The construction of the Town Hall represented a defining moment in North Bay’s early development. Until it was built, most municipal affairs were carried out at the Cormack Block, located on Main Street East.

In 1902, local architect H. W. Angus was chosen to design the building, which was built a year later at the southwest corner of Ferguson and McIntyre Streets. The main entrance of the building faced the Methodist Church, now known as Trinity United Church. The Old Town Hall was designed with classical architectural elements that elevated its importance among the growing community. The hall was built upon a rusticated brick base, and its entrance was marked by a covered portico below a large Palladian window that dominated the façade. The gable roof resembled an open pediment, and held a large cupola in the centre of the building. North Bay’s Town Hall would house the municipal offices, council chambers, the police department, and the fire brigade.

The Town Hall served as North Bay’s civic headquarters for seventy-five years. Many important decisions were ratified at this site, including the amalgamation of the previously distinct municipalities of West Ferris and Widdifield to the City of North Bay in 1968.

In 1978, no longer able to handle the growing demands of the city’s municipal affairs, the aging building was demolished. The vacant property was used briefly as a municipal park, and the current Thomson building was constructed in 1988.