Families, First Nation leaders to discuss Thunder Bay police misconduct at Queen’s Park
First Nations leadership and families will gather at Queen's Park on Monday to discuss what they say has been decades-long misconduct on the part of the Thunder Bay police.
The families will be meeting with Sol Mamakwa, the MPP for Kiiwetinoong and deputy NDP leader.
A news conference is scheduled for 9 a.m. April 22.
The meetings come after three people with ties to the Thunder Bay Police Service have been charged since December – including its former chief of police Sylvie Hauth, former in-house lawyer Holly Walbourne and staff Sgt. Michael Dimini.
Three members of Thunder Bay Police Service -- former chief Sylvie Hauth, former lawyer Holly Walbourne and staff Sgt. Michael Dimini -- charged in misconduct investigation. April 15, 2024 (CTV News)
Can trust be rebuilt?
The Thunder Bay Police Service said it wants to rebuild trust within the community, but some have argued it's not enough.
"The allegations of the past is not a reflection of the work being done today," said police service board chair Karen Machado, in a press conference last week.
Mamakwa said people need to see a change in the way the police service operates.
“There's a lot of good words being said, but I think it's important that we need to be able to see the action,” he said speaking with CTV News on Friday.
“You know2, I think we are past the time for dialogue."
Misconduct allegations
In late 2021, the Ministry of the Attorney General asked Ontario Provincial Police to investigate allegations of misconduct involving members of the Thunder Bay Police Service.
A Thunder Bay Police Service sign. (File photo/CTV News)
As a result of that investigation, three people from Thunder Bay Police Service have been charged.
Sgt. Mike Dimini was arrested in December 2023 and charged with two counts of assault and one count each of breach of trust by a police officer and obstructing justice.
Then earlier this month, both Hauth and Walbourne were charged with obstruction, obstructing justice and breach of trust.
Walbourne resigned as the Thunder Bay Police Service’s counsel last year, around the time Darcy Fleury took over as chief of police.
Hauth was suspended in June 2022 after "serious allegations" were made by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission.
An undated photo of former Thunder Bay Police Chief Sylvie Hauth. Ontario Provincial Police have arrested and charged the former Thunder Bay police chief as part of an ongoing misconduct probe. (File photo/CTV News)
Hauth became the chief of police in 2018 following a scathing report that found 'systemic racism' within the Thunder Bay police force that affected the death investigations involving Indigenous Peoples. Nine of those deaths were reinvestigated because of how poorly they were initially handed.
She resigned in January 2023 after 30 years of service avoiding a police misconduct hearing.
None of the criminal charges have been proven in court.
With files from CTV News’ Kamil Karamali and CTVNorthernOntario.ca journalist Chelsea Papineau
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Signs of Alzheimer’s were everywhere. Then his brain improved
Blood biomarkers of telltale signs of early Alzheimer’s disease in the brain of his patient, 55-year-old entrepreneur Simon Nicholls, had all but disappeared in a mere 14 months.
Box tree moths have infested Ontario and experts say more are coming. Here's what to do to protect your garden
An invasive moth species is on the rise in Canada and, if you've planted a certain shrub, it could stand to ruin your garden.
Lyon-bound Air Canada Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner from Montreal turns back midflight due to pressurization alert
Passengers heading from Montreal to Lyon, France on Friday were forced to return home and depart the next day after a pressurization indication was detected in flight.
Oilers dominate Canucks, win to force deciding Game 7
The Edmonton Oilers avoided elimination from the NHL playoffs Saturday night, beating the visiting Vancouver Canucks 5-1 in Game 6 of their second-round series.
The eight most expensive homes for sale in Ottawa this spring
Ottawa's ultra luxury housing market is blooming like the tulips this spring, with a significant increase in the number of homes sold worth more than $2 million.
B.C. pipeline company argues its 'haulers' are not trucks, for tax purposes
A contractor working on the Coastal GasLink pipeline has been denied more than $333,000 worth of tax rebates because pieces of machinery it purchased – and claimed were not trucks – were deemed sufficiently truck-like in B.C. Supreme Court.
$500K-worth of elvers seized at Toronto airport
Fishery and border service officers seized more than 100 kilograms of unauthorized elvers at the Toronto Pearson International Airport on Wednesday.
Usyk beats Fury by split decision, becomes undisputed heavyweight champion
Oleksandr Usyk defeated Tyson Fury by split decision to become the first undisputed heavyweight boxing champion in 24 years.
To plant or not to plant? Gardening tips for May long weekend
May long weekend is finally here, and with the extra time off you may be getting the itch to head out to your garden and plant. However, the old debate whether you should plant now, or wait, is still ever-present.