City's sunshine list totals continue downward trend

THUNDER BAY -- The sunshine list may be growing, but at least one major contributor locally has seen a steady decrease in its numbers over the past three years.

The City of Thunder Bay, which trails only Lakehead University, saw its sunshine list count decrease for the third straight year, dropping to 234.

It was 249 when the 2014 list was released and fell to 241 a year ago.

The University, on the other hand, has watched its public sector salary disclosure number steadily rise over the past three years.

Lakehead had 274 on the sunshine list in 2014, jumping to 284 last year and hitting 300 in 2016 (based on 2015 salaries paid).
Lakehead District School Board also saw a marked increase over 2015, climbing to 96 employees earning more than the $100,000 threshold.

That’s a 23 per cent increase over the previous year’s 78.

The Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board had 57 sunshine list members this year, two more than last year.

Other institutions on the rise included Confederation College, who had 83 make this year’s list, six more than in 2015 and Northwest Community Care Access, whose sunshine list total doubled from seven to 14 over the past 12 months.

Both hospitals saw their membership decrease.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre had 15 fewer sunshine list employees, dropping to 135, while St. Joseph’s Care Group fell to 74, five fewer than last year. Nishnawbe Aski Police Service also dropped from 34 to 30.