Thunder Bay police lay 247 charges in 2-day traffic enforcement blitz

Const. Tom Armstrong of the Thunder Bay Police Service's traffic unit talks about a recent two-day road safety blitz in the city.

A two-day traffic enforcement initiative by the Thunder Bay Police Service has led to nearly 250 charges – including multiple incidents of stunt driving and impaired operation.

The Spring Into Enforcement project, conducted on May 6 and 7, targeted dangerous driving behaviours linked to serious collisions. Officers laid 247 charges under the Highway Traffic Act and Ontario Compulsory Automobile Insurance Act, including:

• 7 stunt driving offences, where drivers exceeded speed limits by at least 40 km/h in zones posted at 50 km/h or less.
• 151 speeding tickets, mostly for drivers going 20 km/h or more over the limit in residential areas.
• 14 charges for failing to slow down or move over for emergency vehicles, an ongoing safety concern.
• 6 distracted driving and 4 driving without insurance charges.

Additionally, one vehicle was taken off the road after being deemed unfit by police and 31 other court summons for various offences were issued.

One motorist was arrested on Balmoral Street after being clocked at over 90 km/h in a 50 km/h zone before 8 a.m. The driver, a 40-year-old man, faces charges of dangerous driving, two impaired driving offences – including operating a vehicle with a BAC over 80 in addition to other offences.

In a separate incident on Waterloo Street during the project, another 40-year-old man was stopped for stunt driving after officers allegedly caught him travelling 91 km/h in a 50 km/h zone.

Police said, in a related social media post, that breath tests showed his blood alcohol level was nearly four times the legal limit. He was charged with two impaired driving offences, dangerous driving, stunt driving, speeding, having open alcohol in a vehicle, and other administrative offences. In addition to the charges, his licence was suspended for 90 days, and his vehicle was impounded for 14 days for stunt driving and seven for impaired driving – for a total of 21 days.

Stunt drivers caught speeding 40 km/h or more over the limit in zones under 80 km/h face a 14-day vehicle impoundment and 30-day licence suspension, while all impaired drivers are issued 90-day administrative driver’s licence suspensions and seven-day vehicle impounds.

“With the warmer weather, there is an increase in pedestrian, cyclist, and motorcyclist traffic,” the police service said in a news release.

“Road safety is a shared responsibility, and a split-second delay in reaction time due to excessive speed, inattention, or an unfit vehicle can have catastrophic consequences for other road users.”

The Thunder Bay Police Service emphasized its commitment to road safety, stating its traffic unit is “dedicated to maintaining road discipline and ensuring that all persons and pedestrians in the City of Thunder Bay and Oliver Paipoonge are permitted to share roadways safely.”

The enforcement blitz follows a rise in speed violations in the first quarter of 2025.