THUNDER BAY - Public safety, security, and health are on the collective mind of the community in Thunder Bay.
On Friday and Saturday, a job expo was held in an attempt to recruit people of all ages to join 27 different organizations across the city.
Thunder Bay Police, OPP, EMS, and Ontario’s Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services, were among the many organization looking for potential recruits.
“We as a community came together to organize the event together,” said Jennifer Roukkula, a recruiter with Ontario’s Ministry of Community Safety and Correctional Services.
The event, which resembled a trade show, featured booths from the various organizations where people could access information and talk to professionals.
“An idea came about and we asked, ‘Why aren’t we at one place at one time to make it better for people looking for work?’” Roukkula said.
As it turned out, almost all of the sectors needed extra hands on deck.
“I know for us, we’re looking to recruit 2,000 new officers across Ontario. One of the most important parts of that is talking to people about what the work is really like from a front-line perspective.”
For Thunder Bay Police, more staff will need to be added as the core of the force heads toward retirement.
“In the next five to 10 years, we’re looking at adding 30 to 40 recruits,” said Staff Sgt. Derek West.
“When I got hired, 10 of us were hired. The next year, another 10. So when you put those numbers together you can obviously see that we need people.”
West says the ideal candidate is someone “representative of the community.”
“There is a physical component... The biggest thing is that the person is goal-oriented, and committed. You have to have a good outlook in life and you want to help people.”
