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 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 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 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 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.
Council approved up to $5 million in infrastructure funding for a Temporary Village Initiative from the Renew Thunder Bay Reserve Fund, plus $1.5 million annually for operations, though administration still needs to analyze two proposed sites and report back with final costs and location recommendations. In a notable rejection, councillors voted down a Human Rights-Based Community Action Plan that would have been sent to federal and provincial housing ministers, with the motion failing 5-3. Council also approved the 2025 budget meeting schedule, with the capital budget to be presented to Committee of the Whole on November 4 and November 25, and selected Option 3 for community engagement on both operating and capital budgets.
Thunder Bay City Council took action on nuclear waste transport, formally requesting the Nuclear Waste Management Organization keep used nuclear fuel stored near its source rather than shipping it through the city, and asked federal and provincial officials to review the city's hazardous materials routes. Council rejected a proposal to delay advocacy on nuclear safety principles pending more information, choosing instead to move forward with the Proximity Principle discussion. The council also confirmed routine administrative items including meeting minutes and by-laws from the session.
Council appointed a new City Manager and Fire Chief while rejecting a proposal to sell three small parkette properties at Holly Crescent, Thistle Crescent, and Thornloe Drive. A decision on selling two other vacant city properties at 172 and 168 Street was pushed to January 2025 for further consideration. The rejections suggest council wants more time to evaluate how best to manage the city's surplus real estate.
Council approved a $42.7 million indoor turf sports facility after a confusing sequence where they first defeated the proposal, then passed it moments later—the final version commits the city to designing and building the facility through a design-build process with ongoing operating costs starting in 2026. Council also delayed a decision on an infrastructure and engineering report until June 24, with the vote narrowly passing 10-3 in favor of the postponement. Three routine resolutions covering a contract, cemetery by-law amendment, and lease agreement were also ratified.
Council remained deadlocked over a Hillcourt Estates land sale, with multiple tie votes preventing progress on whether to move forward or delay the project, ultimately deferring the decision to March 2025 and extending the general land sales deadline to March 31, 2026. In other business, council approved seven routine administrative by-laws covering fee updates, procurement rule changes, and staff reorganization adjustments, and confirmed minutes from earlier meetings.
Council approved Thunder Bay's 2024 budgets totaling $389.5 million in operating expenses and $79.9 million in capital projects, covering water, wastewater, solid waste, and waterfront services. In a rare defeat, councillors rejected a proposal to push back Victoria Parkade repairs by a year and shift $1.03 million in funding to 2025, meaning the work will proceed as originally scheduled. Council also approved golf course fee increases ranging from 1.72% to 5.26% for 2024, and authorized recruitment for a new City Manager while establishing a Housing Task Force to tackle local housing challenges.
Council capped a proposed Multi-use Indoor Sports Facility at $30 million and directed staff to redesign the project to meet that limit, excluding field size reductions but exploring cuts to amenities and environmental standards—Stantec Architecture will study alternatives and report back by March 24, 2024. Council also approved a $38 million budget amendment for a major facility project with a switch to Ontario Building Code standards and required a business plan review by March 25, 2024. A motion to delay financing decisions for Soccer Northwest Ontario's indoor sports facility failed, and a proposal to shorten the Integrity Commissioner's response timeline from 30 to 15 days ended in a 6-6 tie and was defeated.
Council approved a new City Treasurer appointment and passed five by-laws that included installing new street lights on Central Avenue, removing planning restrictions on Mapleward Road, and designating site plan control areas for two properties. The meeting was largely procedural, with council confirming previous meeting minutes and approving routine administrative and departmental updates. No major contentious issues or significant policy changes beyond these infrastructure and planning adjustments were raised.