THUNDER BAY – The City of Thunder Bay is further limiting municipal services, closing service counters to the public and limiting in-home visits, among other steps. The decision follows other actions the city has taken in recent days in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, such as closing recreational facilities and instituting fare-free transit.
As of Monday, all customer service counters will be closed to the public, except the service desk at city hall, which will operate on limited hours from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
However, most services will still be available by appointment. The city encourages residents to visit its dedicated COVID-19 web page for details on booking appointments.
Further, the city will limit in-home visits for services like building inspections. Where visits are required, they say pre-screening will take place prior to the visit.
The city’s animal shelter is the latest municipal facility to close its doors to the public due to COVID-19. Adoptions can still be made by appointment, by calling 684-2156. The centre is also now closed to volunteers, and will not be accepting donated items.
The city notes emergency Animal Services field operations will continue, such as stray dog pickup, dog bite investigations, and responding to calls about sick or injured animals, or those threatening public safety.
Thunder Bay Fire Rescue will restrict some of its non-emergency services. That includes putting a temporary hold on fire inspections for business licenses, and moving many interactions to phone or email where possible. Fire stations will also be closed to the public.
For more information and the latest updates on city services, refer to Thunder Bay’s COVID-19 web page.
