THUNDER BAY -- For the month of August, City Hall Sounds will be rallying local musicians, performers, food vendors, and artists at McGillivray Square.
City Hall Sounds, an annual initiative organized by the city’s Crime Prevention Council and its Strong Neighbourhoods Working Group, is set to take place every Thursday from noon until 1 p.m. throughout the month of August.
Speaking at the kick-off event at City Hall, Crime Prevention Council Coordinator Lee-Ann Chevrette explained that the City Hall Sounds initiative aims to encourage the use of public parks and to make them more inviting and safe for the entire community.
“Community has a different meaning to everyone; it may be a neighbourhood, town, city, workplace, or school… but the most general characteristic of a community is that the people within it have a strong sense of belonging,” said Chevrette.
In 2014, Thunder Bay ranked No. 1 on the Canadian Crime Severity Index (CSI) for violent crimes, 10th for non-violent, and fourth overall according to Statistics Canada.
The 25 per cent increase in violent crime over the past year brought Thunder Bay back to the same rate it had in 2009.
Despite returning to the top of Statistics Canada’s crime severity index for violent offences, some city officials continue to label it an anomaly.
In addition to community building events like City Hall Sounds, the Crime Prevention Council is pushing on with its poverty reduction strategies as well as support programs for people with addictions.
Providing both support and opportunity are crucial parts to cultivating the sense of belonging within a community that Chevrette and the Crime Prevention Council envision for Thunder Bay.
