THUNDER BAY – Albert Aiello says the main issue he’s running on for a second term in McIntyre Ward is getting a designated truck route in place once and for all.
There’s too much truck traffic on Dawson Road, the city-owned section of the route that eventually turns into the provincially maintained Highway 102, he said.
In turn, it’s led to other problems affecting ward residents and businesses alike.
“The DTR is very important to the McIntyre Ward," Aiello said. "It affects so many things. We have an issue at County Fair with trucks parking there. We had weight restrictions put on. We reduced speed limits. We’re always striving for safety, but at the end of the day, even with the recommendation from administration that we need to have a DTR, it was very unfortunate that it got held up because of a bylaw.”
Aiello said he remains hopeful that the new council will see the truck route in a different light and the situation can be satisfactorily resolved.
“We don’t want to really just move the problem. It’s trying to work so we make everybody safe, so we are advocating for safety lights near all three intersections that the trucks would now be travelling on. But it’s important to get trucks on [the Thunder Bay Expressway] to create a reason why we need to have lights there.”
Aiello said representing McIntyre Ward presents its own set of problems. Part rural and part urban, it’s the largest ward in the city.
“It’s the fastest growing ward. We have very unique challenges. I have approximately 93 per cent of all the gravel roads in the City of Thunder Bay in the McIntyre Ward. So I have issues that other councillors just don’t have.
Originally a supporter of the city’s indoor turf facility project, when the price tag ballooned, Aiello dropped his support of the plan as proposed.
However, as the director of the Boys and Girls Club of Thunder Bay, he’s fully supportive of activities for the city’s youth, and does believe something can get done at a more reasonable cost.
It was just too expensive, he said.
“It would be nice, in speaking with the soccer community, to have something more of a Hangar-style, less Taj Mahal-ish, that would still fill the needs of all indoor turf sports enthusiasts,” Aiello said.
When it comes to crime and safety, he pointed out that city council has little to do with setting police policy.
He also noted it’s not just a Thunder Bay issue.
“If you look at the success police have at solving crime, it’s amazing. We have a very good crime-solve rate, but that doesn’t necessarily get the headlines. It’s usually the negative stuff that gets the headlines,” Aiello said.
“Personally I’d like to see more community policing. I’ve seen it in action in three different locations throughout the city. I’m a firm believer in that and that it works."
Police also don’t have to go to every single call, he said, especially when it’s dealing with a mental health or addictions issue.
“There’s lot of things we can do at the grassroots level,” Aiello said.
