Jacob Henriksen-Willis is a Thunder Bay-based multimedia journalist with a passion for storytelling. He is a graduate of Loyalist College's Journalism program. You can contact him at Henriksen-WillisJ@radioabl.ca.
Earlier this week, the Central Taxi Association (CTA) called for a province-wide driver registry and mandatory in-vehicle cameras for all ride-hailing services (i.e. taxis, Uride, Uber, Lyft, etc).
“The recent explosion in the number of Vehicles for Hire (VFH) means municipalities are struggling or simply incapable of managing the system,” said CTA president Marc André Way. “Now is the time for Ontario to introduce a centralized information management system and a single transferrable license for drivers who are transporting passengers for money.”
Taxi and ridesharing companies may not always align, but Uride CEO Cody Ruberto says he’s in complete agreement with Way on the need for universal security cameras.
“I think it’s the right thing to do,” Ruberto said. “It’s something that helps protect riders and it also helps protect drivers. And when there’s a camera in the car, the odds of dangerous scenarios happening drop.”
Ruberto said Uride already encourages newly onboarded drivers to install a security camera for safety purposes.
The push follows an incident last year when police had difficulty contacting an Uber driver who unknowingly drove off with a child, raising concerns about passenger safety.
“Technologies already exist which can be used to ensure travelers’ safety and consumer protection. It is incumbent upon government and the ground transportation industry to work together and create a plan to do this,” said Way.
The CTA also suggested Vehicles for Hire picking up passengers along the new Northlander train route be provided with specific clear and highly visible “MTO pilot” magnet or sticker signage with QR code; that signage be posted in the stations; and that a customer feedback phone number or email address be provided to give passengers an easy opportunity to submit complaints or compliments on service levels.
The Fort William Rotary Club is celebrating another year of generosity after donating more than $580,000 to the community in 2025.
Representatives from charities across the city met Wednesday at the brand-new Regional Food Distribution Association (RFDA) gathering hall to recognize the Rotary’s contributions. The RFDA received $100,000 from the Rotary last year to assist in renovations.
Chair of the RFDA Board Jude Gaw at Wednesday’s celebration (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 25 2026)
“We have over 20 charities that we give to year over year,” said Rotary President Stephen Margarit. “It’s so great reading about the projects we helped to fund. We’re a small organization of just over 40 people, so to be able to make that huge impact in our community reflects the great work we do.”
The event doubled as a 40th anniversary celebration for the Rotary’s 50/50 House Lottery, one of the club’s largest fundraising initiatives.
Margarit wouldn’t give away exactly what’s in store, but the Rotary plans to announce “something special” in the coming weeks to honour 40 years of the lottery. Last year, the winner received a 1,360 sq. ft. home at Bruin Crescent. There are a total of $50,000 in Early Bird prizes up for grabs this year.
“The Fort William Rotary Club has a long history of giving back in our community, and it’s not just about those big cheques. Us Rotarians are out in the community, we’re volunteering at a lot of these organizations, and we see firsthand where a lot of the money goes,” Margarit said.
A complete list of 2025 charity contributions made by the Fort William Rotary Club:
• 70th Thunder Bay Royal Canadian Air Cadet Squadron – $20,000 • Camp Quality Canada – $16,000 • Children’s Aid Society of the District of Thunder Bay – $8,000 • Conseil Scolaire de District Catholique des Aurores Boréales – $500 • Dayna Elizabeth Karle (DEK) Addiction Recovery Foundation – $7,600 • Easter Seals Canada – 5,000 • Evergreen: A United Neighbourhood – $2,500 • George Jeffrey Children’s Foundation – $53,400 • Hospice Northwest – $6,520 • Lakehead District School Board Scholarship Fund – $2,000 • Lakehead Festival of Music and the Arts – $12,500
• Northern Nishnawbe Education Council – $500 • Our Kids Count Thunder Bay Inc: – $50,000 • Regional Food Distribution Association of Northwestern Ontario – $100,000 • St. Joseph’s Foundation of Thunder Bay – $76,788 • The Salvation Army Thunder Bay – $10,000 • Thunder Bay Boys’ and Girls’ Club – $25,000 • Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board Awards Trust Fund – $1,000 • Thunder Bay Christmas Cheer Fund – $10,000 • Thunder Bay Emergency Shelter Inc. – $75,000 • Thunder Bay Regional Health Science Foundation – $134,180 • Wilderness Discovery Centre – $10,000
“I’m in awe of the amount of money that they’re giving to us,” said RFDA Board Chair June Gaw. “It’s helping us so much in our project, we couldn’t do it without them. Thank you so much, Rotary.”
In addition to their new gathering space, the RFDA also launched a community training kitchen to provide food banks across Thunder Bay with professional facilities for educational cooking classes, community meals and food rescue initiatives.
“The Fort William Rotary is just a group of individuals from all walks of life and all ages that get together to do community work,” said Rotary Chair of Community Service Nancy Patterson. “It’s good to know you’re making a small dent in the vast needs of our community.”
Wednesday’s event was also a good networking opportunity for the various charities partnering with the Rotary.
“This night is just for everyone to get to know each other and see what the other charities are doing, what the money is being used for that we’re giving to them, and just to celebrate partnerships. It’s just great to be a part of Rotary and to be able to help in any way that I can,” said Rotary member Laurie Etter.
Rotary Club members Nancy Patterson and Laurie Etter (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 25 2026)
Sexuality, identity, and human rights are being explored at Lakehead University’s inaugural student-led Sexual Activism and Politics exhibit.
The four-day exhibition is the culmination of a semester of study in the Gender and Women’s Studies program. Students have turned the university’s Agora into a space for dialogue, using artworks to spark creative engagement on topics that affect many communities in our society.
The artists behind the Sexual Activism and Politics exhibit (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 25 2026)
“Stories often lack dignified spaces where they can be told,” said Kyra Brimmell, exhibit co-curator and a student in the program. “I wanted to help create a dignified and aesthetic place where people could tell their stories.”
Brimmell said engaging in meaningful conversations and activism through the program was very fulfilling for her.
“We all just happened to sign up for the same class together, and now we’re all friends and we get to work together and share our stories,” she said. “Everybody was very passionate and it was infectious.”
Students say the exhibit aims to amplify marginalized voices and inspire viewers to take action.
“A big thing to me is acknowledging specifically women and queer individuals who were left out of history,” said student and co-curator Kaylea Conway. “I’m honoured to have people tell me so much about their lived experiences and then give me the chance to portray it in a respectful light. This is all very complex art that we’re working with.”
Course instructor Mohit Dudeja said the exhibit emerged through a democratic decision‑making process among students.
“We are so proud of it,” Dudeja said. “This aims to create awareness, to let people know about things that have happened throughout history but also the things that are happening now. People from the 2SLGBTQ+ community, women, gender and sexual minorities, they’re still oppressed in Canada. Even though it apparently has an image of being more open and friendly to minorities. We want to bring these issues to the forefront.”
Artworks on display at the inaugural Sexual Activism and Politics exhibit at Lakehead.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue responded to a call at a single-floor bungalow on Woodside Street shortly after midnight Wednesday.
Occupants were able to evacuate safely.
An ambulance crew called in the alarm while attending for a medical call. Paramedics smelled smoke and were informed by an exiting occupant that something was on fire.
The fire was reported as aggressive initially, but six pumpers and two attack lines were able to control it. Searches of the main floor and basement were completed quickly thereafter
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue says it would like to remind the public that working smoke alarms and a regularly practiced fire escape plan are essential to ensuring the safety of your family in the event of a fire.
Economic development groups in Northwestern Ontario are joining forces to launch a forestry startup accelerator.
The Boreal Springboard initiative is kicking off a 3-month accelerator program for select startups. The program will provide funding, business development resources, investment planning and networking opportunities.
“The forestry sector is under a lot of pressure right now, especially with the trade war against our southern neighbour,” said Project Coordinator Graham Bracken. “Our response is to build a program which harnesses a lot of the fundamentals that we have.”
Bracken said northwestern Ontario has large sustainable forests and the skilled workforce required to convert them to international and domestic products.
“We have an embarrassment of riches and a lot of what it takes to build and sustain a sector,” Bracken said. “What we wanted to do with the program is support the next generation of entrepreneurs who will enter this sector.”
The program is a collaborative effort between the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC), the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) and the Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio-Economy (CRIBE).
There is also a second program under the Boreal Springboard umbrella aimed at assisting forestry businesses that are farther along in their journeys.
“You need to figure out where (a business) is going to land, where they’re going to work, what kind of supports are available for them either on product validation or figuring out their market,” Bracken said. “But more than that, it’s about us facilitating connections into the sector.”
From a NOIC press release, participating companies in the first cohort of the accelerator program are engaged in the following initiatives:
Commercializing an innovative process for producing platform chemicals from hardwood chips, targeting large end markets with applications across the food and beverage sector as well as heavy industry.
Prototyping and modularizing advanced wood construction for a direct‑to‑consumer product designed for at‑home assembly, leveraging local tree species and established manufacturing expertise.
The development of a mass timber facility, manufacturing a product that strengthens the sector by increasing domestic demand for existing softwood lumber production and enhancing regional capacity for wood‑based construction.
Commercializing an advanced biomass‑based diagnostic tool for the health sector, aimed at improving the management of known exposure risks in the mining and heavy industry workforce.
“Right now, we have about two years of runway,” Bracken said. “This is very much a pilot for us to kind of ensure that this works and show industry that we add value and that the community will benefit.”
“We want to put (these startups) in a position where by the end of the program, they’re either able to realize a first sale or they’re able to leverage into private investment or government funding to help them scale.”
Bracken also stressed that the program doesn’t intend to disrupt any incumbent businesses in the forestry sector. He says this program is about addition rather than subtraction, and new innovative products can extract value from unclaimed or under-utilized niches without competing against core manufacturers.
Drivers aren’t the only ones feeling pressure at the pump these days.
Porter Airlines is announcing a temporary fuel surcharge on all VIPorter flight redemptions. As of Monday, a $40 “Peak Surcharge” fee will be added when booking with loyalty points. Any bookings made prior to Monday are unaffected.
“Importantly, this surcharge is expected to be temporary,” Porter said in a release. “As oil prices stabilize and return to normal levels, we plan to return to standard pricing.”
Porter explained this is necessary as fuel is the highest cost of airline operations.
