Car insurance Thunder Bay, ON
Part of a series on car insurance rates in Ontario.
Fast facts about auto insurance in Thunder Bay
Average annual car insurance rate
Regular drivers in the city
Collisions per year (approximately)
%
Collision rate for the city
Average age
Average household income
%
Unemployment rate
Population
Understanding car insurance in Thunder Bay, Ontario
Sitting halfway between Sudbury and Winnipeg, Thunder Bay is one of the major cities in northern Ontario. Despite harsh winters and a lot of open road, residents here actually have great car insurance rates on average.
Get your bundle on & save!
Want even cheaper insurance? Save up to 50% on home and up to 18% on car insurance when you bundle them.
Get your bundle on & save!
Want even cheaper insurance? Save up to 50% on home and up to 18% on car insurance when you bundle them.
Busting myths about driving and insurance in Thunder Bay
Myth: Thunder Bay’s jobs are far away, forcing you to commute.
False. The vast majority of Thunder Bay’s workforce has a local commute within the city’s boundaries. Specifically, about 85% of the city’s workforce works locally (according to Statistics Canada). There’s an overwhelming chance that you won’t have to drive very far.
45.3% of the workforce commutes for 15 minutes or less.
Myth: Thunder Bay isn’t a safe place to live.
Thunder Bay does have a higher crime severity index than most of Ontario, but there are 67 more dangerous cities in Canada as of 2019. Thunder Bay’s index of 88 is eclipsed by North Battleford (372), Red Deer (222), and even Regina (117).
With that said, the city does have the highest rate of homicides per 100,000 people across Canada.
Myth: Thunder Bay is an overwhelmingly industrial city.
False. In fact, Thunder Bay is home to over 100 parks inside of the city, never mind all of the natural trails you can hike outside of the city.
It’s not true about the job market, either. Healthcare is the largest employment sector by far, followed by retail, education, public administration, and food services.
Myth: Thunder Bay is out of the way, making highway access difficult.
Not true. Highway 17 runs north-south along the city’s western edge, becoming Highway 61 south of its intersection with Highway 11 (the Harbour Expressway).
Thunder Bay is a decent distance from the nearest major population centres, but that makes it a crucial stop along Ontario’s supply line through northern Ontario.
How Thunder Bay’s rates compare to other cities in Ontario
- North York: $4,261
- Etobicoke: $4,199
- Brampton: $4,071
- Scarborough: $3,825
- East York: $3,605
- Woodbridge: $3,603
- Richmond Hill: $3,579
- Mississauga: $3,473
- Markham: $3,389
- Niagara Falls: $3,321
- Bowmanville: $3,308
- Peterborough: $3,259
- Pickering: $ 3,245
- Newmarket: $ 3,216
- Hamilton: $3,201
- Brantford: $ 3,158
- Maple: $3,150
- Whitby: $3,087
- Ajax: $3,053
- York: $2,999
- Toronto: $2,983
- Barrie: $2,924
- Thornhill: $2,871
- Waterloo: $2,867
- Caledon: $2,780
- London: $2,765
- Fort Erie: $2,720
- Oakville: $2,720
- Sault Ste Marie: $ 2,713
- Kitchener: $2,705
- Milton: $2,680
- St Catharines: $ 2,550
- Windsor: $2,536
- Woodstock: $2,513
- Innisfil: $2,505
- Burlington: $2,476
- Kingston: $ 2,360
- Cambridge: $2,297
- Oshawa: $2,295
- Guelph: $2,268
- Gloucester: $2,256
- Stoney Creek: $2,222
- Nepean: $2,196
- Ottawa: $2,195
- Sudbury: $2,005
- Kanata: $2,002
- Thunder Bay: $1,973
- Wasaga Beach: $1,958
Quick tips on insurance and driving in Thunder Bay
Thunder Bay gets nasty winters. Invest in winter tires, because they work.
Thunder Bay gets the worst of both worlds when it comes to winter.
The science is in. Winter tires work better than summer or all-season tires under 7 degrees celsius. They get more traction, they don’t harden up like regular tires, and they allow you to brake faster and more safely.
The best part? Ontario’s insurance companies give you an insurance discount for using them.
Avoid Thunder Bay’s most dangerous intersections to protect yourself.
Dangerous intersections increase your odds of being in a collision. Collisions hurt you as much as they hurt your auto rates, so avoid the worst ones whenever you can. Here’s the list:
- Balmoral Street and Harbour Expressway
- Golf Links Road and Harbour Expressway
- Arthur Street and James Street South
- Harbour Expresway and Memorial Avenue
Avoid neighbourhoods with high rates of claims and reported crimes.
Car insurance rates are affected by where you live. The statistical odds of a claim being made over property damage or car theft differs everywhere, so living in these neighbourhoods could help reduce rates:
- Communities south of Arthur Street and north of Mary Street
- South of Arthur Street East and east of Edward Street South
- Neigbbourhoods surrounding Chapples Municipal Golf Course.
- Neighbourhoods north of River Street, and even some south of it.
Sources for fast facts about Thunder Bay:
- Statistics Canada, Thunder Bay 2016 Census Profile
- Ministry of Transportation, 2016 Road Safety Report
- TB News Watch, “Thunder Bay’s most dangerous intersections in 2017”
- CBC News, “Thunder Bay, Ont. once again homicide capital of Canada”
- Thunder Bay Police Community Crime Map
- Maclean’s, “Canada’s Most Dangerous Places 2019”
- Thunderbay.ca, “City Parks”
- CBC News, “Beware slippery winter driving: Thunder Bay police”
Source for average insurance rates by city:
- Survey of 2,800 auto insurance policy holders in Ontario
Google Rating: 4.8
Hot Dang! Those are some beautiful words from beautiful people.
Dan Guida
My rep Kristin was super knowledgeable, personable and responsive. She provided valuable guidance on my options that was clear and easy to understand. I feel this allowed me to make the best decision for my needs. I was not familiar with aha Insurance prior to this engagement, but I'm really happy...
Michelle
I tried online and through the phone for 4 days with two other companies to get insurance for teaching virtual fitness classes. Thoroughly frustrated I searched for high rated insurance companies and checked out aha. Their online form was easy to complete and I purchased a policy in 5 minutes! ... Highly recommend aha insurance for the customer service alone.
Alanna Carr
I just set up my home and auto insurance with Chrystal and it was the easiest process ever! She looked to find me the best deal and explained each policy in detail. I saved over $300 by using aha insurance. And you could tell Chrystal enjoys her job which makes a huge difference in customer service! I recommend aha insurance to anyone!
Boris Karelin
It was my best experience talking with an agent ever. Kristin Cooper is an incredible person, very profesional, caring and knowledgeable. I've got the best deal on my car and condo insurance. I'll recommend her to everybody who'll look for insurance.
Thank you very much.
John Vanderburgh
Super Marvy ! The Aha Thunderbirds Took Great care of me Thank-You Kirstan and the Aha
Andrew Prendergast
Worked with Kristin Cooper to secure AHA insurance coverage for our home. I was a difficult client who wanted to compare multiple companies and she stuck with me through 2 weeks of back and forth to land the business. Thank you Kristin ... Aha is lucky to have you as their agent.
Aisha U
My mom has been with this company for a year now and she is so happy with their service. I got added on now and I am really happy with them as well. They offer amazing prices and the most helpful customer service. I have been in touch with Rachel Beletic, who is so amazingly sweet and has outstanding customer service. I highly, highly recommend this company!!
Stephanie Cook
Wow!!! What a great company. I called in yesterday on a Thursday at 3-3:30pm to get a fast insurance plan/ quote, and just like magic Rachel was able and willing to help ASAP! She was very Friendly and got me a great deal. Boom just like that, everything is up and running for my pick up today with my new car.
Christine MacDougall
RACHEL ROCKS! She helped me and my daughter with our claim.
In a friendly and efficient manner. Her customer service skills are impeccable. I wish we could be friends in real life. Thanks Rachel.
Bo Li
Amazing service. So patient and good at explaining everything. I was super confused about the different aspects of the insurance, and after going through with all the conditions with them through the call I understood what had to be done.
Really amazing kindness and service on top of all of that.
Teri Lynn Lorentson
I filled out an online form just to check to see if there was a better price available and receive a call right away. I have never had more caring or professional customer service anywhere. The representative that I get to work with was knowledgeable, concise and caring.
Teri Draga
I have to say, I just had the most amazing experience from aha. I spoke with a lovely lady names Crystal. She was not only professional but had a good sense of humor as well. Would fully recommend this company!! Great rates!
Mathew
Simple easy and great vibe over the phone. My agent Rachel B. Was amazing and super helpful. Originally I declined to get insurance but then thought about it and was glad to deal with her. She was awesome..... We have the same bank as well and was able to help me find my billing Information easily. Thanks Rachel 🙂
Bee Raskob
After dealing with over 13 insurance companies over an entire week, I received a call from Kristin who made the process so easy, so comforting and so streamlined! Not even a paper needed to be printed off and signed. Everything was set up on the spot- which is SO rare for Ontario Insurance companies.
Melanie Blacker
Chrystal was awesome!. She helped me get insurance for my new vehicle quickly and easily. I would highly recommend aha to anyone. Thanks again Chrystal...you're the best!
Aya Qutub
Kristin Cooper with Aha Insurance was remarkable. She was extremely professional, answered my thorough questions with transparency and patience. She gave me 3 options for different quotes that matches my preferences, and was very clear interns of the differences. I highly recommend them!
Maharasa Murugesu
Kristen was amazing, she answered all our question and got us the best quote. we are very happy that we got hold of Kristine to get our quote. i'm a happy customer
Mike Shin
Called aha Insurance after being made aware of them through work. Set up a new policy within 10 minutes! Kristin was responsive, professional and made sure I was clear on all topics. Would recommend to anyone to check them out.
Stacy Barr
I loved the aha experience. Starting with an online quote I could do on my own time (that was very, very easy and essentially filled in everything I needed) and then human interaction that gave me the customer service and expertise I wanted. This was a fantastic experience!
Leslie Anna Rose Obsioma
Ryan from aha insurance is very professional and cares about the well being of his clients. 1st time with aha and he gave me a reasonable insurance rates, far lesser than the previous one i have. He gave me so much tips and it is a great help for me and my friend. Will definitely recommend them to my friends. 🙂 Good job aha!
Michael Ortiz
Sales Representative (Beverley Gaeler) is very professional & indeed answers your questions politely. Very knowledgeable in terms of their insurance. Unlike other insurance brokers, definitely I will recommend this company to my friends & relatives.
Kadar Abdullahi
I dealt with representative named Beverly. She was super understanding, informative and trusty worthy, things I look for when dealing with people I have never met before.
Tina Bilodeau
Ashley was extremely helpful and a pleasure to deal with. Besides the competitive premiums and great customer service I like how aha is up to date with the times - both technically and their business processes. An easy and pleasant experience, even during these challenging times with COVID-19. Happy to be a new customer!
Christine Davey
I am so lucky to have found this fantastic company, I was nervous moving to Brampton from Etobicoke heard horror stories about the increase because of location, but to my pleasant surprise (and only with aha 😁) it went lower!!! I cannot recommend anything more highly. Thank you guys for making life a little easier, we can all use that. Keep up the great work 👍
Darren Shaw
Great experience changing to Aha Insurance. The portal is easy to use and the service from the Brokers are unmatched. Would highly recommend.
Andrea Johnston
Can't say enough about Rachel at aha insurance. She was very prompt, answered my questions thoroughly and saved me a lot of money. What's not to like. I would highly recommend Rachel and aha insurance - I am so pleased.
Marcelo Del Padre
Great customer service, attention to details, willingness to help and fulfil my needs!
John Hehn
Kristin Cooper is very sparkling and pleasant to deal with. The company is very client centric and all are staff are professional to help you out. Also when you are on hold the voice will keep you amused if you don’t mind waiting.
Katrina Barber
Super quick, convenient and the best pricing I found after shopping around for hours. Chrystal was very energetic and answered all my questions. Who knew insurance could be fun 😂
Sherry Wilson
I felt right at home as I chat with Beverly the representative at Aha insurance. Not only did she get me a wonderful coverage at a great price but she was really friendly and I must say very professional at what she do...
