THUNDER BAY – Dominic Pasqualino knows what it means to fight for the little guy.
As the head of the union at the former Bombardier plant in Thunder Bay, he had to go up against company administration to secure what he and his membership believed they deserved.
He plans to put up that same fight for the residents of Northwood and everyone else living in Thunder Bay, should he be elected to represent the ward for the next four years.
In a lot of ways, he likes what he sees for Thunder Bay, but good things won’t happen unless there’s a council in place that will go out and get them.
Pasqualino is convinced he can get the job done.
“The city is facing some really good opportunities in the future and I’d like to capitalize on some of those things,” he said. “I’ve been working very hard to bring work into the [Alstom] plant, but now it looks like a lot of the mining companies and their suppliers are looking to come to Thunder Bay. So I’d really like to see Thunder Bay grow after all these years of minimal growth or even decline.
“I think it’s a great opportunity to use some of the spaces we have in Thunder Bay and to get the solid industry that we need.”
Pasqualino said Thunder Bay can really turn on a dime if there are good-paying jobs that feed families and allow people to buy a house.
Looking a little closer at Northwood, Pasqualino pointed to the pinhole leak problem, allegedly caused when the city put sodium hydroxide in the water system to fight leaching from lead pipes.
He wants to get to the bottom of the issue once and for all.
“How many houses in my ward have spent thousands and thousands of dollars repairing pinhole leaks? I don’t know what the city can do at this point, I think that is going to be something that will be resolved through the courts. But I know they’ve really suffered through that.”
He’s also got his eye on the condition of the roads, not just in the ward, but throughout the city.
They’ll be a priority should he win his first attempt at municipal politics on Oct. 24.
“I know even on my street there’s a big hole there, and if you forget about it, you’ll knock your suspension for a loop.”
Pasqualino also wants to look at the state of housing, particularly the rental market.
“In a lot of areas, especially the lower-income ones, they seem to get a semi-detached house that are rented by owners who are people who live in other communities and they have seven students on each side. Maybe these people aren’t used to living in a home on their own and they're throwing their garbage outside, so now you have a good garbage pile, and you’re having rats as well.”
He isn’t opposed to an indoor turf facility, but he’s hearing loud and clear the plan as most recently proposed is too much.
“Fifty million dollars and no government funding, I can’t see how that’s going to go. I think we have to find a balance. I can see the need for a facility where they can play soccer.”
