Journalist. Belongs to Northwestern Ontario. Ricochet Media. “Thunder Bay” now streaming on Crave. Past words & baritone for Canadaland, CBC, TVO, APTN.https://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.socialhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mlquvl3k4k2rFor more on the three-year prison sentence a court handed to Thunder Bay Police Service officer Michael Dimini today... https://ricochet.media/justice/police-state/thunder-bay-cop-sentenced-to-three-years-in-prison/ [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 May 2026 17:57 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlquvl3k4k2rhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mlqkgadjzs2wBREAKING: Thunder Bay Police Service staff sergeant Michael Dimini has been sentenced to incarceration for three years on breach of trust and two years (concurrent) on obstruction. He will appeal. https://ricochet.media/justice/police-state/militantly-illegal-police-conduct-conviction-shatters-years-of-protection-for-thunder-bay-police-sergeant/13 May 2026 14:50 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mlqkgadjzs2whttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3ml4fnolq5227Hauth's trial has been set back until May 13. That will give you some time to bookmark this story to read when you find yourself with silence, a window, and a hot drink. [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 May 2026 14:31 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml4fnolq5227https://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3ml45angluc2oPolice arrested three people whose stories featured in the fourth episode of our "Thunder Bay" docu-series on Crave, including the Thunder Bay police chief, her lawyer, and an officer. The officer was guilty, the lawyer was not, the police chief will stand trial. Thank you for reading. [contains quote post or other embedded content]05 May 2026 12:01 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3ml45angluc2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mkzrhkebxk26Our "Thunder Bay" Crave series showed how police, mired in Canadian policing's first anti-Indigenous systemic racism scandal, investigated their own Anishinaabe board chair. On the eve of police chief Sylvie Hauth (ret) standing trial, here's that story from the inside https://ricochet.media/indigenous/how-thunder-bay-police-investigated-their-own-indigenous-board-chair/04 May 2026 13:24 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkzrhkebxk26https://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mkxggx5lts23Just a reminder for Press Freedom Day that you can't tighten your fist around sand and the harder you try, the worse this is going to get for Ontario. https://www.ipc.on.ca/en/media-centre/news-releases/statement-commissioner-patricia-kosseim-proposed-changes-ontarios-freedom-information-and-protection03 May 2026 15:02 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkxggx5lts23https://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mktr5oygpk2t02 May 2026 04:03 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mktr5oygpk2thttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mklam4qtfc2pThe Work has been nominated for Digital Publishing Awards. A portfolio of stories the Northwest and I have been telling is up for best local news. Lots from @ricochetmedia.bsky.social including @dreahouston.bsky.social @brandimorin.bsky.social,Zahra Khozema https://digitalpublishingawards.ca/2026nominees/?fbclid=IwY2xjawRd3vBleHRuA2FlbQIxMQBzcnRjBmFwcF9pZBAyMjIwMzkxNzg4MjAwODkyAAEeD7MmssC3KvrHDknxkDTpPLcE5dNBaFIwkC0aB1EHwx3p8uxNqLZqXi6gBbo_aem__m29QonNk7Vc3b0lXEBpvA28 Apr 2026 18:45 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mklam4qtfc2phttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mkasokhvk22nBREAKING: Former Thunder Bay Police Service lawyer Holly Walbourne has been found not guilty of obstruction of justice and breach of trust. She was accused of lying to OCPC about a criminal investigation TBPS was conducting into its own board chair, including a production order on the chair's phone.24 Apr 2026 15:10 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mkasokhvk22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mk6uanewac2oEnergy Minister Stephen Lecce in Thunder Bay announcing 162 km, 230kV line from Dryden to Ear Falls to Red Lake. This has been in the works for years.23 Apr 2026 20:32 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mk6uanewac2ohttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mjwwtqr2bs2yFar right Kenora Coun. & former OPP Bob Bernie says city has “been abandoned” by Ontario’s PC government, calls out ministers for criminal case backlog and general social disorder. https://www.kenoraminerandnews.com/news/local-news/we-ve-been-abandoned-bernie-accuses-provincial-government-of-gross-incompetence/article_8c9a4589-52c0-48f4-a170-9f04cc60365a.html20 Apr 2026 16:57 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjwwtqr2bs2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mjs5mb462k2fI’m watching the Raptors lose on RDS. When they sink three-pointers, the announcers do that thing where they name drop, as though the basket hit from the next town over. But it’s in French, so the cities are in Quebec. It’s strangely comforting.18 Apr 2026 19:15 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjs5mb462k2fhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mjivop53dc2vOntario intends to build 2,000-3,000 jail beds between 2040-2050. They're planning to expand incarceration to lock up those who have not yet been born. This increase in criminalization is, of course, not something we can stop or even swerve around with this much lead time. https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/foi-documents-jail-expansion-ontario-9.716286715 Apr 2026 02:59 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjivop53dc2vhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mjfndw3rqk2nOntario trustees say they’re “deeply concerned by measures that would remove core responsibilities from elected trustees, including authority over budgets & leadership in collective bargaining… means removing decisions from people who are directly accountable to the community.” [contains quote post or other embedded content]13 Apr 2026 19:52 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjfndw3rqk2nhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mjfg5q42e22nNew Ontario education legislation “Mandate[s] the use of ministry-approved learning resources in classrooms across the province to support greater consistency in delivering the new curriculum while making it easier for teachers to access high-quality materials…”13 Apr 2026 17:44 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjfg5q42e22nhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mjfflb3l522kFormer Thunder Bay police lawyer Holly Walbourne pleads Not Guilty to obstruction and breach of trust. Charges relate to a criminal investigation snr leadership launched into police board chair, Georjann Morriseau, including a surveillance order on her phone. Walbourne allegedly misled board & OCPC.13 Apr 2026 17:33 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mjfflb3l522khttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mj5fmbgvws2z10 Apr 2026 13:13 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mj5fmbgvws2zhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3miyhkgxq722tLIVE: Environmental and human rights organizations are launching a new constitutional legal challenge against Ontario's Bill 5 this hour. https://www.ola.org/en/legislative-business/video/media-studio They include Ecojustice, Democracy Watch, Environmental Defence, Friends of the Earth Canada, and Wildlands League.08 Apr 2026 14:04 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3miyhkgxq722thttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mivxwaosas2qThe children of Cat Lake First Nation help Rex “The Boot” Atkins of the Canadian Wrestling Federation back to the ring with words of encouragement.07 Apr 2026 14:19 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mivxwaosas2qhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mijrecbfjk2y"The regional governors now have direct control over their territories." - Grand Moff Wilhuff Tarkin https://news.ontario.ca/en/release/1007252/ontario-introducing-legislation-to-strengthen-regional-governance02 Apr 2026 17:50 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mijrecbfjk2yhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mijchsm36c2sAnother fire in KI First Nation since the one that killed Chief Morris's 3yr-old grandson. Auditor General won't investigate Human Rights Commission for "slow-walking" complaints https://ricochet.media/indigenous/how-many-more-have-to-die-northern-ontario-fires-expose-delays-in-human-rights-complaints-for-first-nations/ "God help them if they suggest they did triage this & it was on the low end of ‘serious.’"02 Apr 2026 13:23 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mijchsm36c2shttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mihce2t7kc23You heard about the fire that claimed the life of KI Chief Donny Morris's 3yr-old grandson. There has been another fire since. Auditor General says it will NOT investigate the Human Rights Commission, where a racism complaint has languished for 7 months w/o attention. https://ricochet.media/indigenous/how-many-more-have-to-die-northern-ontario-fires-expose-delays-in-human-rights-complaints-for-first-nations/01 Apr 2026 18:16 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mihce2t7kc23https://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3migx7yn65227I was kind of mouthy about it in the moment, so a few people asked me to write about the exchange between PM Mark Carney &Chrissy Isaacs from Grassy Narrows. I'm on something else up to my elbows right now but my colleague Brandi Morin has you covered. https://indigenousinsider.substack.com/p/a-poisoned-woman-demanded-justice01 Apr 2026 14:57 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3migx7yn65227https://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mieqhdnizc2xPaul Dubé is out as Ontario's ombudsman. It's a little strange that a beat reporter in Thunder Bay should have anything to say about that, but I want to give him a hand. I've watched lots of powerful people pretend to care about reconciliation. He seemed willing to make himself vulnerable to try. 🧵31 Mar 2026 17:50 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mieqhdnizc2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mic3da2xqs2x30 Mar 2026 16:27 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mic3da2xqs2xhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mibz4ojvv22bThe punditry about the NDP convention is pretensed on how the people whose identities inform The Party's processes don't deserve the special attention and respect they want. These are complaint letters from writers who have zero interest in this exercise, conceptually.30 Mar 2026 15:47 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mibz4ojvv22bhttps://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mi5ujbq6js23The NDP needs to remember, The Party can’t be the movement. It’s not like the rest of the spectrum because diversity is the top value and The Party can’t officiate that. It can build consensus. The movements must be freely plug into The Party where their interests converge.29 Mar 2026 00:14 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi5ujbq6js23https://bsky.app/profile/jonthompson.bsky.social/post/3mi555ri7l22iCanada has discontinued funding the Search for Unmarked Graves and Missing Children at the former McIntosh Indian Residential School near Kenora. Financial reporting standards appear to have been contentious. Grassy Narrows Chief Sherry Ackabee is calling for First Nations organizational support.28 Mar 2026 17:16 +0000at://did:plc:wt4im2v63yrefso2m54gvnv5/app.bsky.feed.post/3mi555ri7l22i