THUNDER BAY – The flags are at half staff at Thunder Bay City Hall to honour Mario Joseph Tocheri. Mario Tocheri was a Councillor and former Reeve for Neebing prior to the amalgamation. He also sat on the first City Council for the City of Thunder Bay.
Mario Joseph Tocheri, age 94 years, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 14, 2015 in Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre with his family at his side. Born in Celano, Italy on April 24, 1921, Mario came to Canada with his family in 1925 to Broadway Avenue and remained a resident of Vickers Heights since that time.
Commencing employment as a 16 year old at the Great Lakes Paper Mill (now Resolute Forest Products), he progressed from water boy to tradesman pipe fitter, to working foreman – still in the Union, before retiring after 49 years of service. During his tenure at the Mill he represented his fellow workers as a union negotiator and President of Great Lakes Local 39.