Learn more about the Smart Growth Action Plan

The City of Thunder Bay is bringing organizations across the city together to create a Smart Growth Action Plan for our community.

The Smart Growth Action Plan is built around three core goals: expanding Thunder Bay’s tax base, strengthening the local workforce, and attracting new residents — all while enhancing community vibrancy, inclusivity, and readiness for sustainable growth.

To maintain the quality of services we all depend on, Thunder Bay must grow. We need to attract and retain skilled talent and generate the revenue necessary to keep our city both resilient and affordable.

This Plan will offer a clear and focused framework to guide that growth — responsibly, sustainably, and in alignment with our community’s values and potential.

Now it’s your turn: explore the Smart Growth Action Plan, ask questions, and share your feedback to help shape Thunder Bay’s future.

What is Smart Growth?

Smart Growth is a planning and development approach that focuses on building vibrant, inclusive, and sustainable communities. It encourages investments in infrastructure, housing, transportation, and services that promote economic prosperity, environmental stewardship, and quality of life for all residents.

Smart Growth supports growth that is intentional, efficient, and equitable, ensuring that as cities expand, they do so in ways that:

• Use land and resources wisely
• Strengthen the local economy and tax base
• Create complete, connected communities
• Protect natural assets
• Offer opportunities for all people to thrive

The Smart Growth Action Plan

The Smart Growth Action Plan will use this approach to build prosperity in Thunder Bay, based on expert guidance and feedback from the public.

The creation of the plan is being guided by Task Force Growth, a group of 25 community leaders who represent major local institutions and possess a range of expertise on economic and community growth.

The 10-year plan will build on a Growth Assessment & Strategy that will be released at the same time by the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC), which will evaluate the city’s business ecosystem, industrial land availability, economic growth barriers, and more.

Key Considerations

Task Force Growth has developed key considerations to shape the direction and implementation of the Smart Growth Action Plan.

Actions in the plan will be reviewed against these key considerations, ensuring that our approach is responsible, inclusive, and forward-looking.

The key considerations include:

• Financial Sustainability
• Inclusiveness
• Environmental Stewardship
• Innovation
• Risk Management

Taking Action

The heart of the Smart Growth Action Plan will be a list of actions to encourage growth in our community. These actions will be led by a variety of local organizations, with regular progress reports to City Council over the plan’s 10-year time-frame.

Actions in the plan are grouped within three strategic pillars:

Readiness – Laying the groundwork for growth through planning, infrastructure, and internal coordination.

Attraction – Making Thunder Bay a more compelling place to live, invest, and do business.

Talent – Attracting, developing and retaining the workforce needed to support long-term growth.

Next Steps

Starting on Tuesday, June 17, the public can review draft elements of the plan and provide feedback by completing a short survey or by emailing growth@thunderbay.ca.

The City will also host a pair of town halls later this month to share details of the plan and receive questions and feedback:

A finalized version of the Smart Growth Action Plan, incorporating public feedback, will be presented to City Council for approval in the fall of 2025.