THUNDER BAY – Mayor Ken Boshcoff looked to set the tone for the new term of Thunder Bay’s city council in an inaugural address Monday, calling on the municipal government to deliver clear progress on issues including economic development, homelessness, and climate change over the coming four years.
In remarks lasting around 10 minutes, Boshcoff acknowledged council comes in facing a number of what city manager Norm Gale called “heavy files,” including an inflation-year budget and decisions on long-debated issues like the proposed Designated Truck Route and indoor turf facility.
“We have a very full, indeed an overflowing plate of serious issues before us,” Boshcoff said. “But we knew that coming in, and are now here to serve.”
In the address, Boshcoff said he hoped to lead a council that would minimize tax hikes and limit the size of the municipal government while delivering on priorities including economic growth, alleviating homelessness and poverty, fostering civic pride, and climate action.
After acknowledging Thunder Bay sits on the traditional territory of Fort William First Nation, Boshcoff touched first on the question of tax increases, which council will soon tackle when it reviews the 2023 budget in January and February.
“I am energized and determined to do everything possible to make Thunder Bay the community we’ve always known it could be," he said. "I believe this starts with coming to grips with our financial realities. We must address the issue of tax increases, and it must be our goal to hold the line as much as possible for the rest of our term.”
Notably, he said the municipal government has a "high ratio of staff to population," adding "we have to stay the right size to appropriately staff our city properly."
On economic development, he said, one of council's first priorities must be "to rally for our Alstom plant to convince government that they must support Canadian industry.”
Boshcoff also further outlined plans he put front and centre in the election campaign to seek “special status” from the provincial and federal governments to recognize Thunder Bay’s role as a regional hub.
“We’ve learned that we are providing services [not only] for 110,000 citizens, but also for a much larger transient population whose numbers are estimated at approximately 20,000,” he said.
“To properly, decently, and respectfully accommodate and address this… we must have provincial and federal designation as a regional support centre. This requires additional financial assistance for poverty, homelessness, affordable housing, addictions, crime, racism and discrimination, food assistance, and medical treatments.”
On indoor turf, Boshcoff expressed a clear determination to forge ahead.
"The indoor turf facility, without a restaurant, must proceed to ensure that we can provide inexpensive, healthy, year-round exercise and recreation for a wide variety of sports and activities," he said.
The address came during the first public meeting of Thunder Bay’s recently elected city council on Monday, after several weeks of orientation.
The meeting was a ceremonial affair, with the only item of business the establishment of a schedule for councillors to serve as acting mayor, in the case of Boshcoff’s absence.
Boshcoff's predecessor, Bill Mauro, attended the inauguration and delivered remarks expressing confidence in the new council, while past mayors Jack Masters and Keith Hobbs conveyed well-wishes in writing.
"I hope the community feels at ease, because there seemed to be a lot of angst leading into the election about ‘too big of a turnover,'" Mauro said. "It could lead to some challenges, but I think you’ve got a lot of great experience around the table."
Speaking directly to the five first-time members, Mauro urged councillors to be responsive to feedback, but also remember they represent a "silent majority" of residents.
"You may not hear from them, but there is a very large silent majority that are interested in what you do," he said. "They're out there and they're paying attention. They're paying attention to the words that you use, and your comportment is very important."
Council will meet again Tuesday to appoint council and citizen representatives to sit on a variety of city committees and outside boards.
