THUNDER BAY – It was a tumultuous 2018 locally, especially for the Thunder Bay Police Service, who were under the national spotlight from start to finish.
Violent crime continued to be an issue in Thunder Bay, with the city likely retaining the dubious murder capital of Canada, with eight homicides on the books.
It was also a year of change on the political front, Bill Mauro swept out of the Ontario legislature in June, but into city hall in October, taking the mayoral reins from controversial outgoing mayor Keith Hobbs.
Here are our top five local news stories from the past year.
- Thunder Bay Police and the Thunder Bay Police Services Board were under the gun after a pair of damning reports showcased a legacy of systemic racism plaguing the department and a lack of clear oversight by the board when complaints were received from the Indigenous community. The Office of the Independent Police Review Director’s report suggested at least nine investigations should be reopened, while the Ontario Civilian Police Commission report, authored by Senator Murray Sinclair, temporarily took away the voting power of the police services board, appointing administrator Thomas Lockwood to oversee things while board members receive training. It was also a year that saw change at the top. After being acquitted of obstruction of justice charges and enduring demands from Indigenous leaders to resign, then chief J.P. Levesque did in fact retire, replaced at first on an interim basis by deputy chief Sylvie Hauth, who was later made the permanent chief.
- Things weren’t looking too great on the political front for long-time Liberal MPP and cabinet minister Bill Mauro, who went down to defeat at the hands of NDP newcomer Judith-Monteith Farrell in the June 7 provincial election. Mauro eventually threw his hat into the mayor’s race and easily outdistanced challengers Frank Pullia and Iain Angus to take over the mayor’s chair from Keith Hobbs, who in 2019 will head to court to face extortion charges. It was a season of change on the municipal council front, with seven new faces, including Mauro, seated after the election. Peng You topped all challengers in the at-large race, while Kristen Oliver pushed long-time Westfort Coun. Joe Virdiramo to the curb. Brian Hamilton, Albert Aiello, Cody Fraser and Mark Bentz were the other new faces elected for a four-year council term.
- The city continues to be one of the more dangerous in Canada, with eight homicides further staining Thunder Bay’s reputation in 2018 and gang violence on the rise. The city led the nation in per capita murders in 2016 and 2017 and is on track to do so again this past year. The city experienced its first gun death since 2012 and police were constantly battling to stay in front of gangs from Toronto, Ottawa and Montreal who descended on the city in an attempt to take over Thunder Bay’s lucrative drug trade.
- Lakehead University’s Bora Laskin School of Law was under fire twice, first when dean Angelique Eaglewoman quit her post and later sued the university for $2.67 million, alleging she faced workplace hostility from faculty and micromanagement from senior school officials. Her interim replacement, Justice Patrick Smith stepped down in September after a Canadian Judicial Council Review questioned whether the post disqualified him from the bench.
- Five years after it burned and CN closed it to vehicular traffic, a resolution surrounding the James Street Swing Bridge has yet to be found. There was good news from the City of Thunder Bay and Fort William First Nation’s perspective, when the Ontario Court of Appeal overturned an earlier decision and deemed the railway was indeed responsible for upkeep of the span in perpetuity. CN wants to take the case to the Supreme Court of Canada in search of a favourable ruling.
