Larry Hebert
Larry Hebert’s energy and strong public service ethic have made him one of Thunder Bay’s stellar citizens. His childhood growing up in the 1950s and 1960s on the corner of Franklin and Walsh Streets fostered his commitment to the community. Larry Hebert recalls the wonder of seeing a day-old colt in a barn on Brown Street and engaging in his passion for sports by playing road hockey and line baseball. He also jokingly says that his “claim to fame is helping Paul Shaffer cross the street” when he was a school patrol member.
Larry Hebert received a Bachelor of Arts from Lakehead University in 1969. He thoroughly enjoyed his time at the young University, appreciating its vitality and the opportunity to attend school in his hometown. While at Lakehead, he played basketball and was the sports editor for Lakehead’s Argus newspaper in 1969. Hebert earned his Graduate Diploma in Business from Lakehead in 1970. He then attained an MBA from the University of Toronto in 1972 before returning to Thunder Bay where his interest in general management drew him to the human resources sector.
Larry Hebert’s first job was as a Human Resources Assistant with St. Joseph’s Hospital in Thunder Bay. In 1975, he became the Human Resources Officer at Thunder Bay Hydro, marking the start of a long career with this major regional public utility. In 1978, Hebert completed an Honours Bachelor of Commerce degree from Lakehead. His career continued to flourish and he became the General Manager of Thunder Bay Hydro in 1983, a job he remained in until his retirement in 2004.
Throughout this period, Larry Hebert took on a multitude of volunteer roles ranging from coaching Little League baseball and Peewee hockey to working with The Salvation Army and the Shriners. He has remained closely involved with Lakehead, helping with many fundraising initiatives. Lakehead recognized his service by making him a Fellow in 2002 and naming him one of Lakehead’s Northern Lights in 2006. This was also the year Larry Hebert received the Robert H. Hay Award of Exceptional Merit from the Ontario Municipal Electric Association for his contribution to the electricity distribution industry.
Continuing his work as an advocate for Thunder Bay, Larry Hebert is now a City Councillor and active on many boards, such as the Thunder Bay Public Library. He is President of the Thunder Bay International Baseball Association and the owner of Genotran Consulting. Hebert also has a special project he would like to see come to fruition – the creation of a Northwestern Ontario version of the Tour de France that would be the largest bicycle race in North America. An optimist at heart, Larry Hebert believes that “People should have fun with their jobs and fun with life. We live in one of the best places in the world.”
