UPDATE: June 5, 2026:
The Thunder Bay Muslim Religious Association (TBMRA) announced it’s withdrawing its Junot Park proposal. Please see the TBNewswatch article here: https://www.tbnewswatch.com/local-news/muslim-association-withdraws-its-junot-park-proposal-12382480 as well as Northern Hoot’s article about TBMRA’s decision here: https://northernhoot.com/the-applicant-listened-why-doesnt-city-hall/
Earlier this year, we posted an article entitled “Selling our Parkland since 2023”. In that article, we talked about a related report that City Administration prepared for Committee of the Whole. That report provided a list of city-owned lands, including parkland, available for surplus and sale. Of course, we asked for a copy of that report but since it was provided to Committee of the Whole in yet another closed session meeting, the public isn’t entitled to see it. We would like to point out that City Council routinely uses s.239(2) of Ontario’s Municipal Act to close meetings or parts of meetings to the public, although it’s not a requirement to do so in most circumstances. In our opinion, this is a conscious effort to exclude the public from far too many matters and is not necessary. Regularly dealing with issues behind closed doors evokes an aura of secrecy, which in turns leads to far too much speculation by city residents about what is really happening. It also increases the sense of distrust many residents have of our City Council and City Administration.
This distrust is well-placed. For example, 791 Arundel St was included in that report. In response to the above noted article, Councillor Etreni posted on Facebook, “I want to reassure you that nothing is moving forward on highly used or valued parkland.” We now know that was a complete and utter lie. City Council surplused and sold off parkland at 791 Arundel St, part of the Boulevard Lake Complex. This neighbourhood greenspace is highly used, with multiple gravel paths criss-crossing its forest and field, as well as a paved multi-use trail accessible from Arundel St, Toledo St, and Lyon Boulevard. It has been highly used, valued and cherished by residents of Current River and the broader community for decades.
Sadly, 791 Arundel was not the only piece of parkland included in that report. There are other parks, open spaces, greenspaces, and parkettes that are on the proverbial chopping block. If you think your neighbourhood greenspace is safe, think again. The City has now put up a portion of Junot Park at 60 Junot Avenue North for potential surplus, this time “for development of a faith-based community campus”.
The City isn’t content with selling off parkland for massive Toronto-sized, market-rate (aka not affordable) apartment complexes, it now wants to sell off a chunk of a neighbourhood park to an unnamed religious group to build a religious campus that will ONLY be accessible to said religious group’s followers. What’s next, selling off parkland around Boulevard for a gated community for the wealthy?
For those of you who may not remember or did not know, City residents fought against using this very park for the EMS centre that is now located at 105 Junot St S. Residents wanted to keep it a neighbourhood park then and they want to keep it neighbourhood park now. Why is the City so intent on reducing the amount of neighbourhood greenspaces in our City when there is more than enough city-owned land, not zoned Community and not used as neighbourhood parks and greenspace, that could be used for this purpose?
As we’ve said before, this won’t be the last piece of parkland that gets sold off, regardless of how well it’s used or valued. Councillor Etreni and her fellow councillors made sure of that back in 2023.
Remember, it’s an election year. Make your voices heard. According to the City’s own commissioned report, Thunder Bay’s Housing Land Needs Study and Strategy, we have more than enough city-owned land for the next 20 years. We do not need to sell off our parkland for any purpose, whether that’s for new residential, commercial, or private religious communities.
We urge you to complete the survey on the City’s Get Involved website, write Mayor Boshcoff and our City Councillors, and tell them NO to surplussing part of Junot Park for this proposed development, or for any development. Tell them to leave our parkland, our neighbourhood greenspaces, parks, and parkettes alone! If we don’t stop them, who knows what highly valued and well used public space will be surplused next.
To learn more about saving our parks and greenspaces, what constitutes good urban development, and where the City should be building high density residential, check out our website and follow us on Facebook.