Thunder Bay—Superior North

Thunder Bay—Superior North was won by NDP candidate Lise Vaugeois in 2022, ending the long Liberal hold on the riding that had lasted since 1995 under Michael Gravelle. Vaugeois, who had narrowly lost to Gravelle in 2018, entered the legislature as a first-time MPP and was named the NDP’s Shadow Minister for Seniors and Accessibility, with responsibility for WSIB and injured workers. During her first term, she joined fellow northern NDP MPPs in advocating for improved highway safety on Highways 11 and 17, a defining issue for constituents who depend on these corridors for daily travel. The 2025 snap election tested whether Vaugeois could hold the seat she had just won against a PC challenge from a well-known municipal leader.

Candidates

Lise Vaugeois (NDP) — Vaugeois moved to Thunder Bay in 1991 to take a position with the Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra and later became an adjunct professor in the Faculty of Education at Lakehead University. She had been involved in Indigenous, women’s, anti-racist, and anti-poverty advocacy for over four decades and served on the board of the Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers Support Group. As MPP, she served as the NDP Shadow Minister for Seniors and Accessibility.

Rick Dumas (Progressive Conservative) — Dumas had served as mayor of Marathon since being appointed to fill a vacancy in 2021 and was elected in 2022, having previously served as a town councillor for seventeen years. He said he entered the race because he believed Premier Ford was taking the right approach in defending the province against American trade threats.

Brian Hamilton (Liberal) — Hamilton was a second-term Thunder Bay city councillor for McKellar Ward and president of the Bay and Algoma Business Association. He had owned several businesses in the city and campaigned on healthcare investment, infrastructure improvements, and addressing the housing crisis facing the region.

John Northey ran for the Green Party, Daniel K. Campbell for the Northern Ontario Party, Katherine Suutari for the New Blue Party, and Steve Hanssen as an Independent.

Local Issues

Highway safety was a critical concern across the riding during the 2022–2025 term. Highways 11 and 17 saw multiple devastating collisions, including multi-vehicle pileups involving transport trucks. Vaugeois joined NDP colleagues in pushing for improved winter maintenance, more passing lanes, stricter commercial driver licensing, and enhanced MTO enforcement. The PC government faced criticism from northern residents who felt road safety investments were insufficient.

The ongoing transition of Thunder Bay’s economy shaped local debate. The forestry and manufacturing sectors had declined significantly, and the city’s economy was increasingly reliant on healthcare and education employment. Communities along the Lake Superior shoreline and in the northern hinterland continued to press for broadband expansion and infrastructure investment.

Healthcare remained a top-of-mind issue. The opioid crisis that affected Thunder Bay extended across the riding, and physician shortages in smaller communities meant residents often travelled long distances to access care. Residents in communities such as Marathon and Nipigon sought greater provincial investment in local health services, particularly as the region’s aging population placed growing demands on the healthcare system.