THUNDER BAY – Council rejected two controversial proposed responses to the COVID-19 pandemic Monday, voting down a motion to consider allowing backyard chickens, and declining to endorse a proposal for free parking at city parkades.
Council was more keen on other initiatives, giving its stamp of approval to a new annual Neighbour Day to be celebrated in June, over $1.6 million in sidewalk work, and a call for a mental health and addictions crisis centre.
Councillors also continued grappling with the financial impact of COVID-19, approving a motion from Mayor Bill Mauro that will see city administration report back in June with options for “cost containment” measures to offset the financial toll of the pandemic.
Backyard chickens motion falls short
A motion to reconsider the issue of backyard chickens was rejected on a 10-3 vote. A 2016 push to allow urban residents to keep up to six hens had fallen short with a similar margin. Coun. Shelby Ch’ng moved to revisit the issue in the face of food security concerns stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic.
While her colleagues acknowledged those concerns, most didn’t see backyard chickens as a meaningful way to address them. Councillors cited worries over infectious disease, pests, and nuisance to neighbours from the sound and smell of the birds.
Several also said it wasn’t the time to examine the controversial issue, fearing it would distract city administration from the all-hands-on-desk work of responding to the pandemic.
First annual Neighbour Day
Thunder Bay will celebrate its inaugural Neighbour Day on June 20. Coun. Peng You, who championed the idea, said it would provide a much-needed boost of positivity. The occasion is meant to foster community and bring neighbourhoods closer together.
COVID-19 restrictions will limit this year’s celebrations, with the city suggesting activities like decorating yards, random acts of kindness, sending messages to isolated or elderly neighbours, and organizing neighbourhood sidewalk chalk art tours.
Council approved a re-allocation of $6,000 saved through the cancellation of other events to promote the day.
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Parkades to continue charging fees
Council declined to provide free access to city parkades, a measure Coun. Aldo Ruberto had suggested as a way to support health care workers – largely those from St. Joseph’s Care Group, who often use the facilities.
A memo from city administration estimated making both city-owned parkades free would cost $25,000 in month in foregone revenue, and another $10,000 in increased security and other costs. The city’s Parking Authority was unanimously against the idea.
An apparent lack of support for Ruberto’s proposal led councillors to pass over the issue without a vote.
Mental health and addictions crisis centre
Mayor Bill Mauro informed councillors of advocacy efforts underway to bring a mental health and addictions crisis centre to Thunder Bay. Driven by the Thunder Bay District Mental Health and Addictions Network, a coalition of more than 20 organizations in the sector, the proposal seeks provincial assistance for a 40 bed facility (20 crisis beds, 20 for withdrawal management).
A briefing note from the network said the facility would help reduce pressure on police, EMS, and the hospital from mental health and addictions calls, and provide more appropriate support. The proposal does not yet have a price tag or provincial commitment, but Mauro said discussions with the province had indicated they took the issue seriously and wanted to provide more local support.
Council continues grappling with COVID-19 costs
Council will receive an update on the impact of COVID-19 on city finances at a meeting on June 15. A previous report estimated the pandemic would cost the city $5.4 million by the end of May, and an additional $1.4 million per month after that with current public health restrictions in place.
Councillors had approved receiving the update in July at last week’s meeting, but Mauro said the need to find cost containment measures was too great to wait that long.
The June report will update council on the fiscal hit from COVID-19, as well as potential avenues for savings and how to pay for increased costs. That could include digging into city reserves meant for infrastructure projects like a multi-use indoor sports complex, Coun. Brian Hamilton suggested.
New crossovers lead sidewalk improvements
Four new pedestrian crossovers headline over $1.6 million in sidewalk improvements slated for the summer. The city will now boast 10 of the crossovers, which stop traffic using flashing lights activated at pedestrian demand. They were first introduced in 2016.
The work also includes reconstruction of numerous sidewalk segments throughout the city, as well as more connections to public transit stops.
