Thunder Bay city council announced today that the site assessments and formal safety evaluations for the Hillyard temporary shelter village are complete.

The city also announced the creation of a new neighbourhood liaison organization that will connect city officials with businesses and residents in the area around the Hillyard site.

Cynthia Olsen, Director of Strategy Engagement for the Thunder Bay city government, says that the city will be “actively seeking volunteers to participate” in the new neighbourhood organization.

Asked about completion of the village, Olsen stated there was more to do before a firm timeline could be established, including finding ways to mitigate risks at the site. “Things like sight lines, fencing, emergency access points: making sure we have two of those,” she said.

At last week’s city council meeting, some councillors expressed doubts that there would be enough time to meet the initial goal of partial occupancy in the temporary shelter village by the end of the year.

That timeline was created with the expectation that $2.8 million in provincial funding would be dependent on a partial opening by December, with the full space being completed by early 2026.

It is not yet clear if the province will grant an extension to Thunder Bay should the shelter fail to partially open by the year’s end.

For the time being, Olsen says the city is still working with the initial timeline: “We’re confident that we are implementing the village and that we will have measures in place to engage with people that are currently living in encampments and provide safe, secure, lockable units for individuals to reside temporarily.”