NAPS introduces new K9 team as service expands operations across Northern communities

THUNDER BAY — The Nishnawbe Aski Police Service has officially introduced its newest K9 team, adding more specialized policing capacity for the 34 Northern communities it serves.

Const. Tyler Gordon and Police Service Dog Kona were formally welcomed during a news conference at NAPS general headquarters in Thunder Bay on Thursday, April 23. For Thunder Bay, the announcement is significant because the city remains the administrative hub for NAPS operations, while the expansion of the K9 Unit is aimed at improving front-line response across a wide and often remote service area.

New K9 team to be based in Sioux Lookout

NAPS said Gordon and Kona will be stationed at the service’s Northwest regional headquarters in Sioux Lookout, joining Const. Daniel Birch and Police Service Dog Becks in the growing K9 Unit.

The service said Gordon brings considerable experience to the role, with 15 years in front-line policing and nearly three years as a K9 handler. He is also a member of Lac Seul First Nation.

Kona is described as a general service police dog trained in a range of specialized duties, including tracking missing persons, drug detection, firearm detection, evidence searches, criminal apprehension and building searches.

Expanded K9 capacity to support remote and northern policing

For communities policed by NAPS, the addition of another K9 team could strengthen response capacity in situations where time, distance and terrain often complicate investigations.

Police dogs can be used in missing-person searches, evidence recovery and suspect tracking, all of which can be especially important in Northern Ontario, where officers may be working across remote roads, bush areas and fly-in communities. In that context, adding trained canine resources can improve both public safety and investigative reach.

Thunder Bay remains a key hub for NAPS operations

Although the new team will be based in Sioux Lookout, the formal introduction in Thunder Bay underscores the city’s continuing role as the central hub for Nishnawbe Aski Police Service administration and communications.

That matters locally because Thunder Bay is often where major service announcements, training efforts and operational planning are coordinated, even when the front-line impact is felt across a much broader northern region.

K9 Unit marks return and growth for NAPS

NAPS first established a K9 Unit in 2009. Its canine member, Pax, served for seven years before retiring in 2016.

The service had been without its own in-house K9 Unit until December 2025. The addition of Gordon and Kona marks another step in rebuilding and expanding that specialized capability.

For a police service responsible for dozens of Northern communities, the return and growth of the K9 Unit signals a broader effort to enhance the tools available to officers working in complex and often challenging environments.

Source: Nishnawbe Aski Police Service information provided to NetNewsLedger.