THUNDER BAY - Transportation and health care were among some of the key priorities presented by city of Thunder Bay officials during the first-ever virtual Association of Municipalities Ontario’s 2020 conference.
The annual conference was held online this week due to the COVID-19 pandemic. During the conference, city officials discussed 12 issues with provincial ministers and Thunder Bay Mayor Bill Mauro said the most important issues raised for him was health care and transportation.
“We had an opportunity to speak directly to Minister Mulroney and we brought forward only one topic and that was the Thunder Bay Expressway,” he said.
Several years ago, upgrades to the Thunder Bay Expressway between Arthur Street and Balsam Street were introduced to the previous provincial government.
During talks with Minister of Transportation Caroline Mulroney, Mauro said he brought forward concerns that if the project doesn’t keep moving forward after preliminary designs and environmental assessments have already begun, it could end up going back to the drawing board.
“I’m trying to get some traction on at least upgrading some of those interchanges to either clover leafs or flyovers to avoid that same level crossings of all that traffic,” Mauro said. “The original plan was dividing it into four lane stretches as well.”
Mauro added he is hopeful the plan will get some traction after meeting with ministry of transportation officials.
One of the other key priorities brought forward was mental health and addictions. Prior to the AMO conference, Mauro said he met with a network that represents 20 mental health and addictions agencies in the city in order to have their voice heard by provincial officials.
“It’s continually one of the asks that we have,” Mauro said. “More specifically on the mental health and addictions piece the ask is for 40 beds, 20 crisis beds, and 20 withdrawal management beds, so a total of 40 beds. That is a representation of what the network representing the 20 agencies feels would be a good start for the city."
Mental health and addiction is related to many other priority issues, including funding for the Thunder Bay Police Service.
“There is a very demonstrated need for more capacity and everybody is onboard and everybody is singing form the same songbook on this in the community,” Mauro said. “It was really in that regard easy to make the presentation to the minister because you are representing 20 different agencies in the community speaking with the same voice on this.”
City officials met with more than six provincial ministers and other issues brought forward included non-urgent patient transport, Shelter House, Next Gen 911, the provincial offences act, Bombardier, and the new correctional facility.
Mauro said he met with Economic Development and Job Creation Minister Vic Fedeli on the issue of securing more contracts for the local Bombardier plant and he is hoping to speak with Toronto city officials on TTC procurement.
“It’s always one of the things we talk about with them,” he said. “They are in a bit of a better place now than a year ago when the discussion came up. I think there is the possibility for good news there, but until we know for sure, there’s nothing we can say.”
Regarding the new correctional facility, Mauro said the provincial government is hoping to move forward this fall with requests for proposals.
And while this was the first time the AMO conference has been held online, Mauro said it worked well, but in-person conversations are always more effective.
“The technology went well. You were able to get it across,” he said. “What I miss is some of the conversations you have in the hallways when you are just running into people and not necessarily in an official meeting. You are able to gain a lot of traction that way as well.”
