by admin
It was a slightly late start to Thunder Bay city council Monday night. Two councillors missing, both Oliver and Gertuiga were away. Council didn’t get underway until about 20 minutes later than scheduled, which usually means one thing — the closed session discussion before the public meeting must have been a lively one.
Once council finally got going, the agenda turned to several reports that on the surface might seem routine, but they sparked a few debates and even a surprise vote before the evening was over.
Alcohol policy change passes easily
First up was an item that had been pulled from the consent agenda — an update to the city’s Municipal Alcohol Policy.
This policy has been around since 2000, with the most recent update in 2021. It essentially acts as the rulebook for where alcohol can be served at events on city property like parks and recreation facilities.
The change being proposed was straightforward.
Administration recommended adding two locations where alcohol could be served during approved events: Waverley Park and the future Tbaytel Multiplex.
Waverley Park already hosted an event with alcohol last year during Festival Bonjour, but council had to grant a one-time exemption. The update simply formalizes that process so similar events can apply through the normal channels.
As for the Tbaytel Multiplex — the indoor turf facility expected to open in 2026 — the thinking is that adult tournaments or community events might want the option to serve alcohol.
There are still strict rules in place. Alcohol won’t be served during youth sporting events, and any event must still obtain a Special Occasion Permit from the Alcohol and Gaming Commission of Ontario and follow the city’s supervision and safety guidelines.
So no, the city isn’t turning parks into beer gardens.
But it does mean you might be able to crack open a cold one at Waverley Park during an event — or maybe enjoy a drink at the new turf facility once it opens.
Just try not to spill red wine on the artificial turf. That stain might be there for a while.
Council approved the change unanimously.
Transit debate lasts more than an hour
Things got more interesting when council moved on to a report about Thunder Bay Transit and ongoing staffing shortages.
Transit officials say they’re struggling to maintain full service levels because they simply don’t have enough drivers. Vacancies, sick leave, training requirements and other absences have been contributing to bus cancellations.
The system is designed to deliver about 99 per cent of scheduled trips, but last year the actual number dropped closer to 96 per cent.
Anyone who has ever stood at a bus stop waiting for a bus that never arrives knows exactly how frustrating that can be.
The proposal before council was to introduce temporary service adjustments starting May 10. The idea was simple: slightly reduce or shift certain routes so that the buses that remain on the schedule actually run reliably.
Instead of promising a full schedule and cancelling trips at the last minute.
The temporary changes would reduce roughly 6,900 hours of service between May and August while the city continues recruiting and training new operators.
Despite more than an hour of debate, council ultimately rejected the recommendation in a 7-4 vote, meaning the proposed service adjustments will not move forward as planned.
Recycling depots remain open — for now
Council also reviewed a report on the future of the city’s recycling depots, and this one is tied to a major change in how recycling is handled across Ontario.
In 2024, the province shifted the Blue Box program to “full producer responsibility,” meaning companies that produce packaging are now responsible for paying for recycling instead of municipalities.
Sounds good on paper.
But under the new system, the organization managing the program — Circular Materials — informed the city it would only operate one recycling depot in Thunder Bay starting in 2026.
Just one.
Currently the city has three depots.
City administration negotiated an agreement that will keep the Walsh Street depot operating, but the city will run the site on behalf of the provincial system and receive full cost recovery for doing so.
The other two depots — Front Street and the landfill site — will continue operating through 2026 under municipal control.
That’s important, because the three sites together receive more than 100,000 vehicle visits every year and handle about a quarter of the city’s residential recycling.
The bigger concern is that the province promised the Blue Box transition would not reduce recycling service for residents.
But going from three producer-run depots to one certainly looks like a reduction.
City administration plans to continue advocating to the province to restore the level of service residents are used to.
Council approved that recommendation unanimously.
And then… the snake debate
Finally, council reviewed a report on the city’s Animal Keeping By-law after a deputation last year asked that ball pythons be allowed as pets in Thunder Bay.
Currently the by-law prohibits 21 types of exotic animals, including snakes from the python and boa families.
Administration’s recommendation was clear: do not allow an exemption for ball pythons.
The report cited several concerns, including animal welfare, the lack of specialized reptile rescue services in Thunder Bay, environmental impacts if a snake escapes and public safety considerations.
Councillor Hamilton declared a conflict because a family member owns a restricted animal and left the discussion.
Councillor Albert Aiello Ch’ng raised questions during the debate, noting that corn snakes are already allowed and pointing out that ball pythons are not native to North America — but neither are parrots, which are legal pets.
He even joked that while ball pythons have never killed anyone, Chihuahuas don’t exactly have a zero death rate either.
Ch’ng and Coun. Zussino attempted to amend the by-law to allow ball pythons as pets.
But after a spirited discussion — including Coun. Ken Boshcoff saying he was “ashamed” council was spending time debating snakes while overseeing a $650-million municipal budget — the motion was defeated 7-4.
So for now, in Thunder Bay…
Corn snakes are allowed.
Ball pythons are not.
And city council can officially add “snake debate” to the long list of unexpected topics that come up at City Hall.
The meeting wrapped up at 8:58pm
You can watch this week’s round up here.
