District Jail Evacuated Amid Emergency Situation
Thunder Bay District Jail Evacuates Inmates After Boiler Breakdown
The Thunder Bay District Jail is evacuating all 188 inmates following a boiler failure that left the nearly century-old facility without heat on Monday.
Anthony Rojik, president of OPSEU Local 737, which represents correctional officers, noted this is the first time in the jail’s history that an evacuation plan has been implemented.
“All I can say is that the plans are in place, and we’re following that plan, and it’s executing well,” Rojik said.
Local 737 vice-president Bill Hayes confirmed the jail was over capacity at the time of the breakdown. The use of electric heaters was ruled out due to potential air quality concerns.
Efforts are underway to relocate up to 80 inmates to the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre, with the rest transferred to other facilities across Ontario. For security reasons, Rojik declined to specify the locations.
“Once the systems are back up and running, the inmates will return to their home institution,” Rojik added, emphasizing that contractors and maintenance teams are working to restore the boiler.
The problem was identified Monday morning when maintenance staff noticed an issue with the system. “We’ve had an infrastructure failure,” Rojik explained. “The backups are running, and we’re proceeding with the evacuation to ensure the safety of all inmates.”
Meanwhile, construction of a new 345-bed jail near the Thunder Bay Correctional Centre on Highway 61 is underway. The facility is expected to open in 2026, potentially alleviating long-standing issues at the aging district jail.
