THUNDER BAY – Mayor Bill Mauro has officially declared a state of emergency for the City of Thunder Bay.
Mauro said the move aligns the decision with the province’s declaration of a state of emergency under the Emergency and Civil Protection Act and helps the municipality continue to deliver critical and essential services.
“Today I am declaring a state of emergency for the City of Thunder Bay in response to the COVID-19 pandemic,” Mauro said in a release issued on Thursday.
“These are difficult times. As the public health response continues to evolve, with additional testing and enhanced screening, pressures increase on us as a Corporation to meet our staffing requirements. As a result, we need to have available to us all the tools that will allow us to continue critical and essential services to our residents.”
The decision allows the city flexibility when it comes to redeploying employees to different departments, which might not have been possible under existing collective bargaining agreements.
The city earlier this month also laid off about 800 employees, a third of its manpower, due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
“I have reached out to union leaders to express to them that this declaration is necessary to give force to the provincial order,” Mauro said.
The order went into effect at 2 p.m. on Thursday.
City manager Norm Gale said any movement of employees will be done in conjunction with union leadership.
“The City of Thunder Bay appreciates the support of the union groups representing its employees through the COVID-19 emergency response and will continue to work through them collaboratively when reassigning staff or making other adjustments as required,” Gale said in the release.
“Our positive, respectful relationship is a priority.”
Mauro concluded with a reminder that COVID-19 remains a threat to the city and its people and that everyone needs to buy in to contain it.
“Public Health has said we have benefitted as a community from the actions we have already taken to cease non-essential services. We must do even more to keep ourselves safe and prevent spread. Stay home, stay safe, Thunder Bay.”
