Thunder Bay Set to Welcome New Plasma Donor Facility.

Canadian Blood Services, the national blood services operator, is in the process of establishing a plasma donor center in Thunder Bay. This development marks the return of the service to the city after a hiatus of twelve years, during which the agency ceased its operations there between 1996 and 2012.

Renovations are currently underway in a vacant section of the Thunder Centre shopping area, with completion anticipated by early next year. This new facility will be the tenth of its kind opened by CBS across the country since 2020, made possible through funding from both federal and provincial governments.

In a statement released on Wednesday, Canadian Blood Services cited a significant decline in the use of plasma for transfusion at hospitals as the reason for its closure in Thunder Bay in 2012.

Canadian Blood Services expressed anticipation in welcoming both new and returning donors, volunteers, and community partners, emphasizing their collective ability to impact patients reliant on immunoglobulins.

While the agency did not specify the exact staffing needs for the upcoming center, it’s worth noting that its previous location in the city employed 28 staff members.

Currently, the sole plasma donor center in Northern Ontario is located in Sudbury.