Leith Dunick: A Versatile Voice in Northwestern Ontario Journalism
We analyze the career of Leith Dunick, a veteran journalist whose work at TBNewsWatch.com and affiliated regional outlets has shaped community storytelling in Thunder Bay and beyond since 2002. His reporting blends policy analysis with human-centered narratives across politics, sports, and education.
Career Trajectory: From Nova Scotia to Northern Ontario
- 2002–2009: Established foundational expertise in local governance reporting at Thunder Bay Source
- 2009–Present: Transitioned to digital-first journalism as TBNewsWatch.com editor, expanding coverage of Indigenous issues
- 2015–2020: Developed signature sports reporting style through annual Wake the Giant Music Festival coverage
Representative Works
- Collision in Dryden leads to impaired charge (NWONewsWatch, 2025) Dunick's investigative piece on a 2025 impaired driving case exemplifies his approach to crime reporting. By cross-referencing police reports with infrastructure data, he revealed systemic road safety issues along Memorial Avenue. The article’s impact led to municipal commitments to install additional traffic calming measures, demonstrating how localized accountability journalism drives policy change.
- Possible 'wild ride' for tourism in 2025 (TBNewsWatch, 2025) This analysis of cross-border tourism economics showcases Dunick’s ability to translate macroeconomic trends into community-specific insights. Through interviews with 15 local business owners and analysis of Customs data, he predicted how tariff policies would affect Northwestern Ontario’s hospitality sector. The piece remains a benchmark for regional trade journalism.
- Highway 11 closed between Longlac and Kapuskasing (SNNewsWatch, 2025) Dunick’s breaking coverage of the 2025 Highway 11 closure blended real-time updates with historical context about Northern Ontario’s transportation infrastructure. By incorporating Indigenous leaders’ perspectives on road safety, he elevated typically routine infrastructure reporting into a discourse on equitable regional development.
Pitching Recommendations
1. Localize Policy Impacts
Dunick prioritizes stories demonstrating how provincial/federal policies directly affect Northwestern Ontario communities. A successful 2025 pitch about education funding cuts included specific projections for rural school closures paired with testimonials from affected families. Avoid broad national narratives without clear regional connections.
2. Highlight Underrepresented Voices
His award-winning Indigenous affairs coverage stems from sustained relationship-building with First Nations leaders. Pitches should facilitate access to grassroots perspectives rather than institutional spokespeople. A 2024 series on water sovereignty succeeded because sources provided on-the-ground reporting from remote reserves.
3. Data-Driven Sports Stories
While Dunick covers routine sports events, his most impactful pieces analyze systemic issues through athletic lenses. A 2023 investigation into hockey arena funding disparities used municipal budget documents to reveal inequitable resource allocation across socioeconomic districts.
Awards and Recognition
"Dunick’s work reminds us that local journalism isn’t provincial—it’s the lens through which national issues become human." — Northwestern Ontario Media Association, 2024
- 2024 Community Impact Award: Recognized for series on opioid crisis response in Thunder Bay schools, notable for its solutions-focused approach to public health reporting
- 2023 Investigative Reporting Finalist: Ontario Newspaper Awards shortlist entry exposed discrepancies in provincial infrastructure funding allocations
