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The TBDHU is following a revised province-wide risk assessment for food premises called the Operational Approaches for Food Safety Guideline, 2019. 

This guideline is expected to make better use of the time spent inspecting food premises.   

Food premises include places…

Every year, public health inspectors at the Thunder Bay District Health Unit investigate over 200 suspected rabies cases. No cases have been found in domestic cats or dogs, but it has been found in wildlife in the area including foxes, bats and skunks. The virus can be passed to a human through a…

Emergency Preparedness

expand_moreMake A Plan



Take time to consider what you will do if you or a family/household member becomes sick and needs care.
If you are responsible for dependents, including young children or elderly relatives, consider putting in place alternative care plans should you…

Regular testing of your private well is important to make sure your water is safe for you and your family to drink. Bacteria such as E. coli can contaminate your well making it unsafe to drink. The risk is higher if you have animals in the area – especially on farms with livestock and other animals…

Like public beaches, pools and other artificial recreational waters are great places to have fun and cool off in the summer. However, they can also be a breeding ground for recreational waterborne illnesses (RWIs), including a wide variety of infections such as gastrointestinal, skin, ear,…

Is Your Organization Interested in Serving Wild Game to the Public?

TBDHU has recently revamped its process for approving applications to serve wild game to the public.

You can apply to serve wild game on a one-time basis such as a fundraising event, or if you are a non-profit, you can apply to…

Section 32 of Ontario Regulation 493 requires that every food premises operator must ensure that at all times during operation there is at least one food handler or supervisor on the premises who has completed provincially-approved food handler training. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit (TBDHU…

What is Food Poisoning?

Foodborne illness, commonly known as food poisoning, happens when people eat food containing harmful germs or organisms including bacteria, viruses, parasites or fungi. Many foods naturally contain small amounts of these germs, but our bodies can usually handle them without…

If you are planning to sell or give away food to the public, learn how to put food safety first! Download a copy of TBDHU’s Special Event Guidelines – Operating Guidelines for Event Organizers and Food Vendors (PDF)


All persons and/or organizations planning to hold an event where food will be…

Providing food to the public carries an immense responsibility. Proper food handling steps must be followed to reduce the risk of foodborne illness (food poisoning) whether you are a national food producer/manufacturer, a restaurant owner, or operating a home-based business. The role of the Thunder…

We all deserve safe drinking water. One of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s role is to prevent and reduce water-borne illness related to drinking water. The TBDHU does this in a number of ways, including:


Surveillance and inspection of drinking water systems;
Timely response to drinking…

Home. It’s where we should feel most safe – and part of the Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s role is to help you keep it that way. Possible health hazards in your home such as those listed below are either preventable or can be planned for. Whether you are a homeowner or a tenant, all it takes is…

Bed bugs are insects with oval-shaped bodies and no wings. Unlike most public health pests, bed bugs are not known to transmit or spread disease. However, they are certainly a pest - feeding on blood, causing itchy bites and generally irritating their human hosts and they can cause other…

Food safety is extremely important to ensure that the food we eat is safe and free from germs that cause foodborne illness. The Thunder Bay District Health Unit’s role is to maintain food safety in our communities by:


Inspecting preparation areas and procedures for food served to the public…

Blue-green algae (BGA) are microscopic organisms found naturally in lakes and streams. They are usually found in low numbers but can rapidly increase in warm, shallow, surface water that receives a lot of sun. When this happens, they can form blooms that make the water look like green pea soup or…