The Auditorium Has a New Name. The City Still Owns It. Sort of.

The Thunder Bay Community Auditorium has dropped “Thunder Bay Community” from its name. I understand why that has upset many residents. Those words represent 40 years of performances, memories and community investment. But I believe there's a much bigger conversation we should be having about the future of this publicly owned facility.

The Auditorium opened in 1985 after years of political controversy, debate and community fundraising. Former Mayor Walter Assef opposed its construction, while others, including former Mayor Dusty Miller, helped move the project forward. Whatever the political disagreements of the day, the result was a remarkable cultural facility built with public and community support.

My connection to the Auditorium is personal. I remember its early years, worked there in the 1990s and have experienced the building from both sides of the stage. I understand its importance to performers, employees, audiences and the thousands of residents who have walked through its doors.

In January 2022, City Council unanimously endorsed transferring operations to an arm's-length organization. The transition took effect in 2023. The City retained ownership, but the independent corporation assumed responsibility for operating the facility. In October 2025, Council voted unanimously to advance further lease arrangements.

Here's the part I believe deserves greater public attention. The City still owns the Auditorium - the building. The City is still its landlord. And taxpayers are still financially involved in some capacity.  But let’s also not forget that taxpayers since 1985 have financially supported it too.  

According to a May 2026 City report, $150,000 annually was contributed from the municipal tax levy to the Auditorium's capital reserve in 2024, 2025 and 2026. The organization also continues to receive annual sustaining funding through the City's cultural funding program. Council considered further reserve-funded allocations in 2026 for engineering studies and essential capital repairs.

I don't oppose a new name, a modernized brand or finding innovative ways to attract world-class entertainment. I want the Auditorium to succeed. But I am still disappointed that the City stepped away from direct operations of a building with such deep community roots and did so without a lot of attention to it.  Maybe there's more to it, who knows.  But no one told us.  I also find it unfortunate that the operating organization has now chosen to remove the very words that connected the facility to Thunder Bay and its community, Thunder Bay, as the very community that built it and funded it for over 40 years.   Surely that long standing history is worth something to the new operating board.  Or... is it?

If elected to Council, I intend to ask some straightforward questions when I see The Auditorium pop up on a future agenda, because it will. What financial benefits has the City realized by transferring operations? What responsibilities do taxpayers retain for future infrastructure and capital repairs? How much operational oversight does Council actually have? And does the lease provide a mechanism for the City to resume operations if circumstances warrant?

These are questions about public assets, public money and public accountability. The community deserves clear answers.  I've watched and followed every meeting.  I don't know the answers but I feel like we all should.

The Auditorium's future is important. So is its history. So is its legacy in our community and how its been a part of countless lives here.  

And while its name and management structure may have changed, these fundamental facts have not:

The City still owns the building,  the community paid for it, and the public deserves to know exactly who's responsible for its future.

Get answers to questions that matter. 

Vote John Ongaro - Northwood.