A 45-year old man from Thunder Bay is facing drunk driving charges after failing a breathalyzer test with a child in his vehicle.
The man was pulled over during a Reduce Impaired Driving Everywhere (RIDE) stop at the intersection of Mount Baldy Road & Highway 527, within the Municipality of Shuniah.
He is charged with the following:
Operation while impaired – blood alcohol concentration (80 plus);
Operation while impaired – alcohol and drugs;
Fail to Provide Necessaries of Life – Child or Spouse;
The accused has been released from custody and is scheduled to appear before court in late April.
The OPP’s RIDE program is an anti-impaired driving blitz, featuring around-the-clock spot checks and granting officers the authority to demand roadside breath samples without reasonable suspicion.
Two Thunder Bay locals are charged with drug trafficking after a two-month investigation.
On Thursday, members of the Thunder Bay Police searched a home on Algoma Street North and seized suspected fentanyl, crack cocaine, methamphetamine, cash, a stun gun, and items associated with drug trafficking.
The investigation began on January 12, 2026, in response to reports of suspected drug trafficking.
A 48-year old man and a 40-year old woman are being charged with the following:
• Possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000 • Possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking – cocaine • Possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking – opioid • Possession of a Schedule 1 substance for the purpose of trafficking – methamphetamine • Unauthorized possession of a weapon
Both of the accused were remanded into custody after their first court appearance.
The public is invited to attend a drop‑in session to share their feedback and learn more about six potential designated encampment sites.
Three of the six proposed encampment sites will be selected and formalized. The proposed sites would operate as managed outdoor spaces with basic services and coordinated outreach for people in need.
The session is scheduled for Wednesday from 5-7 pm at the Intercity Shopping Centre. It will feature visual displays explaining key components of the project, with staff present to answer questions.
Each proposed site will be presented with a site image along with the city’s internal analysis, consistent with the information provided in the public survey. The six proposed encampment sites are as follows:
Current River Park on Cumberland Street North
Freedom Park at Prince Arthur’s Landing
Island Park Drive
Kam River Heritage Park
Between McKellar St. N. and Vickers St. North, north of Northern Ave.
Simpson Street
Community members will be invited to participate in activities designed to capture their perspectives through a series of interactive feedback stations, including:
Agreement Exercise –Participants indicate their level of agreement with each of the potential designated encampment sites.
Site Ranking – Participants rank the six proposed sites from 1 (most preferred) to 6 (least preferred).
Comment Cards – Participants can provide written feedback, concerns, or suggestions to help inform Council’s decision-making.
“Community input is important,” said Rilee Willianen, Supervisor of Encampment Response for Thunder Bay. “This drop‑in gives residents an opportunity to connect directly with staff and share their perspectives as the City continues to implement the 10-Part Enhanced Encampment Response Action Plan.”
The Fort William Gardens is set to host six days of elite curling competition in December.
16 men’s and 16 women’s teams from around the world will gather in Thunder Bay for the Grand Slam of Curling (GSOC) Open. Thunder Bay last hosted in 2018 at the Tournament Centre.
“For us at the Grand Slam of Curling, returning to Thunder Bay was an easy decision. This is a community that truly understands and embraces elite sporting events,” said Nic Sulsky, CEO of The Curling Group. “The knowledge, the energy, and the appreciation for high-performance curling in this community make Thunder Bay a special stop for our athletes.”
The GSOC Open is the fourth stop on a five-event Canadian tour. It is scheduled for December 1-6, 2026. Curlers will arrive from the GSOC National in Sydney, Nova Scotia and depart to the GSOC Players’ Cup in Kingston, Ontario for the final event. More details regarding participating teams and full event schedules will be announced in the coming months.
“Sport tourism is a major economic and social contributor to Thunder Bay, and attracting more events to the city, particularly in the winter months, aligns with the new CEDC Strategic plan to grow Thunder Bay into a true year-round visitor destination,” said Paul Pepe, Thunder Bay’s Manager of Tourism. “The Grand Slam of Curling brings athletes from around the world to Thunder Bay and has a significant media element, generating global awareness of our community to other sport and leisure enthusiasts.”
Early-bird full-event and weekend passes for the GSOC Open are on sale today at purchase.thunderbay.ca.
Lakehead University’s Indigenous Students’ Association (ISA) will be hosting their 36th annual powwow this weekend at the university’s Hangar.
The ISA says the event will display talent and entertainment while reinforcing traditional aspects of Indigenous culture such as drumming, dancing, singing, and giving thanks.
Walking Bear of Ginoogaming First Nation will be the Host Drum. Attendees will also have the opportunity to explore Indigenous arts and crafts vendors throughout the weekend.
The event is 100% free and all peoples are encouraged to attend.
Here’s the main itinerary:
Friday, March 13: Warm-ups – 6 to 8 p.m.
Saturday, March 14: Grand Entry – 12 p.m. and 6 p.m. Traditional Feast – 5 p.m.
Sunday, March 15:
Grand Entry at 12 p.m. and Closing Ceremonies until 5 p.m.
The Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation is hosting their second annual fundraising auction by Howie Mandel’s iconic game show.
20 prize packages, each valued at around $1,000, will be up for grabs during the Chase the Case event at the Valhalla hotel ballroom April 16. All proceeds for the event go towards supporting breast cancer care through the Northern Cancer Fund.
Here’s how it will work:
The 20 prize packages will be divided into 4 groups of 5
Each round, the five prize packages will be shared and participants can start placing their bets
The prizes will then be stashed inside briefcases (you’ll know which prizes are available, but not which case they’re hidden in)
The top five bidders will come to the stage and pick a briefcase, hoping their preferred prize package is inside
There is an option to buy a “phone the banker” opportunity to find out the two cases your desired prize is most likely hidden inside
“Every bidder gets to go home with something awesome,” said Health Sciences Foundation Event Manager Haley Werbowetski. “Last year we raised over $41,000 for breast cancer, which was incredible for our first year. We have a fundraising goal of $55,000 this year.”
Without giving too much away before the event, Werbowetski was able to share three of the prize packages that will be on the block.
“We have the Hot Tub Happy Hour supported by Lake of the Woods Brewery, so you’ll get a case of beer from them, and Hot Tub Express donated a weekend rental of a hot tub in your backyard so you’ll be able to have the coolest party of the summer,” she said.
Another prize is called Feast Coast. “This one is supported by the Landing Gathering Hall, so you’ll get an event rental space there, and East Coast Lobster will provide you with your choice of an oyster shuck or a seafood boil.”
The last prize Werbowetski shared is Suds and Save. “This is a $3,500 gift certificate for Inspired Cabinetry to get you started on that bathroom you’ve probably been ignoring for years.”
The event’s main prize is valued at over $6,500 and donated by Re/Max First Choice Realty.
“It’s been a grueling process for buyers in this market, and it’s gut wrenching,” said James Cameron, event ambassador and realtor at Re/Max. “I’m trying to minimize that stress by putting a case together. I’m going to donate some of my own dollars as a cash prize. Auto Home Paints is also donating some funds. I’ve got a real estate lawyer that’s stepping up to offer his services for closing costs on a property purchase. And I’ve got a home inspector that’s stepped up as well.”
Guests will also enjoy a four-course meal, drinks, carnival games and a separate silent auction over the course of the night.
“(The event will have) great food, great people, and it’s also a great way to network. I love community and this is a great event for it,” Cameron said.
Thunder Bay’s young skiers had the chance to compete in their own backyard as the U16 provincial championships took place at Mount Baldy.
They delivered standout performances on the familiar snow. Four Thunder Bay locals will move on to represent Ontario at the Eastern Canada Championships in Quebec two weeks from now.
“Our local athletes are doing very well at these races,” said Port Arthur Ski Club head coach and program director Dave Bradley. “It’s nice to have home hill advantage, because we’ve been training hard on these hills and they’re taking advantage of it.”
Port Arthur Ski Club head coach and program director Dave Bradley at Mount Baldy for the U16 Provincial Championships (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
Over 160 of the top 14-16 year old skiers across the province were invited to the five-day event.
In the boy’s category, William Gerry finished 9th, Hudson Freeburn finished 7th and Reid Jones finished 3rd in the Giant Slalom event Thursday. All three will qualify for the next level.
Freeburn’s time of 35.95 in his first run topped the field, but he fell down the rankings after a slow finish in his second run. Bradley says it’s a valuable learning experience for him.
“You’ve got to look ahead and really stay on your line or you can lose a lot of time all of a sudden, which is what happened to Hudson,” Bradley said. “That can be really hard to deal with.”
Freeburn, 15, is a student at Westgate High School and races for Norwesters Alpine Ski Club in Thunder Bay.
“Second run I got a little late at the bottom, things got a little fast,” Freeburn said. “This event’s really fun though because it brings people from all over Ontario here. It’s very exciting because you see people you’ve never raced against and it’s a very high level.”
“There’s so many things I could say (to a novice skier), but the most important would be to just go out and ski and have fun. Stay in the sport. It’s really meaningful.”
Thunder Bay’s Hudson Freeburn finished 7th in the Giant Slalom Thursday (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
Reid Jones, 16, races for TB Fast ski club. He says young skiers should keep working hard through any adversity.
“I just try to get down as fast as I can,” Jones said.
Thunder Bay’s Reid Jones finished 3rd in the Giant Slalom Thursday (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
In the girl’s category, Ella Nichols of Thunder Bay finished 2nd in the Slalom event on Monday and will qualify for the Eastern Ontario Championships. She wasn’t available for interview.
Thunder Bay skiers and friends Madeline Hooke and Sophie Lechto, both 15, said they had fun and are happy with how they skiied.
“We’re hoping to continue on with this next year and see how this goes,” Hooke said.
As for advice to novice skiers, Hooke said not to let any negativity get to them.
“People chirp a lot. Don’t let the drama get to you,” she said. “Don’t get involved with it.”
Thunder Bay skiers Sophie Lechto and Madeline Hooke (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 12 2026)
Bradley says these athletes shouldn’t be too focused on results at such a young age.
“One thing about skiing, as in a lot of sports, is that every child is on a different growth curve,” Bradley said. “The playing field doesn’t really even out until adulthood. So right now some of the smaller skiers have to be patient and keep working because they’re going to catch up in strength, and some of the big guys that are winning now have to be ready to be challenged in a little bit.”
“Just keep your confidence. Keep working on your skills and having confidence that you’ll be competitive down the road.”
Officers from the Nishnawbe Aski Police Service seized nearly $150,000 worth of cocaine and crack cocaine in a search of two Nibinamik First Nation homes.
Three women, one from Winnipeg and two Nibinamik locals, are charged with possession of cocaine for the purpose of trafficking and possession of proceeds of property obtained by crime under $5,000.
The woman from Winnipeg appeared for a bail hearing on Tuesday and was remanded into custody with a future court date. The other two suspects have been released from custody with conditions and a future court date. The names of suspects are withheld until charges against them have been sworn in before the courts.
Confederation College is partnering with the Royal Canadian Navy to educate future sailors.
Through their Non-Commissioned Member Subsidized Training and Education Plan (NCMSTEP), the navy will cover tuition and pay an annual salary to eligible students looking to join the military after graduation. Military-related programs like Aviation Technician, Engineering Technician and Electrical Engineering qualify for the subsidy.
Students will likely need to attain Basic Military Qualification and pursue military training in the summer to fulfill the program.
Naval officers and college administrators gathered Tuesday for a signing ceremony to formalize the partnership.
Lieutenant Navy/Thunder Bay Catholic School Board teacher Joel Biesenthal (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 10 2026)
“We are short personnel currently to meet our operational needs, but we’re doing what we can with what we have,” said Lieutenant Navy Joel Biesenthal. “We are working on a major recruiting blitz to get more people to enroll. This is one of those avenues.”
Biesenthal, who is also a teacher with the Thunder Bay Catholic School Board, says he’s happy this program provides opportunities for his past students considering college.
“After I graduated high school, I did not have financial means to go to university. When I enrolled in the navy, it allowed me to get that employment experience and also the financial support to achieve my goals in education,” Biesenthal said.
Confederation Vice President Academic Aaron Skillen says the school is proud to partner with the Canadian Armed Forces. He emphasized the financial benefit of enrollment for potential recruits.
“It’s a wonderful financial aid opportunity,” Skillen said. “There’s a real component there of being supported both financially in your post-secondary studies as well as employment security and stability upon time of graduation.”
Basic Military Training Coordinator Adam Beverly speaks at Tuesday’s ceremony (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/March 10 2026)
Basic Military Training Coordinator and recent Confederation graduate Adam Beverly says joining the navy has been an adventure.
“Basically, if you want to travel, meet new people and gain a lot of overall life experience, it’s a great way to pursue that. And it’s great money to pay for college,” Beverly said.
