THUNDER BAY – Peng You wants to bring discipline, development and determination to city council chambers.
As an immigrant who moved to the city in 1990 from his native China, the well-known 55-year-old tai chi master said he’s also running to honour his wife Jing Sun, who died two years ago from cancer.
In fact, he even filed his nomination papers on July 19, his wife’s birthday, saying her death spurred his decision, knowing he wanted to help forge a community where his daughters, Sarah and Lily, can enjoy a prosperous future.
“I can bring people together. I just want to do my share,” You said.
“I’m the new blood. I’m the fresh energy. I would really like to see Thunder Bay (be how) it’s supposed to be … Thunder Bay is full of potential. It’s so beautiful.”
You, a recipient of the Chinese-Canadian Entrepreneur Award and the City of Thunder Bay Ambassador Award, was instrumental in convincing the city to build a tai chi park at Prince Arthur’s Landing.
For the past two-and-a-half decades he’s also been heavily involved in trade missions designed to spread the word about the city, travelling to the Orient, Mexico and the U.S., and he’s a huge supporter of Thunder Bay’s involvement in the Sister Cities program.
Never shy with a joke and blessed with a passion for his adopted hometown, as a councillor he said he’d encourage people to be more open-minded and be willing to accept change.
That’s precisely what needs to happen at city hall, he said.
“We don’t fix the problems and we go nowhere. I think for Thunder Bay I think we need to quantify what are the priorities, what are the problems and how can we fix that,” You said.
As he knocks on doors seeking the support of voters around Thunder Bay, You is hearing many of the same concerns that other candidates are hearing – drugs, crime, taxes, homelessness and infrastructure shortfalls.
But there’s one issue he believes is the catalyst to turn it all around – economic development.
“Without that we’ll have no more people moving in, no more tax base and no bright future. But how can we do that? We need to build a foundation,” he said.
The municipal election is on Oct. 22.
