While Wednesday night’s mayoral debate at the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium focused much of its time debating the merits of an event centre, it certainly wasn’t the only topic on the minds of the candidates.
Here’s a sampling of what the six would-be mayors had to say, including their thoughts on the event centre plan.
“When we have jobs, then we worry about entertainment.” – Colin Burridge, asked what he’d do to help increase the city’s population numbers
“I’m getting a headache already from all the doom-and-gloom in this room.” – Mayor Keith Hobbs
“When I became mayor, the city was in tough financial straits.” – Ken Boshcoff
“I would like to legalize all drugs.” – Doug MacKay
“I think we made huge positive changes and Thunder Bay is in a better place than it was four years ago.” – Keith Hobbs
“Politicians are like diapers. They should be changed often and for the same reason.” – Colin Burridge
“I decided to run or mayor on the night city council decided to vote against a plebiscite or the event and convention centre.” – Shane Judge
“I will open up government with an unprecedented level of transparency.” – Shane Judge
“I would like to see a scaled-down version of the event centre.” – Doug MacKay
“I’m not against it; let’s see what the numbers are.” – Ken Boshcoff, on the event centre
“It’s up to the people to decide. It should go to a plebiscite.” – Colin Burridge, on the event centre
“The fact of the matter is, Thunder Bay is aging and it is shrinking.” – Shane Judge
“These people know what they’re talking about. Sorry Ray Smith, you don’t and neither do I.” – Keith Hobbs, on the expertise of the event centre consultants
“There’s retail, there’s wholesale and there’s fairy tale. And I’m afraid we’re getting the fairy tale.” – Shane Judge on the event centre costs.
“You’d rather build it in 10 years at twice the cost.” – Keith Hobbs, in response to Shane Judge’s statement to put of building the event centre for 10 years or more
“Ken, you must have slept through Phase 3.” – Keith Hobbs to Ken Boshcoff, who questioned accessibility at the event centre
“This is something that must be a priority.” – Ken Boshcoff on affordable housing
“There isn’t a mayor in the world or a president in the world that can stop homicides.” – Keith Hobbs
“The drug strategy, actually, is just window dressing. As long as you treat addicts as criminals it will just be recidivism.” – Doug MacKay
“I’m scared crap-less to go out at night.” – Doug MacKay
“At the doors, people are telling me they are afraid to let their children go to the movies.” – Ken Boshcoff
“Throwing a million dollars at problems doesn’t solve problems.” – Keith Hobbs to Shane Judge, who says he’ll give the crime prevention council $1 million if elected
“This city has become somewhat of a sin-tax junkie.” – Shane Judge
“People are calling it the homicide capital of Canada. That’s not how I see it.” – Keith Hobbs
“I’m afraid that Thunder Bay to most of the country is invisible.” – Shane Judge
“I don’t believe in privatization at all.” – Shane Judge
“Now is not the time to sell.” – Keith Hobbs, on a call to sell Thunder Bay Hydro and Tbaytel
“I don’t think it’s fair to tax people to build a building that competes against them.” – Shane Judge, on the convention centre component of the event centre plan
“I don’t think the convention centre will draw too many people in.” – Henry Wojak
“Will it be competition or those halls? Sometimes. Some of the hotels we have now? Often.” – Ken Boshcoff, on the convention component
“I have (Community Auditorium) board members giving me donations saying fight this thing. They are very worried.” – Shane Judge, on the impact of the event centre
“If I was the mayor, I would have returned right away knowing something was going to happen.” – Ken Boshcoff, taking Keith Hobbs to task for not being in town at the height of the 2012 flood
“I’d like to see some kind of security system at the bus stops.” – Doug MacKay
“The issues of going back to coal in Ontario? I don’t think we’re going to win that one.” – Ken Boshcoff
“We have to focus on technology. We can’t rely on the Ring of Fire.” – Colin Burridge
“Let’s build a battery plant here.” – Keith Hobbs
“I think there might be a real opportunity trying to attract a company that makes pre-fabricated homes.” – Shane Judge
“After the election, the process of closing another high school will begin.” – Shane Judge, citing a trustee source
