To the editor:
Asinine is described in the Oxford Paperback Dictionary as silly or stupid.
There have been people and institutions expressing opinions on issues of whether the City of Thunder Bay should provide a service that is, or conceived to be, in competition with private enterprise; or whether the City of Thunder Bay has more of or better than other municipalities of any size in Canada.
Geographically, the area size of this city is probably far in excess of municipalities in comparable population. In we are in the latter category, thinking should be like others in not just services provided, but also area size, then let us sell off several areas of the city.
With Westfort and the East End on the other side of the tracks, sever them off. They could become their own corporations.
Think of it: Westfort, Ont. and Eastend, Ont. Or would it be The Eastend (we’ll leave that discussion for another time).
If these severances were to occur, I was to then wonder, would Coun. Joe Virdiramo automatically become Westfort’s first mayor and or chairman of the Police Services Board?
Let us, in this thinking, then go to another area.
All the city west of the Thunder Bay Expressway, sell it to Oliver Paipoonge. It’s rural, so would it not be better suited to be part of a rural municipality?
Thunder Bay could then rid itself of all problems relating to Highway 102 (truck traffic, speed zones, etc.), rural outmigration, the Harbour extension.
Lessening the size of Thunder Bay equals lessening the size of services to provide, like police, fire and transit, and in turn, would it not then result in lessening the size of administration and required council?
If we shouldn’t have more than one city-owned golf course, why would some of the largest distributors like Wal-Mart, Tim Hortons, McDonald’s and the like have three or more outlets in this city.
Doesn’t competition beget more business and improve pricing, selection and service?
Competition to private enterprise: inevitably say goodbye to Muncipal Golf Course and with current rumours that have us close and sell Strathcona Golf Course too, maybe we should say good-bye to it, too.
Should those two suggestions come to fruition and the corporation only have one golf course, would we then need a director of golf and his assistant?
Let us go one step further.
Does not private enterprise provide telephone, cable, hydro, cemetery services, etc.? Close them all I say and sell all city services that compete. Thunder Bay provides RV rental sites, does it not? So does KOA and other private businesses.
If we as a city, as some would say, shouldn’t be in competition or provide more than comparable corporations, I then wondered if Coun. Iain Angus had to vote to close and sell off the RV sites and the animal exhibits, would he still be considered a friend of Chippewa Park?
If we’re not to be in competition with private business, then we also need to close up and sell the Canada Games Complex and the Community Auditorium. If we subsidize these venues more than Municipal Golf Course, think of the revenue the city would save.
I may have a solution for Municipal Golf Course.
Let’s make stipulation for playing there. Municipal is about 80 years old, so let’s say you have to use old wooden clubs, a feather ball, wear knickers and walk and carry your club. Then Jules Tupker and his golf committee could declare it a historical site.
If the city can invest $4 million or whatever into the Welan Building because it’s a historic site, couldn’t that thinking work for a new, old golf course?
When the lords of council said let there be light and voted in favour of the construction of the twin beacons at the waterfront, to the tune of $900,000, would they possibly consider night time lighting at Municipal. More tee-time availability would mean more revenue.
Let’s look at creating a new department in the corporation’s structure, calling it the Excess and Competition Division. It would have its own manager, secretary, support staff, budget, etc. It would also have its own spot in council chambers. If any member of the public asked questions, council could just pass the microphone over to the E&C to provide an answer. If no answer was forthcoming, council could ask administration for a report or hire a consultant.
The City of Thunder Bay is unique in many facets. Unique is OK. Let us build upon that uniqueness. Keep and improve what we have. There is ammunition both for and against. Spin in any manner can be put forth to justify one’s position or to change someone else’s. But remember, don’t do anything that might come back to bite you in the butt.
George Histed,
Thunder Bay
