Thunder Bay Police are reminding the public that it only takes a moment of distraction for belongings to be stolen from a vehicle.
Following several recent reports of property thefts, police are urging residents to take extra precautions. Thieves often look for quick opportunities, and visible valuables can make your vehicle a target.
Commonly stolen items include purses, wallets, jewelry, keys and electronics. Per the TBPS media release, residents are encouraged to remain vigilant and:
Lock all parcels and shopping bags in the trunk of your vehicle
Never hide a spare key inside your vehicle or outside your residence
Avoid leaving personal identification or valuables in your vehicle
Remove technology and other removable accessories from view when your vehicle is unattended
Staff and leadership at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre gathered Tuesday to celebrate another successful year of the Family CARE Grants program.
Founded in 2009, the Family CARE (Care Advancement Recommended by Employees) Grants program funds staff-driven ideas and initiatives to improve care, efficiency and comfort for patients at the hospital.
Last year, all 42 Family CARE Grant ideas were funded, a 100% approval rate.
Some of the items making a difference this year include:
Medi Teddy IV bag covers for Paediatrics will help reduce fear and anxiety for children by concealing blood or medication bags. These reusable, BPA- and latex-free covers attach to IV poles and feature an open back for easy access by caregivers.
A vibroacoustic therapy rocker for Child and Adolescent Mental Health will provide a calming sensory experience by combining gentle rocking with therapeutic sound vibrations. Designed to support relaxation, reduce anxiety, and promote emotional regulation, it will help patients self-soothe and manage distress more effectively, potentially reducing reliance on medication.
A Ring Rescue Kit for the Emergency Department will allow clinicians to quickly and safely remove rings from swollen or injured fingers, reducing complications and improving patient comfort. Made in Halifax, this innovative system can cut through modern materials like titanium and stainless steel, and has also been featured on the tv show The Pitt.
Three accessible outdoor picnic tables will provide inclusive seating in two garden areas on the ground floor, featuring a design that accommodates individuals using wheelchairs, walkers, or IV poles. These durable, eco-friendly tables will create more welcoming outdoor spaces for patients, visitors, and staff, supporting comfort, connection, and overall well-being.
“We’re proud to support the ideas coming from the Hospital’s frontline staff, who see every day where improvements can make a real difference,” said Glenn Craig, CEO of the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation. “We are looking forward to the fall cycle and all the great ideas that will continue to be generated from frontline staff.”
Funding for these projects came from donor support. Over $126,000 was invested into these improvements, including $15,000 from the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre’s Volunteer Association.
“Our deepest thanks go to our staff, who are often the first to recognize opportunities to improve the care experience for patients and their families, and who bring forward valuable perspectives and ideas,” says Dr. Rhonda Crocker Ellacott, President and CEO of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre. “Our staff truly embody patient and family-centred care and play a vital role in shaping meaningful improvements”
City crews are out on the streets as Thunder Bay’s 2026 spring street sweeping campaign has begun.
Sweeping begins once temperatures consistently stay above freezing. Crews focus on removing the sand left behind from winter maintenance on streets and sidewalks. They start in the downtown core, bike lanes, and major arterial and collector roads before moving into residential neighbourhoods.
“You’ll see our crews working across the city over the next several weeks,” said Ian Spoljarich, Thunder Bay Roads Manager. “Street sweeping keeps streets safe and clean by clearing lanes, improving road visibility, reducing vehicle damage, and protecting our waterways. We appreciate everyone’s patience and caution around our crews.”
Drivers and pedestrians are asked to use extra caution around street sweeping operations.
Residents can check where their neighbourhood falls in the street sweeping sequence and find progress updates online at www.thunderbay.ca/roads.
The City of Thunder Bay has secured back-to-back Canadian awards for financial reporting.
Thunder Bay’s city council is recognized for publishing an easily readable and efficiently organized annual financial report in 2024.
“This achievement is a testament to the incredible work that happens throughout the year across our teams. While this award is not about the financial results themselves, it is an important recognition that we are communicating our financial information clearly, accurately, and in line with industry best practices and standards,” said City Treasurer Keri Greaves.
The award was presented by the Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada, which said Thunder Bay exceeded the minimum requirements of generally accepted accounting principles and demonstrated a strong commitment to clearly communicating its financial position and meeting user needs.
The Thunder Bay Police Service is ramping up its crosswalk patrol.
Two crossing guards have been killed by motorists in Ontario since November, and guards report an average of 280 incidents each week across Thunder Bay.
“We see a lot of speeding, we see a lot of people running right through us when we’re out in the middle of the street,” said crossing guard Charlie Brown. “I know that people have places to go and they’re really busy, but you have to remember this is a safety zone. All we’re trying to do here is make sure everybody stays alive and the kids get across safely.”
As a result, the TBPS is working in tandem with the OPP to launch a new undercover enforcement campaign to catch distracted or reckless drivers at cross walks.
TBPS Media Relations Coordinator C.J. Goater says there’s been an increase in incident reports at crosswalks (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/April 28 2026)
“[Police] are in undercover cars and they’re going to the crossings and they’re watching every vehicle coming through,” said Michelle Reimer, Field Supervisor for Crossing Guards in Thunder Bay. “We have a great relationship [with the police]. When we have issues going on at any locations, we’re able to reach out to them for their support.”
Reports from local crossing guards have identified the three most dangerous locations in Thunder Bay:
Junot Avenue and Windsor Street
John Street and Clarkson Street
Mary Street and Edward Street
“It’s funny, every time the police are here, everybody slows down. It’s like they’re psychic,” Brown said. “The police were here last week for two days, the shift they didn’t come in, we had seven people run through us. So the police aren’t going to be able to stop everything, people need to be more aware.”
Crossing guards have reported drivers failing to obey stop signs, speeding through crossing areas, looking at their phones and behaving aggressively by yelling or making rude gestures. They also want to stop vehicles creeping forward while stopped, which can intimidate guards and pedestrians.
“A failure to stop at the crossover is a $300 fine,” said TBPS media relations coordinator C.J. Goater. “Running through a crossing guard in the intersection with their sign up is also a $300 fine. Community Safety Zone fines escalate to $600 as well.”
Local crossing guards will wear yellow ribbons in remembrance of their two fallen colleagues on Tuesday, the National Day of Mourning that commemorates workers killed, injured, or made ill on the job.
“School crossing guards perform an essential public safety role in our community every single day,” Riemer said. “On the National Day of Mourning, we are standing with crossing guards across Ontario to remember those who have been lost and to remind drivers that patience, attention, and respect at crossings can save lives.”
The Delaney Arena will get a facelift over the hockey offseason this summer.
The City of Thunder Bay announced $2 million is being invested to repair and reinforce the iconic barn. The renovations will improve accessibility, energy efficiency and capacity among other upgrades.
Delaney Arena will celebrate its 50th birthday next year.
“It’s very obvious when you walk in here, this is 1967 vintage,” said George Pirie, Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. “[These facilities] have done their job very, very well. They’ve generated decades of enjoyment and camaraderie within this community. And with an investment like this, they will do that over again for the next 50 to 60 years with a little bit of tender love and care.”
Thursday’s funding announcement doubled as an opportunity for city officials to reminisce about growing up on the Delaney Arena ice.
“I looked into the dressing room where I celebrated winning one of our championships when I think I was around 12,” said Thunder Bay-Atikokan MPP Kevin Holland. “This isn’t just a sheet of ice, it can be the heartbeat of a community.”
More specifically, there will be improvements to the boards, rink surface, heating and cooling systems and added accessibility features.
“The bottom line is this place has made tens of thousands of people of all ages healthy and happy,” said Mayor Ken Boshcoff. “The people who maintain this place, I give them full credit for knowing what to ask for and getting what they asked for.”
George Pirie says he expects the renovations to be complete by the next hockey season.
This year’s campaign will support the George Jeffery Children’s Centre and the Dew Drop Inn in Thunder Bay, with proceeds from each $2 cookie split evenly between the two charities.
The campaign will run from April 27 to May 3.
Reps from the Dew Drop Inn, George Jeffery Children’s Fund, and Tim Horton’s celebrate the Smile Cookie campaign launch at the River Street location (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/April 27 2026)
“This is gong on, like, our 30th year of Smile Cookies, so it’s just great this program has been able to support the community for so many years,” said local Tim Horton’s franchisee Melanie Williamson. “The program has been successful every year.”
Smile Cookies raised $96,000 in Thunder Bay and $22.6 million across North America last year.
“Community support such as this helps the Dew Drop Inn serve a good meal every day,” said Dew Drop Inn Executive Director Michael Quibell. “We were looking forward to the announcement of who’d be in it this year, and when we got it, we were all doing happy dances at the Inn. It’s such a great fundraiser.”
This is the Dew Drop Inn’s second year in partnership with Tim Horton’s. The George Jeffery Children’s Centre (GJCC) has been a partner for nine years now.
“It’s amazing to be here another year,” said GJCC CEO Tina Bennett. “We’re always looking for specialized equipment for children and their families, things that our government funding doesn’t cover. So [the Smile Cookie funds will likely go to] anything in that area.”
GJCC Coordinator Stephen Margarit decorating a batch (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/April 27 2026)
Bennett said since it’s the Children Centre’s 65th anniversary, she’s looking to pass $65,000 in funds this year.
Tim Hortons is looking for volunteers to help decorate the cookies with their signature blue eyes and pink smiles. High school students can receive volunteer hours for taking part. Click here to sign up.
“We need all hands on deck to make sure we have enough for the community to purchase,” Bennett said. “Some of [the smiles] are kind of goofy looking. No one is alike, and that’s fantastic.”
Thanks to major provincial funding, 66 supportive care homes and 120 new emergency shelter spaces will be built across Thunder Bay.
“I’m speechless. I truly am speechless about what was announced this morning,” said Councilor at Large Kasey Etreni. “This is such a win for our community.”
Councilor At Large Kasey Etreni was a major advocate for this funding (Jacob Henriksen-Willis/April 23 2026)
Rob Flack is Ontario’s Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing. He said a key part of his plan to protect Ontario is giving vulnerable people the support they need for secure, safe and stable housing.
Flack announced five projects in Thunder Bay:
Organization
Location
Funds (approx.)
Project
Adenac Hotel
227 Simpson Street
$3.8 million
46 transitional supportive housing units
Teen Challenge Men’s Program
107 Johnson Avenue
$1.2 million
7 supportive housing units
PACE (People Advocating Change through Empowerment)
409 George St.
$1.9 million
13 transitional supportive housing units
Grace Place
235 Simpson Street
$1.0 million
40 emergency shelter spaces
Temporary Shelter Village Initiative
879 Alloy Place (projected)
$2.8 million
80 modular emergency shelter spaces
“Today’s investments are an important step forward in addressing homelessness in Thunder Bay and across Northwestern Ontario,” said Kevin Holland, MPP for Thunder Bay–Atikokan. “By supporting projects that create both emergency shelter spaces and transitional housing, we are helping ensure individuals have access to safe, stable environments as they work toward long-term independence.”
Etreni says support from Holland was integral in advocating for the funding. She adds construction is already underway on many of the facilities, with some now complete.
“Truthfully, really, each one of these spaces is a win for our community, but it’s sad that we need to provide this,” she said. “Seeing those mattresses reminds you that every one of those is for a person. It’s sad, but it’s great that we get to support those people.”
