Preparing for circumstances like this probably wasn’t the easiest.
The Courthouse Hotel, which was the former Superior Court of Justice, will host the Brayden Bushby trial following a fire at the new Thunder Bay Court House.
“It’s surprising but obviously beneficial for them (to have a new location for the trial), and we want to help out in any way we can,” says General Manager Chris Kowbuz. “They’ll be utilizing certain guest rooms as office spaces so everything is on separate floors and secured areas that can be completely closed off. Everything will be separated.”
In terms of adjustments since they last held an event like this, Kowbuz notes they’ve had to include screening measures for COVID-19, but they still have a judge’s bench and separated jury boxes for the proceedings.
The 21-year-old Bushby and his team are involved in a manslaughter trial after a September meeting led to his second-degree murder charge being downgraded.
Bushby is connected to an alleged incident in January 2017 where a trailer hitch was thrown out of a moving vehicle, striking 34-year-old Barbara Kentner, an Indigenous woman.
She passed away in July of that same year.
