Getting Schooled: Your Guide to Education in Thunder Bay
Bonnie Schiedel
September 3, 2026
Public or separate? French immersion, French only or English? Is after-school care available? Are there programs my future pilot/chef/millwright/dancer/mechanic will really really love? What part of town? What if I want to go back to school? And above all, what’s the vibe? Let’s face it, education choices, whether it’s grade school, high school or post-secondary, come with lots of questions. So, we are here to provide some of those answers! Read on the get an overall look at education in Thunder Bay—and know that all kinds of opportunities are available right here in the city.
Thunder Bay School Boards
There are three school boards in Thunder Bay:
English and French immersion, public: Lakehead District School Board operates 25 schools in Thunder Bay, including 22 elementary schools and three high schools, as well as an adult education centre. Both French immersion and English options are available, depending on the school.
English and French immersion, separate: Thunder Bay District Catholic School Board has 20 schools. There are 15 elementary schools, three senior elementary (grades 7 and 8) and two high schools.
French only, separate: Counseil scolaire de district catholique des Aurores boréales has a variety of schools throughout northwestern Ontario. In Thunder Bay, they operate one elementary school and one high school, both in the separate school system.
Lastly, there is a French public grade school (K to Grade 6) which operates under the Counseil scolaire du Grand Nord, a French board based in Sudbury, with schools in various northern and northwestern Ontario communities.
Alternative Education in Thunder Bay
The city also has several private or alternative options for schools:
Lac de Mille Lacs Education Centre is a First Nation-operated, with several options: IR Churchill Elementary School, Seventh Fire Junior High and Seventh Fire Secondary School. The focus is on land-based, experiential, outdoor learning. Language immersion programs in Ojibwe and Cree are available in addition to English. The Seventh Fire schools also have a soccer academy and a hockey academy where sports are integrated into the school day, as well as personalized alternative learning options. It is open to both Indigenous and non-Indigenous students.
Mattawa Education & Care Centre is an all-Indigenous high school for youth from Matawa communities. Dennis Franklin Cromarty High School is a private all-Indigenous high school for youth from Sioux Lookout District First Nations (and is known for its inclusive Wake the Giant initiative, including the hugely popular Wake the Giant music festival).
Thunder Bay Christian School and Thunder Bay Christian High are tuition-based schools for Christian students of all denominations.
Home schooling? Find your community at Facebook groups like Superior Shores Homeschoolers. Tapiola Outdoor Education Centre and Pine and Pasture Academy also support homeschooling families with hands-on programs like Forest School, bushcraft and agriculture.
Elementary Schools in Thunder Bay
If you have a few particular grade schools in mind, take a look at their individual webpage and Facebook page to get a sense of the school community as well as practical nuts-and-bolts info on lunches, before and after school care, languages (French, French immersion, English, Ojibwe), extracurriculars and more. There is a drop-in kindergarten information night every year to help parents get their questions answered, and each school, both public and separate, has an open house night as well. More questions? Be sure to contact a school directly to set up a time to ask more in-depth Qs and arrange a tour.
Most schools have a free online system (such as Edsby) where parents can communicate with teachers and administrators, and a free online payment system (such as SchoolCashOnline) to pay for field trips, pizza days, yearbooks and more. Student Transportation Services of Thunder Bay is your go-to for bussing info, like zones and eligibility, for both public and separate boards, and there is a free app to notify you of delayed or cancelled buses. Both the separate and public boards have paid before-school, after-school and/or day care available at select schools.
High Schools in Thunder Bay
There are six main high schools in TBay. Each has at least one welcome event and tours for entering grade 9s (check their socials), but of course you can contact a school to arrange for a tour and to ask questions. Like the elementary schools, each has an online communication platform, a busing app and an online system for paying for school lunches, extracurriculars, school merch and other good stuff. All the high schools offer Specialist High School Majors (SHSM), where grade 11 and 12 students who want a jump on their career path can take a bundle of specific courses, sometimes combined with job shadowing or co-op job placements: think aviation and aerospace, culinary arts, hospitality and tourism, business, manufacturing and more.
North end:
Hammarskjold High School Known locally as Hamm, this medium-sized public high school has both an English and a French immersion stream. Edge Hockey Academy is a pilot program which combines hockey training with a traditional school day.
St. Ignatius Sometimes called Iggy, St. Ignatius is a large Catholic high school which also has both an English and a French immersion stream. Students wear uniforms. According to provincial rankings, it’s the highest performing academic high school in the city. It also has an interdisciplinary phys ed program called the Total Athlete so no matter what their sport is, students can build training into their school day, plus a newer FIFA level 1 certified artificial turf field with a 400-m running track.
Superior Collegiate & Vocational Institute Superior is a medium-sized public high school which, in addition to its regular courses, offers a IB (International Baccalaureate) program, an academically demanding stream that prepares students for international examinations. As well, it has a Volleyball Academy, which integrates training into the school day.
École Secondaire Catholique de La Vérendrye La Verendrye is an all-French Catholic high school. With fewer than 250 students, it offers smaller class sizes. It also has PAJO, an apprenticeship program that allows students to start learning a skilled trade while completing their high school courses. Students do not wear a uniform.
South end:
Westgate Collegiate & Vocational Institute Westgate is a large public high school that has a full suite of academic, arts and technology offerings (the hands-on spaces for trades like welding and automotive tech are especially impressive). Like Superior, it offers the Edge Hockey Academy, a small pilot program which combines hockey training with the school day.
St. Patrick High School St. Patrick is large Catholic high school and students wear uniforms. It also has a French immersion stream. Like St. Ignatius, St. Pat’s has an interdisciplinary phys ed program called the Total Athlete where students can integrate athletic training into their school day, as well as newer athletic field that is FIFA level one certified artificial turf with a 400-m rubberized running rack.
And for students 18+, Lakehead Adult Education Centre is the place for mature students to work towards their high school diploma.
Post-Secondary Schools in Thunder Bay (College, University and Trade)
Lakehead University is known for both its beautiful surroundings (there’s an actual lake in the middle of campus), a strong focus on research and innovation, and its excellent degree programs, including education, social work, law, outdoor recreation (considered one of a kind), nursing, kinesiology, forestry, business and education in both undergraduate and graduate studies. It may be small (about 7,000 students on the TBay campus) but it punches above its weight: Lakehead was named the #1 university in North America with under 10,000 students, ranked #1 in Ontario in Maclean’s magazine’s 2025 University Rankings and the #1 university in Ontario in its category for student awards and faculty-to-student class ratio. One cool new addition to the fam is the Collaborative Doctor of Veterinary Medicine program in partnership with Guelph’s Ontario Veterinary College.
Thinking medicine? NOSM University (Northern Ontario School of Medicine) is Canada’s first independent medical university. It has a fully accredited MD program, plus a Master of medical studies, physician assistant, dietetic practicum program, medical physics residency education program, and postgraduate residency programs. It’s accredited by both the Royal College of Physicians and Surgeons of Canada and College of Family Physicians of Canada. Approximately 74 MD students and 60 first-year residents are enrolled each year.
Confederation College features a range of education opportunities too—nursing, dental hygiene, social work, business, film production, aviation, forestry technician, environmental technician, paramedic, Indigenous Canadian relations and more, as well as trades for professions including plumber, electrician, millwright, plumber and automotive service technician—all on a centrally located campus with plenty of green space for its approximately 3,000 students.
NuWave School of Hair Design is a private college where future stylists can learn all the skills needed for a successful career. And IBEW 402, the local branch of the International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers, offers a variety of training programs including network cabling specialist, construction and maintenance electrician and electrical vehicle infrastructure training.
Oshki-Wenjack delivers post-secondary education specifically for Indigenous students from the Nishnabe Aski Nation (NAN) but also welcomes students from all over Ontario. With a focus on an inclusive, culturally rich environment, it awards diplomas, certificates and degrees, some in partnership with and accredited by other institutions including Algoma University and Confederation College, in social work, nursing, Indigenous birth work, business, and early childhood education, among others.
When it comes to education, Thunder Bay is small city with big opportunities…you don’t have to leave home to make your career and learning dreams come true! Reach out to the schools you’re interested in to find just the right fit for you and your family.
