THUNDER BAY – When Brent Boyko and his wife moved back to Thunder Bay, they knew they’d only have one of their five children around on a regular basis.
The other four had moved away, seeking their fame and fortune in other parts of the country, their opportunities for meaningful, well-paid employment in their home town having diminished over the years.
Boyko, one of two candidates running in McIntyre Ward, wants to help turn things around from a city council seat.
“I want to bring those opportunities back to the city. I’ve got some grandkids here that I hope can live and prosper, stay in the community and be the next future leaders for our community.”
Recognizing the ward is by far the largest, and one of the most diverse, in Thunder Bay, Boyko said his No. 1 issue facing residents of McIntyre continues to be the need to find a solution for the controversial designated truck route.
The plan would reroute truck traffic off Dawson Road, which later turns into Highway 102, and instead have it travel down Highway 11/17, creating more safety for residents of his ward.
“First of all, it’s Highway 102, so there’s a limited amount of play that council can have on that route, but traffic is crazy in that area. We need to do a thorough traffic study to look at what we can do to quell traffic,” Boyko said.
“Trucks have to go through our city. We all have to have groceries on our shelves and truckers are an essential part of that supply chain.”
Homelessness, crime and economic development are other areas he’d like to delve into and look for solutions for, should he be elected on Oct. 24.
“I love Thunder Bay, it’s a great city. We’ve come a long way, but we’ve got a lot of room for improvement. If you Google Thunder Bay, it shouldn’t be the crime capital of Canada. It shouldn’t be the police services board and the challenges we have with the folks down there,” said Boyko, adding he was a volunteer firefighter, so he knows a bit about what it’s like on the front lines.
“We need to support them as a city and a city council,” Boyko said.
That said, he’s read the Mercer report that indicates the board is broken and something needs to be done – but also a real opportunity to turn the corner in policing.
A graduate of Lakehead University with a background in managing large industrial facilities and time served on a number of non-profit boards, Boyko said he’s also in favour of an indoor turf facility, but only under certain conditions.
“If the funding is there, if we have the opportunity, I believe in public-private partnerships and leveraging all those resources out there. Let’s make sure it makes sense for the majority of people in the city,” Boyko said.
