- Police confirmed a body dumped on Mission Island was the victim of a homicide. Police later identified the victim as 40-year-old Lee Chiodo. David Hui, 47, and 27-year-olds Marshall Hardy-Fox and Musab Khamis Saboon were arrested and charged with first-degree murder and kidnapping.
- Hammarskjold High School was placed on lockdown after an anonymous tip was received about a weapon at the north side school. It wouldn’t be the last time the school was shut down because of an anonymous threat. Several more incidents took place, disrupting the school for days on end. Eventually an 18-year-old female and a 14-year-old male were arrested and the threats stopped.
- A 29-year-old security guard working at a Memorial Avenue Shoppers Drug Mart location was charged with assault after police responded to a report of theft at the store. Police said upon arrival they learned of an alleged assault by the suspect against a youth. A video of the incident was widely circulated on social media.
- The controversial pro-pipeline United We Roll convoy made its way through Thunder Bay on its way to Ottawa to protest the carbon tax and support the oil and gas industry. A small crowd of supporters turned out to support the group, which numbered about 200 trucks and vehicles in total. The convoy drew criticism for opposing the United Nations global compact on migration, which many saw as racist.
- Independent Police Review Director Gerry McNeilly announced he was pleased the Thunder Bay Police Service was taking the recommendations made his report to address issues of systemic racism. McNeilly said he was glad to see acknowledgements and apologies made and called on Indigenous leaders and communities to work in partnership with Thunder Bay Police.
- Protestors gave then Finance Minister Vic Fedeli a cold reception when he arrived in Thunder Bay for a budget consultation session at the Finlandia Hall. Protesters were angry at the cancellation of the basic income pilot program and an overhaul of the OSAP program.
- A Red Lake, Ont. woman was injured in what was believed to be a wolf attack and had to be taken to hospital for treatment of serious leg and back injuries. The woman was walking her dog near the Red Lake Margaret Cochenour Memorial Hospital when a large black animal rushed them from the woods.
- The Bear Clan pulled the plug on its Thunder Bay chapter, after posting a message suggesting it had been falsely accused of inciting division. The co-founder of the organization said member of the Thunder Bay chapter lost the right to use their name and logo.
- Thunder Bay-Atikokan NDP MPP Judith Monteith-Farrell criticized the planned closure of the city’s child advocacy office, a victim of more provincial government cuts. Monteith-Farrell said it left children in the Northwest with nowhere to turn.
- Air Canada announced it was axing its Thunder Bay to Winnipeg route, leaving travellers with fewer choices to head westward without first flying to Ontario’s capital first.
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.
