THUNDER BAY – First Nations and city leaders say they are committed to working together on the homelessness crisis in the city following a meeting on Tuesday.
“It was very collegial because we all understand how immense this problem is and that the only way of achievement in this is by large-scale community and regional cooperation,” Mayor Ken Boshcoff told Newswatch later that day.
Boshcoff met with Chief Michele Solomon of Anemki Wajiw (Fort William First Nation) and Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Alvin Fiddler to discuss the loss of life in the city’s homeless population after Solomon and Fiddler sent a letter to Boshcoff, urging the city to declare a state of emergency.
“I think that all the groups who are involved all have the common goal of tackling a very difficult problem, but working together to do what we can and basically combining resources, I came out of that rather inspired,” Boshcoff said. “With the First Nations and the rest of the community, we’re very formidable in terms of being able to tackle one of the world’s biggest problems.”
During the meeting, the trio spoke about the ongoing impacts of colonization on Indigenous peoples, and they all agreed that there are gaps in current approaches and available resources, according to a joint statement released Tuesday by the city, Fort William First Nation and NAN.
The parties committed to both immediate and longer-term initiatives, with further information to come.
“We do not have all the answers, but too many people are dying for us to continue working in isolation,” Solomon was quoted saying.
“This dialogue is an important first step, and it gives us an opportunity to demonstrate leadership in a new way — one that is collaborative, honest, and grounded in good relationships,” she continued.
Boshcoff said the first step is to build “a trust relationship” to make “communication effective.”
“And when I finished the meeting today, I said, ‘you know what, if we all do our part, no one is as strong as all of us put together,’” he said.
On top of sharing resources, the joint statement says the leaders are committed to advocating for system-level changes to address homelessness in the community.
“The First Nations and Aboriginal groups can appeal to different funding sources than the municipalities can, and I think by us combining our asks to make sure we cover all the bases, we will address this problem as much as it can be, considering the worldwide immensity,” Boshcoff said.
While he was supportive of longer-term collaboration, according to the joint statement, Fiddler also emphasized the need for urgent action.
“As leaders, we need to show that we are committed to providing immediate supports to our most vulnerable members, while we work together to establish long-term solutions,” he was quoted as saying.
In a previous interview with Newswatch, Fiddler discussed the life and tragic death of Kenina Thomas. A woman from his community of Muskrat Dam First Nation who died eight days into 2026 at a bus shelter in Thunder Bay.
Fiddler said, “we need to ensure that there are supports for people like Kenina and for the others that are still out here, to ensure that they live, you know, in a safe home — that they shouldn’t have to worry about being cold or being hungry.”
City of Thunder Bay administration will bring a full report to council following up on the matter, according the release.
