THUNDER BAY – EDITORIAL – Thunder Bay is again confronting the ugly truth of its drug crisis. With over $1 million in drugs seized and 43 people arrested across two major police operations, the scope of the problem is staggering—but hardly surprising.
We applaud the efforts of the Thunder Bay Police Service, whose investigations under Project Decoy and Project Incognito have removed deadly substances, firearms, and traffickers from our streets. These were not abstract criminals.
They operated in our neighbourhoods, near our schools, within earshot of playgrounds.
And yet, what they leave behind is not just an empty house or a seized vehicle—it’s trauma.
When Dealers Move In, Families Break Down
For every person arrested, there are ripple effects: children left to navigate unstable homes, caregivers overwhelmed by crisis, communities struggling with fear and mistrust. Drug dealers don’t just sell poison—they manufacture destruction. The fentanyl crisis is no longer just about overdose numbers. It’s about lives derailed, parents grieving, and kids growing up too fast in homes gripped by addiction.
These traffickers often prey on the most vulnerable—offering temporary escape at the cost of long-term suffering. They don’t care about the aftershocks. We do.
The Legal Industry Must Step Up!
Fiddling while Thunder Bay burns! All too often our legal industry in Thunder Bay and across Ontario sees the courts release the out of town drug dealers on conditions. If you take the time to see what happens in our courts, all too often the out of town drug dealers and their high-priced lawyers get their clients released to re-offend.
Meanwhile local mainly Indigenous people in our city are left with overwhelmed duty council and legal aid, and end up doing dead time in the over crowded Thunder Bay jail. Its time for the courts to send a message, bring drugs to Thunder Bay, bring guns to Thunder Bay, and you will serve the maximum time allowed.
A Police Response, But Not a Sole Solution
Let’s be clear: policing is essential. The removal of drugs and guns from circulation is critical. But enforcement alone won’t heal the trauma.
We need investment in addiction services, mental health care, housing, youth outreach, and community-led initiatives. If we don’t treat the roots of addiction, we’ll be raiding the same streets a year from now.
The city must work closely with Indigenous leaders, front-line organizations, and public health agencies. Rehabilitation, prevention, and recovery support must be treated as urgently as prosecution.
A City at a Crossroads
Thunder Bay stands at a crossroads. We can continue reacting to crime, or we can build a resilient community that starves drug networks of their oxygen: despair and disconnection.
These arrests offer hope—but not resolution. Let them serve as a wake-up call. Not just that crime is being fought, but that healing is still urgently needed.
