Thunder Bay, ON
City in Ontario
Canada
Thunder Bay, ON Before You Build Guide explains the city's planning and permitting requirements
An 18-page guide provides tips and checklists for five development types including business relocation and accessory building construction. There is a pre-consultation checklist along with explainers about the Building Services and Planning Services divisions. Thunder Bay also developed short videos with considerations for each project type. The Before You Build Guide and a planned online permitting system simplify processes for all parties involved.
Thunder Bay, ON
Canada
Thunder Bay, ON sells new ventures on a growing local market with new economic development website
The city-funded Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) details markets and services available to entrepreneurs. A Site Selector section explains how CEDC teams help businesses find the right lots for their industry, workforce, and customer base. Incoming ventures learn which areas of Thunder Bay can unlock their potential on the Regional Hotspots page. Website users also learn how they can work with CEDC to navigate permits and incentive programs.
Thunder Bay, ON
Canada
Thunder Bay, ON develops Open Data Portal from datasets generated by city departments
Interested parties can search a growing catalogue that started with 50 datasets. The Open Data Portal also arranges data into eight categories from business to transportation. Available files including historical property tax rates and real-time transit trips tracked by Google Transit. The Information Technology team added interactive maps of city features, property lines, and crime stats to show the value of open data.
Thunder Bay, ON
Canada
Thunder Bay, ON achieves website accessibility for residents of all abilities
The city pursued a multi-stage website upgrade as part of its five-year accessibility plan. Website users can navigate every page using only their keyboards. City officials conduct website audits to ensure continued functionality with screen readers like ZoomText. Customizable webpages allow users to pause banner animations, change text sizes, and adjust color contrasts. Thunder Bay employs an accessibility specialist who handles additional requests.
Thunder Bay, ON
Canada
Thunder Bay, ON extends its pop-up patio pilot to accommodate social distancing during COVID-19
The pop-up patio program allows eligible businesses to create patios using up to four on-street parking spaces. Business owners can also apply to use adjacent private land or sidewalks for new patios. City officials require patios to be accessible and pass fire and engineering inspections prior to final approval. The pilot first started in 2018 to improve foot traffic in shopping areas. Thunder Bay extended the program through October 2021 due to the pandemic.
Thunder Bay, ON
Canada
Thunder Bay, ON brings racism in the community to light with Incident Reporting Program
The city worked with Diversity Thunder Bay and Lakewood Social Planning Council to develop the program. Residents directly impacted by racist words and acts share their experiences through an online survey. The Incident Reporting Program collects data on incident locations to help Thunder Bay track hotspots for racism. City officials and partners allocate educational and counseling services based on survey data.
Thunder Bay, ON
Canada