About us:

The Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission is the city’s lead economic development agency and champion for local growth. We use our local knowledge and expertise to promote Thunder Bay as the best small city in Canada to live, work, do business and visit.

We are led by an independent board and are driven by the needs of our community. Our business development team and sector specialists respond quickly to new opportunities to attract visitors, new talent, employment, business development and investment to Thunder Bay.

We are responsible for:

Our Mission:

To grow prosperity, population and profile through partnership, knowledge and resources in support of our community and development ecosystem..

Our Vision:

To nurture Small city character, welcoming community and love of locale with big city opportunities to grow, thrive and bring aspirations to life for all.       

Our Values:

Within our office you will also find:

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CEDC's New Strategic Action Plan is here!

Join the thunder bay cedc board of directors and shape our economic future!

Are you passionate about driving economic growth and transforming communities? The Thunder Bay Economic Development Commission (CEDC) is seeking a dedicated individual to apply a Board of Director position starting June 2024.

Members of the Board

Barry Streib (Chair)
Barry has worked extensively throughout his career in business management, marketing, sales, administration and
communications. Currently Barry serves as a Board Director and Chair of the Governance Committee for the Thunder Bay
Regional Health Sciences Foundation, and sits on the Executive Committee in the role of Secretary. In addition, he is a Past
Chair of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, and Past President of the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of
Commerce (NOACC), and continues to serve as a Senior Advisor on its Executive Committee. Barry is also a Board
Director of Common Voice Northwest.

Peter Marchl (Past -Chair)
Peter brings an established background in finance, solid business and entrepreneurial sense, and years of experience in volunteering and community engagement to the CEDC Board of Directors. Peter is an investment advisor and partner at Normaxx Financial. He is also the Past President for SHIFT Thunder Bay’s Young Professionals Network and is an active member of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. He has also held a position on the City of Thunder Bay Audit Committee and belongs to the Thunder Bay Yacht Club.

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Roger Souckey (Vice-Chair)

Roger is the Vice President of HR and ESG with Argonaut Gold. Born and raised in Northwestern Ontario, Roger is an active community member and previously served as an elected official in Marathon Ontario and on various boards.  Roger has over 35 years of experience in the mining sector with international expertise, his knowledge will be an invaluable asset to the CEDC Board of Directors. 

Lindsay Fenton (Secretary/Treasurer)

Lindsay Fenton is a Lakehead University graduate with a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Chemical Engineering. She was a board member involved with the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre for 2 terms. She is a graduate of Leadership Thunder Bay in the class of 2015. Lindsay joined Bombardier 15 years ago and has worked within several departments.  She was Head of Production for the company prior to taking on her current managerial position as the Site Managing Director for Alstom.

Michael Fox
Michael is the President/CEO of Indigenous Community Engagement (ICE) – one of Canada’s leading national Indigenous firms specializing in community consultation, facilitation/negotiations, capacity building, & social research. He brings a wealth of experience in structuring projects and financing for both industry and Indigenous clients. He is a Certified Professional Facilitator, a certified Change Management Practitioner, and a certified Professional Aboriginal Economic Developer. Currently, he is the Co-Chair of the Indigenous Affairs Committee for the Prospectors & Developers Association of Canada and is the Co-Chair for the Jury Panel for the Progressive Aboriginal Relations program at the Canadian Council for Aboriginal Business. Michael also sits as a Ministerial appointed board member on the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation.  

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Michelle Salo

Michelle is a Certified Professional Accountant (CPA) with over 30 years of experience.  She is currently the Chief Operating Officer at Confederation College where she has been employed since May 2019 starting as the Vice President Finance and Administration.  Michelle spent most of her career in the Pulp, Paper, and Personal Care sector where she had the opportunity to serve in many different finance roles from working in the Dryden and Thunder Bay mill to leading a series of acquisitions serving as Vice President of Finance in the global Personal Care division of Domtar in Raleigh, North Carolina.  Her strengths are in strategic planning, finance and operations and ongoing dedication to continuous improvement.  

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Sarah Lewis

Sarah Lewis has built economic and workforce development departments and programs as a municipal leader and in higher education throughout a 15 year career in economic development. She is experienced in strategic planning and designing diverse stakeholder engagement in rural regions and urban centres, both in Canada and internationally, to develop competitive advantage and further equity, diversity and inclusion. 

Council Members

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Mayor Ken Boshcoff

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Councillor Brian Hamilton

Ex-Officio

Karen Lewis

General Manager, Development & Emergency Services 

City of Thunder Bay 

Jamie Taylor

Chief Executive Officer

Thunder Bay CEDC

Ex-Officio Defined

Ex-Officio Members of Boards and Committees:. Frequently boards and committees contain some members who are members by virtue of their office, and, therefore, are termed ex-officio members. When such a member ceases to hold the office his membership of the board terminates automatically.
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