This was a difficult task – choose five stories out of the hundreds that I wrote this year, and explain why they were significant enough to be reported on Newswatch.
I decided to narrow the search by looking only for stories that served as valuable lessons, reflected important social issues, or were uplifting in some way.
In chronological order, here are five stories from 2024 that met at least one of those criteria.
International student cap
In January, Lakehead University and Confederation College officials were scrambling to sort out the potential impact of the new federal cap on international student permits. This is a crucial issue for both institutions, as they rely on students from overseas to maintain the enrolment required to continue providing programs. Foreign students pay considerably more tuition than Canadian students. In Thunder Bay, they also fill hundreds of jobs at local businesses.
Thunder Bay's top dog
In May, a dog trained in Thunder Bay gained international attention for the city by winning his category at the Westminster Dog Show, the most famous show of its kind in the world. The New York TImes singled out Frankie, a bull terrier owned by Sarah Byzewski, for special mention. She said she thought Frankie did well partly because of her personality, saying "she goes out there and has a great time."
Near-shipwreck in the bay
In June, a frightening incident on Lake Superior, just south of Thunder Bay, grabbed international headlines. A 13-foot-long crack that developed without warning in the hull of the Great Lakes vessel Michipicoten caused it to flood, and led to what a crew member described as 'a day of pure terror.' Fortunately, the ship was able to limp into Thunder Bay with no loss of life. Officials said the rupture was caused by stress, fatigue, or simply the vessel's age.
Safe consumption axed
In August, the province announced the forced closure of supervised drug consumption sites near daycare facilities or schools, including Path 525 on Simpson Street. The decision generated vigorous debate in the community. One advocate for the service described it as "a pretty devastating day in Thunder Bay in terms of harm reduction." The government said it would replace sites around Ontario with 19 new homelessness and recovery treatment hubs.
Genetic connections
In October, a Newswatch report described how members of a Thunder Bay family had learned through a DNA match that they had a huge extended family. "It changed my world 1,000 per cent," one of them said. A moving reunion took place in Quebec, and the family will be seeing each other on a regular basis going forward.
