THUNDER BAY – Four years ago, Kristen Oliver upset long-time Westfort Coun. Joe Virdiramo to earn a seat on city council, bringing years of government lobbying experience to Thunder Bay’s Donald Street chambers.
In 2022, she’s the one with the target on her back.
Oliver, a senior advisor on municipal affairs and stakeholder relations with Enbridge, said the present term of council managed to accomplish a lot since being voted into office in 2018, calling it a privilege to serve the city and the ward.
“I think collectively, working with the community, we have made some great strides and some improvements and I just want to see us continue on with that,” Oliver said, explaining why she’s seeking a second term on council.
A member of the intergovernmental affairs committee, the Thunder Bay District Board of Health, the Thunder Bay Crime Prevention Council, Oliver was also a member of the Thunder Bay Police Services Board, a controversial term that saw her under fire and the board facing human rights complaints, filed by a fellow board member.
Oliver ultimately resigned her seat in protest after an administrator was appointed to temporarily oversee its operation.
Asked about how to address the social issues facing the city, Oliver said police can’t be the only solution. They’re just a Band Aid, she said.
“We need to see more investments in this community around mental health facilities, detox centres, drug addiction facilities, that type of thing. I think police are doing what they can. It’s lips above the water line. We’re certainly seeing this on a daily basis. They’re making major drug busts. They’re taking gangs off the streets, yet the drugs continue to flow through the community because we have lots of users.”
Oliver also wants to focus on improving Westfort’s infrastructure and tackle both community safety and homelessness over the next term of council.
“I think we’re also looking at quality of life, infrastructure and how do we improve that and become a community that people are proud to live in, as well as attracting new community members, too,” Oliver said.
Top of mind for many voters is the currently shelved indoor turf facility, a project Oliver voted to move forward during her first term on council – but one’s whose future she is reconsidering heading into a possible second.
“I’m in full support of it, when it came time for that tender I had some grave concerns about it, also knowing we have supply chain issues and there were going to be problems getting materials, which would likely stall the project, which in turn would cost even more,” she said.
“So how do we find a way to make the indoor turf facility happen, but in a more cost-restraining mechanism? I’ve been talking with users of an indoor turf facility and they’re looking at ways to make that project move forward with a better price tag.”
Oliver said she’d also like council to put pressure on other levels of government to get a larger share of the municipal fiscal allotment, rather than expecting local taxpayers to foot the entire bill for many services that have been downloaded to the city in recent years.
Correction: A previous version of this article misstated Kristen Oliver's occupation. Oliver is currently a senior advisor with Enbridge, and previously served as executive director of the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association. TBnewswatch regrets the error.
