THUNDER BAY – The City of Thunder Bay has a dozen fewer members on the annual Ontario Sunshine List.
The Northwestern Ontario municipality had 547 employees who made $100,000 or more in 2021, according to the province's annual public sector salary disclosure, released late on Friday afternoon.
That's down from 559 a year ago.
Topping the city's list is Police Chief Sylvie Hauth, who pulled in $266,664 last year, about $5,000 more than city manager Norm Gale, who earned $261,390 in 2021.
Hauth and several members of her inner circle remain under investigation by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission and is also facing a number of human rights complaints filed by Police Service officers and a member of the Thunder Bay Police Service Board. Deputy Chief Ryan Hughes, currently suspended while under investigation, made $238,216.
Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre president and CEO Dr. Rhonda Crocker-Ellacott took home $369,230, but was only the third-highest paid hospital employee.
Dr. Stewart Kennedy, the now departed executive vice-president and former COVID lead, earned $475,406 last year.
In total, 351 hospital employees made this year's list, which details every public service worker earning six figures or more.
Tracy Buckler, who retired as president and CEO at St. Joseph's Care Group, was only the 11th highest paid employee at her organization, at $343,106. Nine psychiatrists and John Haggerty, the senior director of addictions and mental health, who earned $412,753, were paid more than Buckler.
Not surprisingly, Dr. Janet DeMille, medical officer of health at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit, was well paid for her work during the COVID-19 pandemic, earning $418,988 in 2021, $64,000 more than she earned in 2020.
At Lakehead University, outgoing president Dr. Moira McPherson was paid $360,050, while her Confederation College counterpart, Kathleen Lynch, made $226,923.
The college had 124 employees top $100,000, while the university had 401. Confederation College had 130 on the sunshine list in 2020, while Lakehead had 379.
Ian MacRae, who recently announced he was retiring as the director of education at Lakehead Public Schools, made $196,726, while his Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board counterpart, Pino Tassone, earned $207,498.
The public board had 361 employees on the list, while the Catholic Board had 346.
The entire public sector salary list for 2021, which includes more than 244,000 names, can be found at https://www.ontario.ca/page/public-sector-salary-disclosure.
