Thunder Bay, Ontario, residents will have a chance to learn more and share their thoughts on a proposal to sell a slice of Junot Park for a new faith-based community campus. An open house is set for May 28, 2026, from 6 to 8 p.m. at the Thunder Bay 55 Plus Centre, where city staff and the Thunder Bay Muslim Religious Association will present plans for the site at 60 Junot Avenue North.
The proposal would see about 1.2 hectares, or 3 acres, at the southwest corner of the park declared surplus and sold to the Muslim association. The group wants to build a campus that includes a prayer hall, gymnasium, multi-purpose hall, day school, and residential units. The project would be completed in phases, starting with the prayer hall and gym, and eventually adding the school and homes.
City staff say the development lines up with the Smart Growth Action Plan by adding housing and community spaces. Deanna Walker, the city’s Manager of Realty Services, said there is a side benefit. “We’ve heard some reports of undesirable behaviours in that park and adjacent trails, and we feel that increased community presence can help mitigate those behaviours in the park and make it more enjoyable for the active portion of the park,” she told a local news outlet.
The city says most of Junot Park’s popular features would stay put. The playground, sitting area, paved trails, play hill, field and parking lot all sit outside the proposed surplus lands. However, the Multiple Sclerosis Society seating area, along with some commemorative trees, benches, and a connecting trail, would need to be relocated. The city plans to work with the MS Society to find a new spot.
The Muslim association has run the Thunder Bay Masjid on John Street since 2002 and says it has simply outgrown that space. The proposed campus aims to meet the spiritual, educational and housing needs of a community that has grown notably over the past decade. City council is expected to review the proposal at the Growth Standing Committee on June 16, with a final decision scheduled for July 7. Residents can also fill out a survey on the city’s Get Involved Thunder Bay page until June 1.
