THUNDER BAY — TBnewswatch is taking a look back at the top stories, month-by-month, of 2022. Here are 10 of the stories that made headlines in January:
- Thunder Bay Police Services Board member Georjann Morriseau held an online news conference to implore for more oversight and change within senior levels of the Thunder Bay Police Service administration. Morriseau launched a complaint to the Ontario Human Rights Tribunal, alleging harassment and discrimination toward her by senior police leadership. Lawyer Chantelle Bryson called it a public crisis and the Ontario solicitor general later called for an investigation and by month’s end, Police Chief Sylvie Hauth was suspended.
- Former cabinet minister Joe Comuzzi died at 88. The long-time Liberal MP made political waves in 2005 when he quit cabinet in opposition of his party’s same-sex marriage bill. After being expelled from caucus in 2007 for his support of the Conservative budget, he sat as an independent and eventually crossed the floor to sit with then prime minister Stephen Harper’s government.
- The infamous trucker convoy arrived in Thunder Bay, greeted by hundreds of supporters of what was perceived to be its cause at the time, the end of vaccine mandates at the border and the lifting of COVID-19 restrictions across the country. The truckers would later occupy downtown Ottawa for several weeks, leading the feds to employ the controversial Emergency Measures Act to clear them out.
- COVID-19 restrictions returned leading to the closure of city recreation facilities, including the Canada Games Complex and Fort William Gardens. The new restrictions, introduced on Jan. 3, included the closure of theatres and indoor dining, while schools returned to virtual learning. Premier Doug Ford blamed it on the surge of the Omicron variant.
- Antoine Bouchard, 37, was named by police as the victim in Thunder Bay’s first homicide of 2022, in what would prove to be a record-breaking year for the city, which will undeniably take the dubious Murder Capital of the Country crown once again. Joshua David LeBlanc and Alan Post were later arrested in connection with the Bethune Street killing.
- Thunder Bay construction magnate Tom Jones died at 80. Jones, whose name was synonymous with building in the city, left a legacy including the Intercity Shopping Centre and the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre.
- The iconic Hoito scale was recovered, mostly intact, from the ruins of the Finnish Labour Temple, which two weeks earlier, on Dec. 22, 2021, went up in flames. Construction is already well under way for a new building at the iconic Bay Street site.
- The City of Thunder Bay voted to move to an arm’s length relationship with the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium. The city funds the facility with about $741,000 a year and the move would provide more independent operations, according to then city councillor Cody Fraser.
- A 17-year-old youth was arrested by Waterloo Regional Police in Cambridge, Ont. and charged with first-degree murder in the Nov. 4, 2021 death of Conrad Bannon at an Amelia Street apartment complex. A Canada-wide warrant was issued for the youth.
- Popeyes Louisiana Kitchen opened its doors in Thunder Bay, leading to long lines of traffic, stretching from the Thunder Centre onto Fort William Road, as eager poultry lovers scrambled for a taste of the world-famous fast food chicken.
