Thunder Bay District

Thunder Bay District is a district and census division in Northwestern Ontario in the Canadian province of Ontario. The district seat is Thunder Bay.

Thunder Bay District
District
Location of Thunder Bay District in Ontario
Coordinates: 50°N 088°W
Country	Canada
Province	Ontario
Region	Northwestern Ontario
Created	1871
Government
• MPs	Eric Melillo (Conservative) Marcus Powlowski (Liberal)[1] Patty Hajdu (Liberal)
• MPPs	Bill Rosenberg (PC) Kevin Holland (PC) Lise Vaugeois (NDP) Sol Mamakwa (NDP)
Area [2]
• Land	102,895.48 km2 (39,728.17 sq mi)
Population  (2021)[2]
• Total	146,862
• Density	1.4/km2 (4/sq mi)
Time zones
East of 90° west	UTC-05:00 (Eastern)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-04:00 (EDT)
West of 90° west	UTC-06:00 (Central)
• Summer (DST)	UTC-05:00 (CDT)
Postal code span	P0S, P0T, P7A to P7G, P7J to P7L
Area code	807
Largest communities [3]	Thunder Bay (109,140) Oliver Paipoonge (5,757) Greenstone (4,906)

The eponymous Thunder Bay

Most of the district (93.5%) is unincorporated and part of the Unorganized Thunder Bay District.

History

Thunder Bay District was created in 1871 by provincial statute from the western half of Algoma District, named after a large bay on the north shore of Lake Superior. Its northern and western boundaries were uncertain until Ontario's right to Northwestern Ontario was determined by the Judicial Committee of the Privy Council.^[4] Until about 1902 it was often called Algoma West from the name of the provincial constituency established in 1885.

The following districts include areas that were formerly part of Thunder Bay District:

• Rainy River, created in 1885
• Kenora, created in 1907 from Rainy River District
• Cochrane, created in 1921

Subdivisions

Municipalities

• City of Thunder Bay
• Municipality of Greenstone
• Town of Marathon
• Township of Conmee
• Township of Dorion
• Township of Gillies
• Township of Manitouwadge
• Municipality of Neebing
• Township of Nipigon
• Township of O'Connor
• Oliver Paipoonge Municipality
• Township of Red Rock
• Township of Schreiber
• Township of Shuniah
• Township of Terrace Bay

First Nations and their Reserves

• Animbiigoo Zaagi'igan Anishinaabek First Nation: Lake Nipigon
• Aroland First Nation: Aroland Settlement (Aroland 83)
• Biinjitiwaabik Zaaging Anishinaabek First Nation (Rocky Bay): Rocky Bay 1
• Bingwi Neyaashi Anishinaabek First Nation (Sand Point)
• Fort William First Nation: Fort William 52
• Ginoogaming First Nation: Ginoogaming (Long Lac 77)
• Kiashke Zaaging Anishinaabek First Nation (Gull Bay): Gull River 55
• Lac des Mille Lacs First Nation: Lac des Mille Lacs 22A1, Seine River 22A2
• Long Lake 58 First Nation: Long Lake 58
• Namaygoosisagagun First Nation (non-status)
• Netmizaaggamig Nishnaabeg: Pic Mobert North, Pic Mobert South
• Ojibway Nation of Saugeen First Nation (Savant Lake): Ojibway Nation of Saugeen
• Ojibways of the Pic River First Nation: Pic River 50
• Pays Plat First Nation: Pays Plat 51
• Red Rock First Nation (Lake Helen): Lake Helen 53A, Red Rock 53
• Seine River First Nation: Seine River 23A, Seine River 23B
• Whitesand First Nation: Armstrong Settlement, Whitesand

Unorganized areas

• Thunder Bay, Unorganized (including the local services boards of Armstrong, East Gorham, Hurkett, Kaministiquia, Lappe, Nolalu, Rossport, Savant Lake, Shebandowan, and Upsala)

Demographics

As a census division in the 2021 Census of Population conducted by Statistics Canada, the Thunder Bay District had a population of 146,862 living in 64,601 of its 72,510 total private dwellings, a change of 0.6% from its 2016 population of 146,048. With a land area of 102,895.48 km² (39,728.17 sq mi), it had a population density of 1.4/km² (3.7/sq mi) in 2021.^[2]

Canada census – Thunder Bay District community profile

	2021	2016	2011
Population	146,862 (+0.6% from 2016)	146,048 (0.0% from 2011)	146,057 (−2.0% from 2006)
Land area	102,895.48 km2 (39,728.17 sq mi)	103,722.82 km2 (40,047.60 sq mi)
Population density	1.4/km2 (3.6/sq mi)	1.4/km2 (3.6/sq mi)
Median age	44.8 (M: 43.2, F: 46.0)	45.0 (M: 44.0, F: 45.9)
Private dwellings	72,510 (total)  64,601 (occupied)	72,551 (total)  62,999 (occupied)	71,235 (total)
Median household income	$79,500	$68,062

Notes: *Excludes census data for incompletely enumerated Indian reserves.
References: 2021^[5] 2016^[6] 2011^[7]

Historical census populations – Thunder Bay District

Year Pop. ±% 1921 49,560 —     1931 65,118 +31.4% 1941 85,200 +30.8% 1951 105,367 +23.7% 1956 122,890 +16.6% 1961 138,518 +12.7%	Year Pop. ±% 1966 143,673 +3.7% 1971 145,390 +1.2% 1976 150,647 +3.6% 1981 153,997 +2.2% 1986 155,673 +1.1% 1991 158,810 +2.0%	Year Pop. ±% 1996 157,619 −0.7% 2001 150,860 −4.3% 2006 149,063 −1.2% 2011 146,057 −2.0% 2016 146,048 −0.0% 2021 146,862 +0.6%
Population counts are not adjusted for boundary changes. Source: Statistics Canada[2][8][9]

Further reading

• Arthur, Elizabeth. Thunder Bay District, 1821-1892: A Collection of Documents. Toronto: Champlain Society Publications, 1973.
• Scollie, Frederick Brent. Biographical dictionary and history of Victorian Thunder Bay (1850-1901)) including Prince Arthur’s Landing, Port Arthur, Fort William, Neebing, Nipigon, McIntyre, Oliver, Paipoonge, Rossport, Savanne, Schreiber, Shuniah, and Silver Islet. Thunder Bay, Ont.: Thunder Bay Historical Museum Society, 2020. ISBN 978-0-920119-88-4.

See also

• Edward Island (Lake Superior)
• Esnagami Lake
• List of Ontario Census Divisions
• List of townships in Ontario
• List of secondary schools in Ontario#Thunder Bay District