Shared on behalf of Ryan Sears, Director, Capital & Facility Services

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Please be advised Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre (at the 980 Oliver Road location only) will execute a planned impairment of its entire Overhead Paging System and Fire System on Thursday, July 30, 2026 for approximately eight (8) hours – starting at 11:00 p.m. to facilitate new fire system devices.

Our Facilities and Security teams will be enacting and overseeing our Fire System Impairment and Fire Watch procedures, as included in the Fire Plan for our site.

During this impairment, no Hot Work will be authorized. Further, any high risk work that could result in an elevated risk of fire, heat, or smoke should not be planned – please review this within your department and plan to discontinue high-risk activities (i.e. construction, repairs, hot showers, etc).  Should you observe activities that may be of concern during the impairment, contact your Supervisor or Manager to discuss.

While the Hospital’s Overhead Paging System is out of service, alternate measures will be applied to notify the organization of Emergency Codes and Alerts. Staff will continue to activate all Codes using extension 55. Please see the attached policy for guidance.  

Key things to remember during an outage:

1. Regularly monitor email for emergency code and alert notices issued by Switchboard.
2. Respond to emergency codes and alerts through alternate communication measures, e.g., paging, radios, emails, runners, etc., as appropriate – and activate response as required.
3. Be vigilant in reviewing department activities during the period of fire system impairment.
4. Clinical leads are encouraged to collaborate with their teams to consider alternatives to paging patients back to units, such as collecting Patients’ mobile phone numbers.

Further, in event of fire during this impairment, please execute all steps as outlined in Code Red Policy (EMER-30) and your area sub plan. Should you discover a fire – “REACT”:

R – Remove persons in immediate danger
E – Ensure doors are closed to confine fire or smoke
A – Activate the fire alarm by pulling the nearest pull station
C– Call Switchboard at Ext 55 to report the location of the fire
T– Try to extinguish the fire if trained to do so or continue to evacuate

The contractor for the fire system work is Troy Life & Fire Safety. The Building System Operator is onsite and reachable at cell number 807-629-7005. Further support will be provided by Security (684-6509) and the on call Facility Manager (cell number 807-629-3119) as required.

If you have any questions or concerns regarding the above, please contact Ryan Sears at ryan.sears@tbh.net.

The Regional Clinical Placement Coordinator Initiative is looking for feedback from preceptors to help shape learner experiences across Northwerstern Ontario. This will help to determine what’s working well, challenges/barriers that exist, and opportunitiesto provide support.

Regional Clinical Coordinators will be on site July 16  from 10 a.m. – 2 p.m. at the bottom of the Grand Staircase.  Stop by for a refreshment and a chance to talk about your experiences.

Take a moment to complete a survey for your chance to win a YETI Cooler!

See the poster below for more information.

Please come down and celebrate National Hot Dog Day at Flavours Café Wednesday, July 15. See poster below for details.

The Canadian Mental Health Assocation will be on-site to host two workplace mental health workshops.

Date: July 15
Time: 1 p.m – 2 p.m. & 2:05 p.m. – 3 p.m.
Location: ICP Main, Room 2178

Overview of the sessions:

Session 1 (1 p.m. – 2 p.m.) Stress at work: Health care workers face daily challenges that can take a toll on
well-being and performance. In this webinar, participants will examine the unique stressors experienced by health care workers and explore practical strategies for addressing workplace stress.

Sesssion 2 (2:05 p.m. – 3 p.m.) Consideration & Collaboration at Work: Civility and Respect are essential psychosocial factors that support well-being at work. This webinar
introduces the SALSA approach, which participants will apply to address communication barriers and build consideration and collaboration in the workplace.

To register, or for more information, email: TBRHSC.OccupationalHealthandSafety@tbh.net.

Afro Vibe Fest is Thunder Bay’s first Afro-centric arts and music festival, celebrating the vibrant rhythms, culture, and diversity of Afro music, arts, and community. The festival aims to promote cultural inclusion and diversity while celebrating Afro culture and fostering community connections.

Highlights of the festival include a colourful parade, African cultural performances, reggae and Afro music, local DJs, dancers, drummers, spoken word artists, and a Kid’s Corner with games and face painting. There will also be local vendors and organizations, and food booths offering Afro-inspired cuisine and a variety of other options.

The festival will take place on July 11 & 12 at Marina Park, and opens each day at 12:00 p.m.

Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre will have a booth at Afro Vibe Fest to engage the community on the Black Health Action Plan.

For more information, or to purchase tickets, please go to: https://www.afro-vibefest.ca/home

Please be advised that the TBRHSC Dual Code site will undergo a scheduled upgrade on Monday, July 13. As a result, Dual Code e-learning and Coaching for Development will be unavailable beginning at 8:00 a.m. for approximately 2.5 hours (or less) while the upgrade is completed.

As Pride Month 2026 has come to an end, the 2SLGBTQQIA+ Subcommittee and Pride Working Group would like to extend our heartfelt thanks to the staff of Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre for participating in Pride Month events, and supporting the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community.

Thank you to everyone who participated in Pride Month Trivia. The winners for each week are listed below:

Week 1: Terah White

Week 2: Alison Donovan

Week 3: Nancy Maijala

Week 4: Barb Warpula

Week 4 Answers

Below are the answers to the fourth and final week of Pride Trivia.

Question 1: What does 2S stand for in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ acronym?

Answer: 2S in the 2SLGBTQQIA+ acronym stands for Two-Spirit. The term Two Spirit is a culturally-specific identity describing Indigenous individuals whose gender, spiritual, or sexual identity includes both male and female spirits. The term honors gender and sexual diversity and emphasizes the ability of Two-Spirits to navigate both worlds and hold male and female responsibilities in their communities. While the concept of Two-Spirit individuals has existed among Indigenous Peoples for generations, the term niizh manidoowag, meaning “two spirits,” was first proposed in 1990 by Elder Myra Laramee.

Question 2: In 1998, Glen Murray became the first openly gay mayor of a major city in North America. What city was he mayor of?

Answer: In 1998, Glen Murray was elected as the mayor of Winnipeg. He was the first openly gay person to be elected mayor of a major city in North America, a position he held from 1998 to 2004.

Question 3: What is the name of Canada’s largest and longest-running queer theatre company?

Answer: Established in 1979 in Toronto, Buddies in Bad Times Theatre is recognized as the worlds largest and longest-running queer theatre company. It serves as a major hub for queer artistic expression in Canada, focusing on developing new works and supporting LGBTQ+ artists.

Question 4: What are some ways that you can be an ally to the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community? (Check all that apply).

Answer: There are many ways to demonstrate allyship with the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, therefore all responses are correct. You can:

1. Advocate on behalf of the 2SLGBTQQIA+ community, for example, by intervening when you witness discriminatory behaviour
2. Use inclusive language, for example, by addressing a group of people with “Hello, everyone!” instead of “Hello, ladies and gentlemen,” and using gender-neutral terms such as “firefighters” instead of “firemen”
3. Access education opportunities by attending workshops and local events, including Thunder Pride
4. Respect the lived and living experiences of 2SLGBTQQIA+ individuals by listening to their stories and perspectives