THUNDER BAY -- TBNewswatch is looking back at the top 10 stories of each month in 2023, as chosen by Dougall Media's director of news, Leith Dunick. Here are the picks from April.
- An expert panel determined policing in Thunder Bay is in need of transformational change and put forth 10 calls to action, related to racism, labour relations, workplace mental health and the implementation of past recommendations made in previous reports.
- Newly installed Thunder Bay Police Chief Darcy Fleury officially took over the role on April 17, the first outside hire since 1995. He planned to spend the first month or so on the job getting to know the lay of the land. He took over from Sylvie Hauth, who was suspended before announcing her retirement.
- City council OKed a $13.2-million spend for a rebuild of a portion of the north downtown core, a project designed to expand pedestrian and event space, focused on upgrades along the Red River Road corridor.
- A Thunder Bay Police officer, Const. Ryan Dougherty, was charged with assault causing bodily harm after a November 2022 altercation that sent a senior to hospital with serious injuries.
- Northern Ontario School of Medicine president and CEO Sarita Verma said whether or not the medical school operates its Thunder Bay campus at Lakehead University, which operated the school, along with Laurentian University, until it was granted independent university status by the province in 2022, would be up to Lakehead officials.
- A cyber attack led to the closure of Thunder Bay’s Gateway Casino being closed for nearly three weeks. The local casino wasn’t alone, as casinos across Ontario were shuttered temporarily as a result of the attack.
- Jeffrey Miller was sentenced to six years in prison after pleading guilty to manslaughter in the death of Robensen Saint Jean. Miller was accused of facilitating a meeting between the victim and another drug dealer, which subsequently turned violent.
- Jonathan Yellowhead was given 64 months in custody for his involvement in the 2018 manslaughter death of Braiden Jacob, whose body was found in the Chapples Park areal on Dec. 9, 2018.
- Members of the Public Service Alliance of Canada took to the picket line outside MP Patty Hajdu’s constituency office, joining 155,000 fellow union members across province, after union leadership failed to reach a deal with the federal government.
- More than 400 people took part in the annual Polar Plunge, helping raise $400,000 for several local charities.
