Council approved a $70,000 cargo van purchase for the Temporary Shelter Village, funded through a federal emergency grant to improve transportation operations. Council also green-lit a new transit funding agreement and authorized the Community Services Commissioner to finalize related contracts on the city's behalf. Two closed-door special meetings are scheduled for late March and early April to address confidential personnel matters involving city staff.
Council expanded where alcohol is allowed in Thunder Bay, approving its use at Waverley Park and Tbaytel Multiplex under updated municipal policy. However, residents hoping for improved bus service this summer were disappointed when council rejected a proposal to adjust transit schedules and gradually restore service levels as staffing recovers. Council also rejected an amendment to allow ball pythons as pets, keeping the snakes prohibited under current animal regulations. In a separate decision, council approved a new operating agreement with Circular Materials to manage the recycling depot on Walsh Street.
Thunder Bay City Council declared homelessness a humanitarian crisis and authorized joint work with Fort William First Nation and Nishnawbe Aski Nation to address it, with progress reports due twice yearly. Council also approved criteria for designated encampment sites and ordered staff to identify three potential locations for council consideration before final approval. The city will pursue funding for a Home Energy Improvement Loan Program to help residents finance energy-efficient home upgrades, potentially partnering with other Northern Ontario municipalities on shared financing.
Council rejected a request to cut the Police Services Board budget further, with the motion failing 6-7, meaning the force's 2026 spending plan will proceed without additional reductions. The council also updated the Fire Rescue by-law for the first time since 1984 and amended parking enforcement rules, both passing unanimously. A handful of routine administrative items including 311 customer service implementation and housing infrastructure funding were approved through the consent agenda.
Council opened four vacant city properties for development proposals—including sites on Fanshaw Street, Tokio Street, and Tupper/Camelot Streets—in a bid to activate underused land across Thunder Bay. The city also tightened rules for community organizations seeking operating grants, capping them at $40,000 or 22% of an organization's budget to keep total funding at $220,000. In other moves, council approved $93,000 in engineering funding for the Community Auditorium and allowed a garden suite on John Street Road for the next 20 years.
Council adopted the Smart Growth Action Plan, committing to twice-yearly progress reports and advancing the Waterfront Trail development with any necessary bylaw changes to follow. They also approved $650,000 in combined loan and grant funding for the Thunder Bay Community Tennis Centre's new indoor facility and gave conditional approval to lease an ambulance base from Terrace Bay Township pending that municipality's council approval. In a notable rejection, council voted down a proposal requiring each councillor to hold at least one public townhall meeting annually, with eight councillors voting against the measure.
Council approved $2.5 million in additional funding for the Thunder Bay Art Gallery's new building, with payments split across two phases as the facility opens, using money from the Municipal Accommodation Tax and Renew Thunder Bay reserves. The city also rezoned 869 Golf Links Road from industrial to commercial use, permitting community development with a 23-meter height cap and mandatory landscaping requirements. Council named the new indoor turf facility at 480 Beverly Street the Tbaytel Multiplex under a 10-year naming rights agreement with the telecommunications company.
Council voted down a motion to remove a proposed 100-unit temporary shelter village from the city's Human Rights-Based Community Action Plan, with the proposal surviving a 2-10 defeat, meaning the shelter village will remain in the housing strategy. In other major decisions, Council approved removing the parking lot from the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium's lease to make it fully independent, adjusted the Art Gallery's lease deadlines, and designated the Chippewa Park Carousel as a heritage site. Council also gave administration the green light to move forward with directions on solid waste and recycling infrastructure that were discussed in a closed session.
Council approved $60,000 for a new vehicle for the Encampment Response Team using a Health Canada grant and consolidated weekday ice time at city arenas, closing Grandview on Mondays and Neebing entirely on weekdays starting October 12. The city also extended development timelines for two residential subdivisions: Gemstone Estates Stage 6 west of Hilldale Road gets until January 2028, and the Dawson Road project gets until October 2030. Council nominated Roshni Antony and Carol Pollard as candidates for the Thunder Bay International Airport Authority board, with the Authority selecting one for a three-year term.
Council reversed its decision to build a temporary shelter village at the Hillyard site next to 8th Avenue, voting 8-4 to reject the previously approved location. The city will now have to search for an alternative site for the shelter facility. The vote suggests significant disagreement among councillors about the Hillyard location, with four members voting to keep the original plan.
Council deadlocked 6-6 on a motion to develop criteria for legal tent encampment areas in Thunder Bay, effectively killing the proposal to work with agencies and unhoused residents on designated shelter locations. A separate 6-6 tie vote also blocked an attempt to accelerate debate on the Temporary Shelter Village Initiative, preventing the matter from being discussed immediately. The tied votes highlight deep divisions on council over how to address homelessness in the city.
Council approved moving forward with 2025 budget consultations, allowing community feedback on city spending priorities to enter the formal review process. They also adopted minutes from an August 11 committee meeting on tent encampment policies, though a specific item from that discussion will be voted on separately at a future meeting. The session was largely procedural, with council confirming agendas and passing standard by-law resolutions.
Council approved applications for infrastructure funding from the Ontario Infrastructure and Lands Corporation and appointed enforcement officers to handle municipal code and parking violations. The city also backed participation in the Rural Ontario Development Program and supported advocacy efforts by the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board. The rest of the meeting consisted of standard procedural confirmations of previous meeting minutes and agendas.
Council rejected a temporary shelter village proposal for 114 Miles Street East that would have cost $125,000 annually, but then approved a different location at the Hillyard Site next to 8th Avenue instead, empowering the Director of Strategy & Engagement to move forward with operational details and agreements. The shift came after council took a break to have administration review alternatives, suggesting the Hillyard location addressed concerns that derailed the original plan. Council also approved a subdivision agreement with DiGregorio Developments Inc.
Council approved six by-laws on July 14, including the 2025 tax levy, appointments for a Deputy City Clerk and parking enforcement officers, and revised council meeting procedures. The session was largely procedural, with councillors confirming minutes from previous meetings in June and April and formally ratifying the day's decisions. Councillor Greg Johnsen served as acting Mayor for the meeting. No contentious votes or major policy debates were recorded.
Council approved Kam River Heritage Park as the site for a temporary shelter village to address homelessness and gave staff authority to move the project forward, though they also asked staff to review alternative locations. A contentious debate over truck routes ended with Council approving new designation rules despite a failed motion that sought to delay implementation until the province improved safety at Oliver Road—the meeting stretched past midnight to complete the discussion. A proposed amendment to the user fee by-law was defeated, and Council confirmed all procedural minutes from recent meetings.
Council overhauled Thunder Bay's parking system, approving a mixed approach that raises enforcement fees while offering free parking incentives through the end of 2027. Starting Monday through Saturday from 9am to 6pm, drivers will get 4 hours free at the Marina and Market Square (then paid rates apply) and 2 hours free at on-street meters, though the city will close five underutilized parking lots by June. Council also passed enforcement by-laws to allow staff to issue parking tickets and directed administration to explore eliminating free parking entirely and potentially dissolving the Parking Authority Board. The changes represent a significant shift in how the city manages downtown parking and revenue.
Council appointed an Acting Mayor and approved three by-laws with concrete impacts on city operations: updated weight restrictions, a lane closure near St. George Avenue, and site plan control designations at three locations on Memorial and 13th Avenues that will give the city authority to review development plans at those sites. The meeting also confirmed minutes from May's regular and committee sessions.
Council selected Kam River Heritage Park as the site for Thunder Bay's temporary shelter village, granting the Director of Strategy & Engagement broad authority to finalize operational details and agreements without waiting for further council approval. The city also amended its parking enforcement officer by-law to update appointment and operational procedures, and approved alcohol service for the Festival Bonjour event at Waverley Park.
Thunder Bay City Council rejected the Thunder Bay Public Library's expansion plan on April 28, refusing a proposal that would have capped the city's funding contribution at $2.06 million for a new library space at Intercity Shopping Centre. Council also defeated a motion to delay the decision until May 5, voting 9-4 to move forward immediately. The rejection means the library expansion as proposed will not proceed, leaving the facility's future in question.
Thunder Bay City Council decisively rejected four separate proposals to restructure the council's composition, keeping the current 12-member setup with 8 ward councillors and 2 at-large members intact. After hours of debate that extended past midnight, council approved a temporary shelter village at 1111 Fort William Road (leased from the Lakehead Region Conservation Authority) rather than a Cumberland Street site, giving the Director of Strategy & Engagement authority to negotiate and operate the facility. Council also approved four zoning and development bylaws affecting properties around the city, including removing development restrictions at 211 Alton Road and authorizing a subdivision by DiGregorio Developments.
Council approved updates to municipal service fees and confirmed appointments for weed inspectors and city officers. The meeting was otherwise procedural, with council confirming agendas and minutes from previous sessions.
Council punted a decision on the Woodside Street lands, deferring it for two years until a report comes back by March 31, 2027. A motion to declare surplus property at 172 something failed to pass. The rest of the meeting involved routine approvals of previous meeting minutes and bylaw confirmations.
Council approved boulevard gardens for residents while requiring them to maintain the plantings, and authorized road and storm sewer improvements on MacDonell Street between Central and Squier as local improvement projects. The meeting was otherwise procedural, with council confirming its agenda and minutes.
Council approved Thunder Bay's 2025 operating budget of $385 million, which will require $219 million in municipal taxes. The budget covers the city's core operations plus separate rate-based budgets for water, sewer, waste, parking, and boater services, each designed to break even after reserve contributions. The remainder of the meeting consisted of routine procedural approvals including confirmation of previous meeting minutes and a board appointment to Synergy North.