THUNDER BAY -- Here are 10 of the top stories we covered in July 2024, as compiled by Dougall Media Director of News, Leith Dunick.
1. A new era of recycling was ushered into Thunder Bay, with new automated bins going into use to start the month. The move meant the end of blue bag usage, and drew praise and criticism from residents – the latter mostly from those who thought the bins were too unwieldy to use.
2. LCBO workers took to the picket lines, fighting in particular to keep spirits out of grocery and convenience stores, less casual work for employees and job protection. The strike lasted 17 days.
3. City council established distance guidelines for encampments in Thunder Bay, increasing the distance from sidewalks, trails and parking lots to 10 metres. It was previously five. It was set at 20 metres from private and non-residential property.
4. A 13-year-old boy nearly drowned in an incident at Art Widnall Pool after he was allegedly held under water for as long as 30 seconds. He was rescued by lifeguards and was airlifted to London, Ont. for treatment.
5. City council rejected the Thunder Bay Public Library’s call for a central library location at Intercity Shopping Centre, saying the $20.8-million plan was too expensive and didn’t factor in all of the operating costs expected by city manager John Collin.
6. Country on the Bay brought in its biggest headliner yet, megastar Blake Shelton, whose wife, pop star Gwen Stefani, made a surprise appearance during his set. It would turn out to be the final Country on the Bay festival, with organizers announcing later in the year they would shift gears in 2025 and introduce other genres to the event.
7. Demolition work at Victoriaville Mall was unexpectedly delayed until 2025 when it was discovered more work was needed to weatherproof the exterior walls in some of the unit before being able to expose them to outdoor conditions.
8. Fort William First Nation Chief Michelle Solomon and the rest of council declared a state of emergency due to a drug epidemic in her community. Solomon said the declaration came as the result of escalating violence and growing overdose deaths of community members.
9. Brayden Bushby, convicted in the 2017 trailer-hitch-related killing of Barbara Kentner, had his day parole revoked for violating several terms of release, including not abstaining from alcohol.
10. Atikokan’s Alex Sampson caught the attention of Simon Cowell and the other judges during the latest season of the hit show, America’s Got Talent. Sampson survived multiple airings, but was eventually eliminated.
