre will be having a “Laughter Yoga” class.

We admit, this new exercise might sound a little funny, but laughter yoga is actually a serious activity that involves a series of breathing and movement exercises that is said to stimulate or bring about laughter.

Ok, maybe it’s not so serious after all.

Be that as it may, if you’re looking to exercise your “laughing skills”, then this laughing yoga class just might be the thing you’re looking for. The class is also a great way to experience the wonderful physical and mental benefits of laughter.

If you’re new to yoga, no problem! The class is open to newbies and if you have a sense of humor, then you’ll absolutely love it. So come out and laugh on February 10! Admission is only at $10. If you want to know more about laughing yoga and the class, simply call 625-2316.

The kindergarten system is changing in Thunder Bay with the expansion of full-time kindergarten systems. According to Sherri Lynne Pharand, around 5 full-time junior kindergarten programs will be added to the city’s existing roster.

Full-time senior kindergarten programs were first implemented in 2002 by Lakehead Public Schools, but today, the programs are available in 11 of the 23 elementary schools in Thunder Bay that offer kindergarten. The new addition of 5 junior kindergarten full-time programs will be placed in locations that offer full-time SK programs.

The kindergarten registration week for the board was formally launched on Monday. Pharand commented that although many parents take kindergarten for granted, this stage of learning is still very important not only for children, but for their parents as well. She noted many parents will most likely have plenty of questions about the new full-time programs.

And that’s exactly what the information session on the programs that took place on Monday discussed. The meeting was held at the Valhalla Inn at 7 in the evening. Parents and guardians were in attendance, many of whom wanted to make some clarifications on how the system would affect their kids. Aside from that, elementary schools that offer the new full-time kindergarten programs also had open houses on Wednesday, at 6:30 in the evening.

Cooper Rybak’s thought his dogs were nothing but healthy and happy animals, but for some reason that eluded him at the time, both dogs later developed oral cancer that caused their deaths.

The reason why the fatal disease struck both animals escaped him for years, but when he got the chance to work as a tobacco cessation nursing intern with the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, he finally understood why.

According to Rybak, his father was a heavy smoker, and he believes the habit was behind the death of his dogs.

At the launch of a campaign that requests smokers to step outside when lighting up organized by the Thunder Bay Health Unit, Rybak said that his experience as a nursing intern has taught him the dangers of second-hand smoke not only to humans, but to pets like dogs as well.

It’s been long known that second-hand smoke is far more dangerous than we think – even more dangerous than lighting one up itself. But no studies have been done on its effect on dogs.

According to Susan Trevisan, smoking cessation coordinator at the Thunder Bay Health Unit, oral and nasal cancer in dogs is likely caused by the habit of these animals to sniff the floors of their homes. The chemical residue left behind by cigarettes is potentially to blame, she said.