THUNDER BAY -- Larry Hebert says he’s got a little unfinished business he’d like to complete before stepping away from the city council table.
Hebert, first elected in 2006, says first and foremost he wants to see the replacement for the city’s de-listed homes for the aged in place.
It’s a decision he helped make early in his first term on council, and the city’s seniors have been waiting ever since.
“That replacement hasn’t happened yet. It’s going to happen this term, so I wanted to be there for that. That was my first big decision on council and one I’ve received over my time the most emails or calls about a particular subject,” said Hebert, the former president of Thunder Bay Hydro.
As co-chairman of the regional Energy Task Force, Hebert said there’s still plenty of work to do on that front too.
“We’re not where we want to be yet. We continue to work and we’re meeting in the near future with the Ontario Power Authority, but we’ve got to continue to keep the heat on so that we can continue to have power for our current needs and also for our future needs,” he said.
Hebert acknowledges the proposed event centre has been controversial, dividing much of the populace for a variety of reasons.
But while he supports the concept, there are questions he wants answered before he’ll cast a vote to support construction.
“I have some concerns about location. If it’s so good, and it has to expand, where do you expand if it goes where it is planned,” said Hebert, criticizing the downtown north core location favoured by administration and several others on council.
“When I first started talking about the waterfront, I suggested either end of Marina Park.”
He also likes Innova Park, which is a centralized location that makes it more easily accessible for all residents of Thunder Bay.
“I think we’re just shoe-horning it in. But I really like the new the new design. “
