THUNDER BAY -- Making the city attractive and appealing to newcomers, while also keeping its current residents happy is what one local organization hopes to accomplish this week.
SHIFT, Thunder Bay’s young professionals network, launched the city’s first ever Young Professionals Week at city hall Monday and vice-president Jon Hendel said May 10 to 17 this year is about celebrating the community’s under 40 crowd.
“A young professional is, we consider, anyone aged 20 to 40 and is anyone. It’s anyone who wants Thunder Bay to move forward and wants to work collectively to do it,” he said, adding they have a variety of initiatives planned for the week.
People are being asked to showcase young professionals they know, whether it be yourself or someone you work with, by posting photos on social media using the hashtag #YPWeekTBAY.
“We’re looking for a way to celebrate those individuals but also really make Thunder Bay a welcoming place to attract professionals to our community,” said Hendel.
SHIFT started with a group of six to eight people coming together with common goals. There was no overarching community group, corporation or provincial mandate involved, noted Hendel.
“It was young people getting together and recognizing the need to network to move the city forward,” he said, adding SHIFT is working towards becoming a registered not-for-profit organization.
Business owner and Northwood Coun. Shelby Ch’ng said when she first heard of the young professionals group in Thunder Bay, it looked like a club for younger people who wanted to share ideas and after she joined, she saw it continue to grow.
“It really was nice just being able to meet other people in the same position I’m in,” she said, adding before joining the group, she hadn’t given much thought to starting her own business, but it gave her a platform to meet and connect with other people.
For more information on the week’s activities see shiftnetwork.ca.
