- Six people were lucky to be alive after a boat crashed into a harbour break wall late at night. All six were injured and three were left in serious condition – though Thunder Bay Fire Rescue Chief John Hay said it could have been much worse. The boat’s owner, Gary Wenzel, a former Thunder Bay North Stars coach, is facing 10 charges in the incident, including five counts of impaired operation causing bodily harm and five counts of dangerous operation causing bodily harm.
- The province announced it was tearing up the Ring of Fire Framework and inviting individual First Nations to negotiate on their own behalf. Mines Minister Greg Rickford said he wanted to work with willing First Nations partners who wanted to move at the speed of business to make progress in the lucrative mining project.
- Nazareth Nelson was sentenced to 18 years in prison for manslaughter for his role in the 2017 beating death of Burth Isaac Wood, and three more for attacking two other people with a baseball bat at a Syndicate Avenue home.
- Ryan Hughes was named deputy police chief. Hughes, a detective inspector with the Thunder Bay Police Service’s investigations branch, brings 21 years of policing experience to the role. He took over the role from Don Lewis, who was serving in an interim capacity after former deputy chief Sylvie Hauth was named chief.
- Three people were left homeless after a fire swept through a Simpson Street structure. The Thunder Bay Red Cross reported an elderly individual and two adults were staying at two apartment units inside the building.
- Lakehead University hired a new dean of law, a permanent placement for Angeqlique Eaglewoman, who resigned in 2018 citing systemic racism and discrimination at the Thunder Bay school. Jula Hughes was most recently a professor of law at the University of New Brunswick. She took over the post on Oct. 1.
- Evergreen, a United Neighbourhood founder Linda Bruins announce the grassroots organization was in trouble, thanks to funding cuts announced by Ontario’s Conservative government. Bruins said without the funds, they would likely have to close their doors. She planned to turn to the city for help.
- Thunder Bay’s cannabis store operator was announced. The Alcohol and Gaming Corporation initially granted he licence to Gerald Harrison, who planned to open up a store at a former Mac’s location at 1802 Victoria Ave. East. However, the applicant failed to get his paperwork in on time. The province has since turned down two successive applicants and is waiting on a fourth.
- As many as 55,000 from throughout Northwestern Ontario flocked to the Canadian Lakehead Exhibition grounds for the annual five-day fair. From carnival-like food to music, games and rides, there was a little something for everyone at the CLE.
- Rib Fest made the move from the downtown north core to the CLE grounds and didn’t skip a beat, with thousands heading to the popular event to take in the latest the ribbers, both local and from afar, had to offer.
Between now and Jan. 1, tbnewswatch.com will be presenting our annual Year in Review feature, with a look back at the top news stories each month throughout 2019. We'll culminate with our top 10 news stories of the decade on New Year's Day.
