THUNDER BAY — City council wants the Ford government to look at changing how it funds northern police in the face of mounting costs.
“Crime is higher in Northern Ontario and in (this region) urban hubs are absorbing the increase social injustice sector costs,” said Coun. Trevor Giertuga at Tuesday’s council meeting. “Violent crime in Northern Ontario is 3.7 times higher than Southern Ontario, and the opiate mortality rate is higher.”
He added that Thunder Bay’s death rate is six times the provincial average, and “it went from 3.9 in 2024 to five times in 2025, then six times in 2026.”
Council voted unanimously to recommend the province examine the cost pressures of policing for northern municipalities and reform the police funding model.
Coun. Kasey Etreni brought forward the motion. According to a memorandum presented to council, municipalities across Ontario, particularly in in the north, continue to experience escalating cost pressures related to the delivery of policing services.
Giertuga said that Thunder Bay residents “pay $45 average more per year than our southern counterparts, almost 20 per cent more. There’s five northern policing communities within 100,000 square kilometres, and in Southern Ontario there’s 38 in the same square kilometres.
“And our policing costs here have increased 24 per cent over the last five years, and there’s no different funding approaches between Northern Ontario and Southern Ontario, yet the provincial government has given $77 million in cost relief to the OPP with no equivalent funding for Northwestern Ontario.”
This disparity, he said, makes it imperative that council address this issue.
He thanked Etreni for bringing the matter from the Police Services Board, where she represents the city.
The Association of Municipalities of Ontario, AMO, have done a significant review of policing costs across the province “because OPP costs have substantially increased in other parts of the province as well,” Coun. Kristen Oliver said.
As per the motion, the city will request that the province work collaboratively with northern municipalities to develop a sustainable, long-term framework to fund mandated policing services. A copy of the resolution will be forwarded to the Premier of Ontario, the Minister of the Solicitor General, the Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing.
The city will also reach out to the Association of Municipalities of Ontario and all northern Ontario municipalities for their support.
