THUNDER BAY – POLITICS – I’m Peter Diedrich. My vision as your Mayor is simple. A city government that is faster, more transparent, more coordinated, and way more bold and ambitious. A city that believes in and supports all of its people. A city that doesn’t settle for “good enough” anymore. A city government that is a responsible steward and ambitious investor of its resources, truly accountable to its taxpayers and citizens.
My fellow residents of Thunder Bay, today I’m asking you to imagine what our city could be — not decades from now, but five years from now.
Imagine a city where people again feel safe walking downtown and in their own neighbourhoods.
Imagine a city where those struggling with homelessness, addiction, or mental health challenges aren’t left behind.
Imagine a city where new businesses are created, where these businesses grow and create better jobs and careers, where young people choose to stay, where world class talent chooses to locate, and where new families choose to build their lives.
We can get there — but only if we change how our city works.
We will grow our economy by focusing on Thunder Bay first. When someone wants to open a café, build housing, or invest in our city, the answer will need to be simple: “We can help you do that. Right away.”
When technology and commercial spinouts of our post-secondary institutions need an innovation ecosystem to grow and thrive, we need to have all of it in place and we will be able to say “We’ve got you. Let’s grow now.”
We will strengthen and renew partnerships to create better jobs and keep graduates – including talented newcomers – here. As an experienced tech leader and investor, I am confident that we can and we will build a thriving innovation ecosystem that commercializes the vast knowledge and continuing inventive spirit from Lakehead University, Confederation College, and our Health sciences sector.
We will invest in and sustainably support Indigenous entrepreneurship and economic leadership, recognizing with great reverence that our collective future and economic prosperity is tied to strong, respectful, long term and committed partnerships.
We will promote Thunder Bay as a destination for outdoor living, remote work, and affordability — a place where quality of life is not a luxury, but a standard. Talent and attracting and creating new businesses always follow quality of life. Thunder Bay has the raw ingredients to become one of the most attractive mid-sized cities in Canada.
For those that are falling though the cracks today, someone in crisis might interact with police, outreach workers, shelters, hospitals, and social agencies — yet no single entity is responsible for guiding them from the Street to Stability. We will work with all of these key stakeholders to create an integrated system that brings outreach, shelter, treatment, and housing into one coordinated pathway addressing all those affected. We will need the genuine and respectful partnership of all levels of government and with all stakeholders – in this way, we will make it work.
However, safety and compassion will not be enough.
We need a stronger, more dynamic economy built on a city we will again be proud of. This will take a long term, prioritized, resourced and realistic plan. Settling for “good enough” has meant that for too long, our services have been fragmented and the outcomes
insufficient and unsustainable. We will invest and re-invest in the things that make people proud to call this city home: better roads and infrastructure, safer streets, truly revitalized and exciting public spaces, arts and culture, downtowns and event spaces that feel vibrant again.
We will need to prioritize to get this done. We will budget for it and assign actual names accountable for its delivery, starting with my own. We will set clear, public milestones — 100-day, 6-month, and 1-year, 2-year and 5-year goals — we will measure and report progress openly. Thunder Bay taxpayers deserve accountability and professional transparency. We will deliver results, not excuses.
We are at a true fork in the road like never before in Thunder Bay’s long and proud history. We have lost a lot of time and a lot of opportunity. Today, there are critical choices that lie before us, choices between:
Prosperity or Potholes
Partnerships or Pettiness
Accountability or Absence
Capability or Culpability
Compassion or Cruelty
Common Sense or Nonsense
An Ambitious Ascent or a Continuing Decline
These are your choices. Our choices. The case for change is undeniable. I ask only one thing of you all in 2026: Vote. Make your voices heard.
I call Thunder Bay my home. I will not be a spectator anymore.
I need to see your hope, hear your voices, channel your strength to build a better Thunder Bay together, a Thunder Bay that is safer, stronger, full of possibilities and opportunities for generations. A city that works — for everyone.
Are you ready? I’m ready. I am listening.
Change can’t wait. As your Mayor, I will lead with Common Sense. Join me. And let’s get to work.
Peter
Peter Diedrich is a globally experienced executive, engineer, educator, and community leader whose career spans more than three decades across telecommunications, technology venture capital, and global management consulting.
Peter began his career in Kanata as a semiconductor engineer at MOSAID, Calmos Semiconductor, and Bell-Northern Research, designing and managing advanced chip development projects. His early technical foundations led him to Nortel Networks, where he lived and worked in Shanghai as China Joint Venture Program and Strategic Market Manager, gaining firsthand experience in negotiating complex multi-million dollar business and tech transfer deals in international emerging markets.
He later joined McKinsey & Company, working with global Fortune 1000 Corporations and governments in Toronto, Melbourne, Sydney, São Paulo, Rio de Janeiro, Brasilia, Miami, Caracas, Dubai, and Riyadh. As a leader in the firm’s Global Telecom, Media & Technology Practice, he advised major corporations and governments on strategy, operations, transformation, and privatization. From 1998 to 2000, Peter served as Vice-President of Corporate Strategy at Bell and BCE, contributing to the growth of one of Canada’s largest telecommunications and media groups.
In 2006, he first moved to Thunder Bay when he was appointed as President & CEO of TBayTel, where he led modernization efforts and strengthened the company’s position as Canada’s largest municipally owned telecom provider. The company’s dividend to the city grew 10%+ every single year during his leadership of the company as he developed and executed an ambitious regional growth strategy and best-in-class operating performance.
Peter’s leadership extends deeply into venture capital, entrepreneurship and innovation. As Managing Director and Founding Managing Partner of RBC Capital Partners’ $250-million Telecommunications Venture Fund, he led the finance and scaled emerging communications and technology companies across North America. He later became a Partner at Skypoint Capital, managing three early-stage funds and supporting 25 portfolio companies with over $200M in capital under management.
His executive experience includes serving as Chief Financial Officer of VOTI Detection, a Deloitte Fast 50 company and one of Canada’s top emerging technology firms in 2017. He played an integral part as CFO as it grew 10X in revenues globally and debuted on the TSX in 2019. He has also served in numerous interim and fractional C-suite roles, including telecom, social media, and cybersecurity firms, and as a CFO for a Silicon Valley AI firm, venture consulting firm, and an early stage investment fund.
Peter is also an educator and mentor. Since 2024, he has served on the sessional faculty of Lakehead University, teaching graduate-level courses in New Venture Creation and Moonshot Project Management to graduate engineers. His credentials include an M.Sc. in Management from the MIT Sloan of Management, executive program certifications from MIT and Harvard Law School, the ICD.D director designation, and M.Eng. and B.Eng. engineering degrees in electronics from Carleton University, where he graduated with Highest Distinction and with numerous academic awards.
He also attended International Space University and was seconded by the Canadian Space Agency as a Space Policy and Law faculty member in Strasbourg, France. He is a registered Professional Engineer.
His community involvement in Thunder Bay has been extensive and continues today.
Peter has served on the boards of the United Way of Thunder Bay, Confederation College Foundation, the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre, the organizing committee of TedX2025 at Lakehead University, and chaired the organizing committee for the CIS Men’s Hockey Championship (Thunder Bay) in 2006-8.
Internationally, he also served on the board of the Canadian International Society of São Paulo.
Peter brings global perspective and deep experience, demonstrated local commitment, and a proven record of leadership in complex organizations. His career reflects a consistent focus on innovation, economic development, and in building strong, resilient institutions—experience he now brings again to the future of Thunder Bay as Mayor.
