Event Hosting

Are you organizing a local festival, sporting event or other community event? Make Event Services your FIRST call!

Event Services Representatives:

Trisha Heino, Sport Development Coordinator  

Phone: (807) 631-6135 

Email: trisha.heino@thunderbay.ca

Catherine Wilson, Community and Event Development Coordinator

Phone: (807) 629-7098

Email: catherine.wilson@thunderbay.ca 

Your Event Services Representative will guide you through municipal requirements and let you know all about the services available from various City departments.

First Step. Do you require a Park Permit or a Special Event License? 

  • 500+ attendees held on City property 
  • may include a road closure request on City property
  • 3000+ attendees per event day, held on private property

  • less than 500 attendees, held in a City park
  • does not include a road closure request
  • For Park Permit submissions and reservations, contact the Parks Facility Coordinator at (807) 625-2941 or email: parkbookings@thunderbay.ca

(Scroll down for Permits and Equipment Loan Program)

Special Event License Applications

Download PDF fillable printable forms:

2026 Special Event License Application

City of Thunder Bay Event Insurance form 

NEW 2026 Updates:

  • "Schedule C - Thunder Bay Police Service Paid Duty Form" has moved to an online portal format and will no longer appear on the SEL Application. To request Paid Duty, as part of your SEL Application, please click here.
  • All SEL Application events held in City Parks are subject to a Park Reservation Fee. Contact parkbookings@thunderbay.ca or call (807) 625-2941 to pay over the phone via credit card, or to find out how to pay in person.
  • SEL Application Road Closure Fee is now $40.00

Submission Deadlines: 

  • Applications should be submitted 10 weeks prior to the event date in order to guarantee it will be processed in time. 
  • If your application is submitted less than 10 weeks, contact Event Services. We will always try to get it fast tracked if possible. 
  • Recommended:  We encourage applicants to book either an in-person or online meeting with us, in order to review your application before submitting. This way, we can catch errors or fill in any missing information, to avoid any processing delays. 

Email:

Send a PDF or Word version to your Event Services Representative. 

Mail single sided copies to: 

City of Thunder Bay, Att: Event Services, Pool 6, Box #800, Thunder Bay ON P7C 5K4 

Drop off single sided copies in-person to:

  • Community Services Administration Building, Pool 6, 2445 Sleeping Giant Pkwy, Prince Arthur's Landing between 9am-4pm, Mon. to Fri.. Mark att: Event Services Rep.
  • Always follow up with your Event Services Representative to ensure we have received your application.

Only credit cards payments are accepted over the phone. Please call the Facility Booking & Administration Clerk at (807) 625-3691 or Pool 6 reception @ (807) 625-3836 to arrange an appt. time. We are open from 8:30am to 4:30pm Monday through Friday. We are closed on weekends.

Payments in person can be made at the main reception desk in the Community Services Administration Building, Pool 6, Prince Arthur's Landing, 2445 Sleeping Giant Pkwy, between 9am-4pm, Monday through Friday. Cheque, debit and credit cards accepted. Payments accepted would be for equipment rentals, SEL Application fees and deposits. 

Contact the Community & Event Development Coordinator at (807) 629-7098 to discuss options.

Permits

Park Permit Application and Park Reservations

To book a City Park for small events and/or to request a Park Permit Application, contact the Parks Facility Booking Coordinator at (807) 625-2941 or email: parkbookings@thunderbay.ca 

Equipment Loans and Rentals (for not-for-profit organization events)

Organizing a not-for-profit event? You can borrow various equipment items from Event Services. We are located at the South end of Prince Arthur's Landing in the Community Services Administration Building, Pool 6, 2445 Sleeping Giant Pkwy. Event Services, including equipment loading area is at the lower level side doors.

Some important info. when borrowing or renting equipment is:

  • Book your equipment at least 3 months in advance. Email your Event Services Representative and they will get back to you shortly. Equipment availability is subject to first come, first serve. Rentals fees must be paid in full before equipment can be picked up.
  • Book your pick-up and drop off times 2 weeks in advance so we can ensure someone is here to assist you. Equipment appts. are scheduled between 9am and 4pm, Monday through Friday.
  • Event organizers must arrange for:
    • Transportation. Your vehicle must be the appropriate size, to transport the equipment safely, including having tarps and/or ratchet straps, to properly secure equipment load. 
    • Equipment Movers and Loaders. Ensure your staff or volunteers arrive with proper footwear and work gloves in order to load in and out of your own vehicle safely. City employees cannot load equipment in and out of personal vehicles.
  •  SEL Application - Picnic Table requests and Park deliveries: 
    • For SEL requests for picnic tables, garbage cans and green Parks barricades, please reach out to Parks Booking Facility Coordinator directly to coordinate and make payment. Contact info. below.
    • Picnic Tables are delivery only. Cost for one flatbed trailer is $293.00 + HST. Max. load for one flatbed trailer is 8 x picnic tables, 4 x garbage cans 10 x green Parks barricades. If you do not require green Park barricades, they may be able to add more garbage cans. Contact the Parks Facility Coordinator. Email: parkbookings@thunderbay.ca or call (807) 625-2941 (9am to 4pm M-F)

 (pending availability, first come, first serve. Community Services has no delivery option)

  • Powered Speakers (JBL Eon) Master (2) Drone (2) (suitable for making announcements, playing recorded music Comes with cables, adaptors, speaker stands, mic stands, microphones) $12.78 + HST each
  • Crowd Control Barriers (steel, 10' section) (57) $12.78 + HST each 
  • Tent Weights (98) $6.39 + HST each
  • Jersey water barriers for street closures (14) summer use only (plastic, orange, 42"x72"x24") $12.78 + HST each
  • Mobile Stages or Concert Equipment Rentals: Contact Event Services for assistance

 (pending availability, first come, first serve. Community Services has no delivery option)

  • Ballot Box (blue, wooden) (2)
  • Barricades (wood, orange) (150)
  • Recycling Barrels (blue, plastic) (12)  
  • Bunting (nylon fabric, colour options: yellow & blue and red & orange available)
  • Cash Box - with tray (4) without tray (2)
  • Flags (City, Provincial, Canada and other countries)
  • Flag pole stand (holds 17 flags)
  • Grip 'n' Grabbers / Garbage Pickers (blue / silver) (4)
  • Lap Counter (1)
  • Loud Hailer / Megaphone (4)
  • Microphone Stands (floor, 1 flex, 2 non-flex) (3)
  • Microphone Stands (table) (3)
  • Portable Voice Amp (1)
  • Pylons (orange, large, 28" (196)
  • Sandwich Boards (white, Coroplast sign size 2'x3') (31)
  • Score Board (Electronic for baseball) (1)
  • Projection Screen (white, tripod) (1)
  • Hi Viz Vests (yellow, mesh material with orange reflective) (50)
  • Signs (Coroplast, blue) "First Aid" (4), "Information" (4), "Lost & Found" (8), "Registration" (2) 
  • Signs (aluminum, reflective) "Road Closed" (9), "Road Closed Ahead" (2) and "Race in Progress" (2)
  • Road Closure Stands (steel, heavy) (6)
  • Signs - (aluminum, reflective, wooden stands) "No Parking" (8)
  • Stanchions (black, chrome, various heights) (20)  
  • Counter Clickers (10)
  • Tug-of-War Rope (1) (organizer must supply work gloves to participants)
  • 2-Way Radios (black, 2 channel, comes with chargers) Kenwood (25) Motorola Mag One (4) Motorola DTR 650 (7)

Workshops and networking events

Please check back in 2027 for upcoming events. 

Project SoundCheck™ is a sexual assault prevention project first introduced in Ottawa in 2015. Research found that approximately 25% of sexual assault cases in Ottawa in 2013 occurred at large events. The Crime Prevention Council, Sexual Abuse Centre Thunder Bay and the City of Thunder Bay have teamed up to bring Project SoundCheck to our community.  Sexual Abuse Centre Thunder Bay staff are offering Project SoundCheck training for festival and event organizers, board members, staff and volunteers. Interested in a special training session just for your group? Call the Sexual Abuse Centre Thunder Bay at (807) 345-0894.

The Recreation & Culture Division brings together the organizers of Thunder Bay's major festivals once a year to discuss issues and look at ways to collaborate. Next meeting to be held Fall 2026. Please contact (807) 629-7098 for more info..

Event support and services

  • The Event Development Grant provides funding for groups hosting championships, first-time tournaments and festivals. Bidding expenses are also eligible. 
  • The City's Street Event Grant assists not-for-profit organizations with paid duty policing costs to host sport tourism events and annual parades on City streets. 

List your event in the City's comprehensive listing of sports championships, festivals and other major events. Selected events also appear in other publications.

Recreation & Culture Division staff will meet with your not-for-profit group to provide advice on various aspects of event planning and bid preparation. Call (807) 629-7098 for assistance.

Considering a bid for a provincial, national or world championship? Email our Tourism Development Officer or call (807) 621-4257 for information on how Tourism Thunder Bay can assist.

The City of Thunder Bay, through GFL Environmental will provide 55 gallon blue barrels to your event site free of charge, when 6 or more are requested on your Special Events License Application. A total of max. 16 can be reserved per event. The event organizer must line the barrels with their own recycling blue bags, and remove all recycling before GFL pick up time.

If you are booking 5 bins or less through the Special License Application process, please note, you must pick up / drop off the bins at Events Services, located in the lower level of the Community Services Administration Building, Pool 6, South End of Prince Arthur's Landing. Please confirm all equipment loan orders including pick up and drop off times, with your Event Services Representative at least one month before event date. Equipment is subject to availability, and is first come, first serve.

EcoSuperior's Green Events Guide is now available, for your copy click here 

 

Please call the ReThinking Waste Coordinator at (807) 624-2142 or email rethinkingwaste@ecosuperior.org for more info. or questions you may have about your event needs.

Thunder Bay Transit offers bus charters/tours within the City of Thunder Bay for groups and special events. It is recommended to make arrangements at least one month in advance.

Note: Charters can be temporarily suspended, due to staffing shortages. Contact Transit for details.

For welcome bags from Tourism Thunder Bay, contact your Event Services Representative. You will need to book in advance. Subject to availability.

Invite the Mayor 

Invite the Mayor to your event using our online request form.

Souvenirs

City of Thunder Bay souvenirs are available for purchase from the Office of the City Clerk manned desk, which is located at the back of the lobby at City Hall. Items include: medallions, lapel pins, mugs, and stickers. Email the Office of the City Clerk or call 807-625-2230 (ext. 9) for more details.

Contact Us

City Hall:
500 Donald Street E, P.O. Box 800
Thunder Bay, ON P7C 5K4
City Hall: (807) 625-2230
TTY: (807) 622-2225

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