May 6, 2019 - The Thunder Bay District Health Unit is pleased to announce the launch of our Children’s Visual Health program. Mandated by the Ministry of Health and Long-Term Care, this new program includes school vision screening and visual health promotion. From February to June 2019, free in-school screening for senior kindergarten students in 29 Thunder Bay and District schools will be provided, with plans to screen all SK students in Thunder Bay and District during the 2019-2020 school year.

May 3, 2019 - The outbreak of respiratory illness at Southbridge Pinewood Located at 2625 E. Walsh Street has been declared over. All restrictions have been lifted.

The Health Unit is urging people to stay at home and refrain from visiting hospitals and long-term care facilities when feeling unwell to avoid spreading infections to those most vulnerable: young infants and children, the elderly and those with other chronic illnesses.

The Health Unit reminds the public to prevent getting and spreading infections by:

May 1, 2019 - The 7 public health units in northern Ontario will be working together on climate change and health vulnerability and adaptation reports over the next 2 years with funding support from Health Canada. Climate change is a threat to human health around the world. The changing environment resulting from climate change will bring new health issues, and existing issues may get worse.

April 26, 2019 - “Adults need vaccines, too!” is the focus of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s 2019 National Immunization Awareness Week (NIAW) campaign. This annual event, held the last week of April, highlights and recognizes the importance of immunization. Canada’s NIAW coincides with Vaccination Week in the Americas and World Immunization Week.

April 23, 2019 - Officials at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit and Southbridge Pinewood Court located at 2625 Walsh Street East have expanded their respiratory outbreak to facility-wide.

Admissions, transfers, discharges and social activities have been cancelled until further notice. Visitors are restricted to family members and caregivers only, so please call the facility for more information.

April 17, 2019 - Significant cuts in provincial funding for public health were put forward in the Ontario budget released last week that will put public health at risk.

The government expects to reduce its investment by $200M annually across the province within two years. This reflects a potential reduction of up to 27% in the provincial grants for cost-shared programs for health units. These cuts are in addition to significant prior funding limitations experienced as a result of a revised provincial funding formula introduced in 2015, and provincial fiscal restraints.

April 17, 2019 - The TBDHU is grateful to have received $995,000 in funding, over 5 years from the Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC) to implement the Youth Violence Prevention Project through-out Thunder Bay and District. This exciting initiative provides the capacity to implement a school-based, skills-focused, healthy relationship program aimed at preventing teen violence and related risk behaviours for Grade 7-9 youth in our region.

Project partners include:

April 12, 2019 - The outbreak of respiratory illness at Chartwell Thunder Bay Retirement Residence, Glacier Ridge, located at 1261 Jasper Drive, has been declared over. All restrictions have been lifted.

The Health Unit is urging people to stay at home and refrain from visiting hospitals, long-term care facilities and retirement homes when feeling unwell to avoid spreading infections to those most vulnerable: young infants and children, the elderly and those with other chronic illnesses.

The Health Unit reminds the public to prevent getting and spreading infections by: