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Not the full picture. Built from public records, which leave things out.Read by hand, Oct 2026DetailsThis is built from public records, which leave a lot out, and some of it may be wrong or out of date. Check the sources, and tell us if you spot a mistake. What this site can't tell you
Read by hand. We read Thunder Bay's own documents for this site in October 2026; the Sources page lists which ones. The comparisons with other places still come from the Province's yearly reports.

Council

Who decides, and how you can hold them to account

Thunder Bay is run by an elected council of 13 people. They set the budget, approve big purchases and hire the senior staff who run the city day to day.

Current council

Names and official email addresses from the city's council page. None of the members lists a public social media account there.

How open is Thunder Bay?

What a resident can find online without asking, as of October 5, 2026.

  • Yes
    Budgets posted online

    The 2026 operating budget (passed January 28, 2026), the 2026 to 2027 capital budget, a community handbook and the 2025 budget volumes are posted as full PDFs on the Current Budget and Past Budgets pages. Source

  • Partly
    Audited financial statements

    The Annual Financial Reports for 2021, 2022, 2023 and 2024 are posted. The 2024 report carries a clean MNP LLP opinion dated December 3, 2025. We did not find 2025 statements on the page on October 5, 2026. Source

  • Unknown
    Council pay and expenses (s. 284)

    We did not find the yearly Statement of Remuneration and Expenses on the City's website, and the council reports on eScribe sit behind a browser check that blocks scripted downloads, so we could not read them. Council pay is not in the pack for that reason. Source

  • Yes
    Meeting agendas, minutes and video

    Agendas and reports are on eScribe, and the Agendas and Minutes page says recordings of the current term are posted with each meeting. We did not read minutes. The eScribe site blocked scripted downloads of reports, which can still be opened in a browser. Source

  • Partly
    Integrity Commissioner reports

    Reports are listed on the Code of Conduct page up to March 2024. We did not find a later list. Source

  • Yes
    Conflict of interest declarations

    A public registry lists declared conflicts with the date, councillor, meeting, report and reason. The newest entry we saw was May 6, 2026. Source

  • Unknown
    Procurement results

    We did not open the City's tenders and proposals pages, so we do not know whether awards are posted with winner and amount. Source

Where the city speaks for itself

Thunder Bay's official channels, as linked from its own website. Council members may also post on their own pages; we link only to official municipal channels.

Ask for the records

Anyone can ask the city for its records under Ontario's Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act (MFIPPA). You do not have to say why. Here is how it works, and the wording for the records that would answer the questions on this site.

  1. Send the request in writing to the city clerk (the freedom of information coordinator), on the city’s form or in a letter, with the $5 application fee.
  2. Describe the records, not the answer you want. Dates, departments and the kind of record (a list, invoices, emails) make a request quicker and cheaper.
  3. The city has 45 business days to answer (the law changed in 2026; older guides say 30 days). It can charge for search time and copies, but must send an estimate first if the fees will be over $25.
  4. Some parts can be held back, such as legal advice or personal information about other people. The city must say which part of the law it relied on.
  5. If you are refused, or the fees seem too high, you can appeal to the Information and Privacy Commissioner within 30 business days of the city’s decision.

The city's request form (on its Forms page) · The law · Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario

  • The 2012 flood insurance claim

    The audited statements say the City is suing its insurer over the May 28, 2012 flood but print no amount. Related question: Why is the City still in a legal dispute with its insurer over the May 2012 flood, and what could it cost or bring in?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request records showing the total amount claimed from the City's insurer for the May 28, 2012 flood at the Atlantic Avenue Secondary Sewage Treatment Plant, the amount the insurer has paid or denied, and the City's total legal fees on the action to date. I ask that you separate any records that can be released from those you consider exempt.

  • Audit plan and delay reports for 2023 and 2024

    The 2023 and 2024 auditor's reports are dated October 28, 2024 and December 3, 2025. Related question: Why were the City's audited statements for 2023 and 2024 signed about ten and eleven months after each year ended, and when will the 2025 statements come?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the external auditor's audit plans and any reports to council or its committees about the timing of the audits of the City's 2023 and 2024 financial statements, and the planned date for the 2025 statements.

  • Tbaytel Dividend Policy and dividends paid

    The 2026 budget counts a Tbaytel dividend of $21,000.0 thousand under a Council-approved policy. Related question: How much of the City's tax budget now leans on Tbaytel's dividend, and what is the plan if the phone company pays less?.

    Show the request wordingHide the wording
    Under the Municipal Freedom of Information and Protection of Privacy Act, I request the Council-approved Tbaytel Dividend Policy and the dividends, regular and special, received by the City from Tbaytel in each of 2022 to 2026.

The wording is a starting point, not legal advice. Narrow the dates if the city says a request is too broad or too costly.

How to raise a concern

From the gentlest step to the most serious. Start at the top.

  1. Integrity Commissioner and Closed Session Meeting Investigator

    The City's Council Code of Conduct page names an outside firm, Principles Integrity, as both its Integrity Commissioner and its closed meeting investigator, and lists Integrity Commissioner reports to council from February 2019 to March 2024. We did not find reports after that date and did not open the reports themselves.

  2. Conflicts of interest registry

    A page listing each conflict a councillor declared, with the date, meeting, report and reason. We saw entries from May 6, 2026 back to 2025.

  3. Internal Audit Division

    The City's own internal auditors. The page links the Internal Audit Charter and the 2026 work plan. We did not find a list of past internal audit reports.

  4. Mayoral decisions (strong-mayor powers)

    The City lists each written mayoral decision, including notices that the Mayor does not intend to use the budget power for 2024, 2025 and 2026.