THUNDER BAY – City council wrestled with two infrastructure investments Monday, debating the future of the botannical conservatory and greenhouses as well as a proposed Thunder Bay letter sign.
Technical difficulties with the city's online livestream of the meeting resulted in nearly the first half hour being inaccessible to residents without televisions. That section included the presentation of a report from city staff on the conservatory and initial questions from councillors.
Conservatory gets boost with greenhouse investments
Efforts to save Thunder Bay’s botanical conservatory got a boost Monday, as city council voted unanimously to allocate nearly $2 million to replace the adjacent production greenhouses.
The aging greenhouses, which city administration warned could fail as soon as this winter, support conservatory operations as well as supplying city parks and flower beds. The city estimates it generates significant yearly savings by keeping those planting operations in-house.
The construction of a new, larger production greenhouse is seen as necessary for renewal of the conservatory itself to move forward.
On Monday, several councillors expressed support for future investments in the conservatory. Full renewal of the facility is expected to cost another $2.6 to $3.1 million.
Council hits pause on Thunder Bay letter sign
A Thunder Bay letter sign intended to celebrate the city’s 50th anniversary and boost tourism has been put on hold. The project’s estimated $150,000 price tag raised concerns among some councillors as they eye the uncertain impacts of COVID-19.
A decision on the project will now be delayed until the 2021 budget process early in the new year.
Drug strategy update
Thunder Bay Drug Strategy coordinator Cynthia Olsen described a growing opioid crisis while presenting the strategy's 2019 report to the community Monday night.
Olsen highlighted key developments of 2019, including the opening of a 30-bed transitional housing program, sustained operations at Thunder Bay’s supervised consumption site, development of three “safe sobering sites” in response to the Seven Youth Inquest, and city responses to proposed cannabis store locations.
A full report is available as part of city council’s Oct. 5 agenda.
Olsen also noted ongoing efforts to secure funding for a local mental health and addictions crisis centre, which has not yet received a response from the provincial government.
Several councillors worried Monday that the province was failing to address the growing drug and addictions crisis with adequate funding, while asking if the city needed to step up with additional resources itself.
Councillors Andrew Foulds and Brian Hamilton suggested Olsen report back with potential investments to address addictions, something she promised to work on with the Crime Prevention Council and other city staff.
School crossing approved for Elsie MacGill
The city adjusted its school crossing guard locations to account for the opening of the new École Elsie MacGill Public School. Council approved a new crossing in front of the school on Parkway Drive.
The crossing will replace another being discontinued at Victoria Avenue and James Street, due to the closure of Edgewater Park Public School, leaving no financial impact.
