- A fatal fire in Kitchenuhmaykoosib Inninuwug First Nation claimed the lives of five people, including four children. Community members said they were in utter disbelief at the tragedy, which drew condolences from across the country.
- Mayor Bill Mauro came under fire for comments he made at a town-hall meeting, at which he said it drove him crazy to have to fight back against the perception of the community across the country, fed in part by reports issued by the Office of the Independent Review Director and the Ontario Civilian Police Commission. Fort William First Nation Chief Peter Collins called on Mauro to resign his seat on the police services board, stating the mayor clearly didn’t understand the issues of racism or the importance of the recommendations made in the two reports.
- Company and union officials made their case to Ontario Premier Doug Ford, an attempt to stop or minimize lay-offs at Thunder Bay’s struggling Bombardier plant. Workers were facing the end of two contracts by the end of the year. At the time the plant employed 1,100 people, making it the largest private-sector employer in the city.
- Thunder Bay police, along with OPP, Nishnawbe Aski Police Service and the Anishinabek Police Service revealed their ongoing Project Disruption had resulted in the seizure of $1.5 million worth of drugs, $750,000 in cash and 13 firearms over a six-month span. Police said it was a significant step toward stemming the growing epidemic of guns and gangs in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. A total of 431 charges were laid as a result.
- The sight of television crews on Red River Road, the Terry Fox Lookout and other popular locations throughout the city sent fans of The Amazing Race Canada into a tizzy as the popular show filmed segments for its upcoming season in and around the city. Contestants also visited Thunder Oak Cheese Farm and flew drones provided by Lakehead University.
- The long-awaited Delta Hotel on the Thunder Bay waterfront finally opened after years of delays. The $35-million hotel has 149 rooms and features a spectacular view of the Sleeping Giant. Rooms range from $179 a night to $489 a night.
- Lawyer Chris Watkins had his provisional license suspension extended by the Law Society of Canada. Watkins was accused of repeatedly not attending court on behalf of his clients, failing to adequately communicate with his clients and failing to provide the court with requested documents.
- Nishnawbe Aski Nation leaders expressed dismay after the Conservative Education Minister Lisa Thompson touted her party’s new First Nations, Metis and Inuit studies curriculum at Westgate Collegiate , saying they were not consulted about the contents of the curriculum. Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler was not happy about not having input and denied meeting with Thompson about the curriculum.
- The federal Competition Bureau ruled there was no collusion involved in gas pricing in Northwestern Ontario, after launching a probe last December at the behest of Kenora-Rainy River MPP Greg Rickford. Field intereview were conducted at 50 gas stations in Thunder Bay, Dryden, Fort Frances and Kenora and no evidence of anticompetitive agreements between wholesale or retail gasoline markets were found.
- The discovery of a suspicious white powder led to the closure of a section of Red River Road as emergency crews attempted to determine its nature. The substance was found inside a bank, but was ultimately deemed to be non-hazardous.
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.
