Thunder Bay Landfill Webcam – Entrance Lane and Lineup

The Thunder Bay Landfill Webcam is a working camera rather than a scenic one. The City of Thunder Bay streams it from the Solid Waste and Recycling Facility on Mapleward Road so residents can see how busy the site is before loading the truck. The camera looks back along the inbound lane from what appears to be the public weigh scale: a concrete deck edged by yellow railings and a red and white gate arm fills the lower left, and a road painted with yellow diagonal hatching runs away past streetlights, roadside grass and young trees. On a busy day, pickups and cars can line up along that hatched approach. After closing time the lane sits empty under the lights until the gates open again at 8 am.

About the Thunder Bay Landfill

The City’s Solid Waste and Recycling Facility opened on September 1, 2009, at 5405 Mapleward Road on the western edge of Thunder Bay. The entrance is on the west side of Mapleward Road, between Oliver Road and John Street Road, in the former McIntyre township, which merged with Fort William, Port Arthur and Neebing on January 1, 1970 to create the city. Only waste generated within the District of Thunder Bay is accepted. The 2009 rebuild added the weigh-scale kiosk, a new administration center and larger recycling and household hazardous waste areas, built to LEED design principles with solar wall cladding.

Traffic splits as soon as it leaves Mapleward Road. Commercial haulers take the first right to automated scales that read an RFID sticker on the windshield. Residents who only need the recycling, household hazardous waste or e-waste depots take the second right and never cross the scales. Everyone else stops at the public weigh-scale kiosk, drives on to the drop-off bins for metal, tires, bulky items, clean wood and garbage, then returns to be weighed out and pay. Queues at that kiosk are what the camera was set up to show. CBC News reported in May 2020 that the City had posted the feed after a spring of long lines, and the current stream on the Thunder Bay Landfill YouTube channel has been running since October 2023.

The landfill also makes electricity. Thunder Bay Hydro Renewable Power, part of what is now Synergy North, runs a 3.2 megawatt plant on land leased from the City at the site. Methane from decaying waste fuels two engine-driven generator sets, and the plant was designed to power 2,000 houses, converting about 7.4 million cubic meters (263 million cubic feet) of gas a year that would otherwise escape.

Weather and Climate in Thunder Bay

Thunder Bay sits on the northwest shore of Lake Superior and has long, cold winters. At the airport, January averages -13.4 C (7.9 F), with typical overnight lows of -19.2 C (-2.6 F), and around 163 centimeters (64 inches) of snow falls in an average year. On the camera, winter can mean plowed snow along the hatched lane and early arrivals in the dark: in December the gates open at 8 am, before sunrise, so the first trucks of the day come through under the streetlights.

Summers are mild. July averages 18.0 C (64.4 F), with afternoon highs near 24.9 C (76.8 F), and the city records about 2,121 hours of bright sunshine a year. The grass beside the lane can stay brown into early May, greens up through summer and can turn gold in October, when the birches around the site change color. Autumn also brings leaf and yard waste, which has its own drop-off area near the main tipping face, reached after the scales.

Things to Do Near the Thunder Bay Landfill

Thunder Bay’s biggest sights are a short drive from Mapleward Road. About 30 kilometers (19 miles) west of the city off Highway 11/17, Kakabeka Falls drops more than 40 meters (131 feet) on the Kaministiquia River and is billed as the second-highest waterfall in Ontario, with a boardwalk trail along the gorge. Within the city, Fort William Historical Park recreates the North West Company’s fur trade post as it stood in 1815 and draws around 100,000 visitors a year.

The Lake Superior side of town holds the views. The Sleeping Giant, a mesa on the Sibley Peninsula, dominates the lake from the north end of the city, and the Top of the Giant Trail in Sleeping Giant Provincial Park is a full-day hike of about 21.8 kilometers (13.5 miles) to clifftops among the highest in Ontario. On the eastern edge of town, the Terry Fox Monument on Highway 11/17 sets a 2.7 meter (9 foot) bronze statue on a granite base inlaid with local amethyst, looking out over the lake and the Giant.

Similar Webcams You Might Like

For more of Northern Ontario, Lake Superior and cameras that help you plan a trip, try these.

• Timmins Webcam
• Munising Webcam
• Mason County Webcam

Frequently Asked Questions

Where is the Thunder Bay Landfill located?

The landfill is part of the City’s Solid Waste and Recycling Facility at 5405 Mapleward Road, Thunder Bay, Ontario, Canada. The entrance is on the west side of Mapleward Road between Oliver Road and John Street Road, on the western edge of the city.

What can you see on the Thunder Bay Landfill Webcam?

The inbound lane, seen from what appears to be the public weigh scale, with yellow railings, a gate arm, the hatched approach road and streetlights leading off toward pale, rounded buildings in the distance. During opening hours, the length of the line shows how long the wait is.

What are the Thunder Bay landfill hours?

Monday to Friday from 8 am to 6:30 pm and Saturday from 8 am to 4:30 pm. The site is closed Sundays and all statutory holidays, including Easter Monday, the Civic Holiday, the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation and Remembrance Day. The City’s information hotline at 807-623-5756 can confirm holiday changes.

How much does it cost to use the Thunder Bay landfill?

Loads up to 120 kilograms (265 pounds) cost 10 Canadian dollars, and non-hazardous waste over that is charged at $94.65 per tonne, according to the City’s current fee list. The recycling, household hazardous waste and e-waste depots are free. The kiosk takes cash, debit, Mastercard and Visa.

Do I have to cross the scales to drop off recycling or hazardous waste?

No. Take the second right after entering from Mapleward Road for the household recycling, household hazardous waste and e-waste depots. Loads of garbage, metal, tires, bulky items, wood or yard waste are weighed in and out at the public kiosk.

What is the weather like in Thunder Bay?

Cold winters and mild summers. January averages -13.4 C (7.9 F) and July 18.0 C (64.4 F) at Thunder Bay Airport, with about 163 centimeters (64 inches) of snow a year.

Why is the lane empty on the Thunder Bay Landfill Webcam?

Most likely the site is closed. The stream runs around the clock, but the facility only takes vehicles during its weekday and Saturday hours, so evenings, Sundays and statutory holidays show an empty, lit lane. An empty lane during opening hours simply means there is no wait.

Source: City of Thunder Bay