The City of Thunder Bay’s podcast, The Minutes, has been recognized by the Information and Privacy Commissioner of Ontario (IPC), in the 2024 Transparency Challenge.

The podcast, produced weekly when City Council meets, gives a summary of what happened at Council that week, focusing on decisions made, and the impact it will have on people in Thunder Bay.

Each episode also includes an in-depth interview with a member of City administration, focusing on a major topic at Council that week.

“It really is an honour to have the podcast highlighted,” said Jeff Walters, Communications Officer and host of The Minutes.

“The goal is to make Council meetings easy to understand and condense the content of an entire meeting into the length of a commute in Thunder Bay.”

The Information and Privacy Commissioner’s Transparency Challenge highlights creative and unique projects that advance open data and government transparency. The Minutes podcast accomplishes this by making Council meetings more accessible to all.

Each featured project had a piece of art commissioned by the IPC. The piece representing Thunder Bay was created by Shelby Gagnon, an Anishinawbe and Mushkegowuk artist from Aroland First Nation, who has lived in Thunder Bay most of her life.

Gagnon said she was inspired to create the art piece by hoping to foster a spirit of inclusiveness.

“We all have the power to do better for this world and future generations, and in order to do that we need to stay informed, build understandings, shift perspectives, work to change for a better future and continue our collective learning.”

The Minutes is available in audio and video formats, which are closed captioned. The Minutes is available on the City website at thunderbay.ca/theminutes, through numerous podcast providers, the City’s YouTube channel, social media and is featured on Rogers TV, Tbaytel TV and CKSI Radio.

The Transparency Showcase can be seen at transparencyshowcase.ipc.on.ca/en/