AwayfromTbay

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Police say officers, others assaulted in Memorial Avenue store

TBNewsWatch

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Then volunteer to follow the cases. Thunder Bay police respond to 10 of thousands of calls each year. This case will take 6-18 months minumum with lots of court dates in between the original arrest and the result. The OPP assigns one officer per detachment just to follow their court cases and even then they cant always do it. So how do you reasonable expect TBnewswatch to follow it? No I dont work for the company, I dont know anyone personally that does. Its a little ridicious the whining. If your that interested then go to the court and attend. Its open and free for all citizens.

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Three companies shortlisted for indoor turf facility contract

TBNewsWatch

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It was called an election. You voted these people in to advocate and make decisions on your behalf. Just because they're spending money and you disagree with such doesnt require a plebisite. If you disagree and so does a majority of the citizenry then they will no longer be in power.

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Vet clinic will relocate to make way for new hotel

TBNewsWatch

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Why is it ridiculous for a hotel? It's close to the highway, close to services like restaurants, barbers, and a gym. Relatively close to green space, and if you're here for the hospital, its a easy commute there as well via city bus. The only downside is that it's on a larger street and would be noisy. It's no different than staying in the landmark for location ultimately.

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'Significant changes': Lauer sounds alarm about future of church properties, pre-zoning issues

OrilliaMatters

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Why are we so bothered by the impacts on churches? They have benefitted for years with limited or no property tax and for hundreds/thousands of years globally for preferential treatment. There are huge plots of land in the city set aside for churches which would be much better used for housing. How many have huge parking lot spaces for use 1-2 days a week max which could be redeveloped into housing for people 24/7. Seems like a no brainer for me.

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Two sites identified for 'village' for homeless people

TBNewsWatch

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Respectfully, Thunder Bay has a history of people into the water and water rescues. I don't know if I can comfortably say that putting 100 people beside the water who may have mental health, addiction, cognitive issues is the best idea. Especially given it would be done by the city; opening the city up to some significant liability. 100 people would be good to house but history might wanna be considered in location... just saying

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Trump terminates trade talks with Canada because of Ontario anti-tariff ads

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Trump's ego is as soft as baby st*ol. You can't tell him no; because he doesn't deal well with it. You gotta inflate his ego even if its pure politics. Ford can't understand that fact. This probably wasn't the real reason for terminating the negotiations. Trump is probably upset that the Canadians aren't bending over backwards for him. That being said Ford was upset when Danielle Smith went to Mar-a-Lago to meet with Trump's directly, and now he has done exactly what he criticised. What a idiotic mistake; i'd rather than $75 million go to feeding kids in Ontario not filling Fox News and Newsmax pockets.

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Intersection to get new street lights

TBNewsWatch

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Thunder Bay is no long Fort William and Port Arthur. It needs to focus on singular rather than dual. We cant have two downtowns and support them both effectively. The downtown is by the water and it should be focused on for that capacity. That being said a good use of the land in the south is for administrative sides of things. Give tax breaks to owners of businesses that renovate or replace old buildings there with new corporate or administrative style ones.

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Proposed Northwest Arterial Road gets an updated plan

TBNewsWatch

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This is a waste of money. The city has been spending $50,000 annually for years for property acquisition and has another year where $250,000 is set aside for it. This project belongs in the 90's and doesn't fit with todays reality. The city cannot afford more lanes of KM to maintain, plow and build. The reality is the City of Thunder Bay does not have and never has had a traffic issue. Sitting for one set of lights is not a traffic issue. Get rid of this plan and put the money into repairing the existing roads.

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Plan to develop West Arthur area moves forward

TBNewsWatch

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Why are we continuing to build on the fringes of the city when we know those developments dont pay for themselves and cost the city coffers more long term. Urban sprawl is a net negative for the city.

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City blows past 2.6% tax-levy increase target

TBNewsWatch

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The OPP has never serviced a city the size of Thunder Bay before. Its largest is the City of Orillia, where it has the central region headquarters and general headquarters. The City of Orillia spent $9.4 million dollars in 2024 for policing, or about $310 per person. At those same rates, it would be $54.6 million for Thunder Bay, but they would also mandate the city provide them a new policing headquarters for the City to the tune of $50-100 million. The City of Barrie recently replaced their headquarters for a similar number of officers (but with a large growth plan) for $120 million dollars. In 2024, Thunder Bay spent $54.6 Million for policing. So effectively, you dont save much money, but now your ability to control the cost is eliminated. You are also forced to take on the cost of replacing the police station to meet OPP standards.

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No more evening parking tickets on city streets

TBNewsWatch

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This whole parking debacle is such a waste of time and energy for city council. Parking provided by the city is not free. There are capital and operational costs associated with it. This is such a low bar to provide additional revenue for the city. Its a user operate; citywide pay so people can park for free. When it should be user operate and user pay system. Its not a social good to provide parking for free or cheap and it shouldn't be viewed as such. The whole reason our downtowns are so car dependent is because we have devoid them of living spaces and made availability of parking the #1 priority. More walkable, livable spaces are necessary to rebuild these cores. Not bailing on parking fees because its not what people are used too. If your worried about having to pay $1-2 to park then you really have no interest in going anyways.

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600-unit housing proposal draws strong neighbourhood oposition

TBNewsWatch

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Sure, a lot of grey-haired homeowners; trying to stop housing opportunities for people who dont have it. Is the grocery store comment realistic? Absolutely, but you can have a multi-use facility in the podium to allow for a grocery store to be built. Thunder Bay and Canada need homes desperately; this is the type of project that uses existing infrastructure and doesn't need new costly infrastructure. Its a net benefit to the city; city taxes etc. The concern about sidewalks is also valid; Foulds should be pursuing more sidewalks in the area if its actually a concern for the people. Its not that far to boulevard lake to enjoy the nature of the area.

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Open your wallets: City looking at potential 6.94% tax hike

OrilliaMatters

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Housing is something that is desperately needed in the community and low and behold it also pays taxes into coffers. More housing on existing land also uses the same infrastructure but pays more in taxes. Orillia needs to immediately just approve every application that has increased density, on existing land in the city's file. On top of that they need to make it easier to rezone, upscale and reduce the amount of time spent on useless public meetings. Faster processes means more housing and more taxes. Parking, traffic and neighborhood complexion should no longer even be considered as options for delaying projects.

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Unvaccinated students may be suspended from school

TBNewsWatch

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Congrats; here is your I didn't understand science award!. Vaccines are designed to provide protection, reduce the ability to get a disease like measles for example or the impact that it has if you were to get it. If you an unvaccinated person have measles then I can still get it; hopefully it will be lesser but I can still get it. Which can still be deadly to me other anyone else that gets it because you were unvaccinated. Unless you have an allergy to the medication there should be no exemptions to these necessary tools to reduce or eliminate these unnecessary spread diseases. I shouldn't get a disease because you cant pass grade 9 science.

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Tariff uncertainty a new chance for local businesses

TBNewsWatch

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Local businesses if they want my business need to do two things. Either have better hours or be better at online shopping options. Too many businesses run 9-5 or have a website straight out of 1999. Its not reasonable when its so easy to buy something online. I get there are obvious fiscal and staffing constraints but its the 21st century and its time to adapt. Whether the chamber helps organize businesses to move online or what. I would love to buy local but you gotta help me out as well by availability.

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Business advocate holds out hope for south core

TBNewsWatch

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Can we stop pretending that we have 2 downtown areas. We are no longer Fort William and Port Arthur. Traditionally, a downtown has been the center of the city. Geographically that is the intercity area; the area around the waterfront (old PA downtown) for example is an entertainment area but not a downtown. This area needs to play to the fact is has a lot of land available for cheap. Figure out a development plan to bring mixed used commercial/residential into the area. There is a lot of governmental administration there; other commercial could be pushed to this area to revitalize it. Reduce the administrative and cost basis for redeveloping in this area. Pay people even to set up office buildings here; mining companies could be one example of target audience.

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Tariff uncertainty a new chance for local businesses

TBNewsWatch

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Yeah, because theyre small businesses and don't have the purchasing power of a Walmart or an Amazon. The reality of things are though if we want local businesses and manufacturing to survive in Canada we have to be willing to accept to pay more because that is how they survive and grow.

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Police presence in area of Weigand Avenue and Vickers Street North

TBNewsWatch

10

You know I'm a believer in time and place. We all have a right to freely speak our minds in this country, as long as it doesn't bring harm to others. What benefit does this add to this piece? ICE does not exist in Canada, nor does it operate here. This has nothing to do with immigration that we are aware of. So it provides no benefit other than fearmongering and talking to hear oneself talk. I, for one, hope that the officers involved will get home safely. The neighbors in this area are safe, and the conclusion is resolved quickly and safely. If the person is guilty of a crime, may they have their due diligence, and if it is a mental health crisis. May they get the health they need. Simple as that.

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Subway car announcement expected Thursday

TBNewsWatch

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Thats not really uncommon. It happens more broadly as well. We don't consistently and regularly produce enough vehicles for a competitive landscape and the reality is that no company is going to produce the vehicles in Ontario with our Boom/Bust mentality of transit investment. So that either means we single-source production to Alstom and get potentially a less beneficial product for a higher price. Or we outsource the work and lose the industrial capacity associated with it. Once that capacity is gone, it will never return. So a single source is the most politically and economically efficient way to do it.

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Former Thunder Bay post office to be converted to 'quality housing'

TBNewsWatch

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Nice!. I wish them luck in their endeavor.

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