To the editor,
In my many years on council, I often heard from the public that the size or composition of Thunder Bay city council should be different. Over the next year, changes may come.
The council composition review committee is looking at how council can be changed to best represent our city. This includes the size of council, which could be a larger or smaller group of representatives in council chambers, changing ward boundaries, or the makeup of city council.
We currently have ward representatives and at-large representatives. Every community in Ontario is different. Perhaps we should look at a different model too.
Or it could remain the same. We need input from the public to tell us how you want to be represented. There is a lot of work ahead, including hearing from residents, looking at comparable communities and then determining which changes, if any, the council composition review committee will recommend to city council.
This work is being led by a committee of council – tasked with one job – to come up with a recommendation on what Thunder Bay city council should look like for the 2026 election. We have one year to hear what you have to say, incorporate that feedback, and come up with a plan to be implemented for 2026.
Many people will say that council is too big. However, Thunder Bay is also very different from other cities. We provide all of the municipal services instead of them being split by an upper and lower-tier municipality. We also have numerous committees and boards that councillors sit on, helping to shape our city services.
These all take time to properly serve, and with part-time councillors, you need to have enough to spread the work around. Here lies another option – we could have full-time councillors in Thunder Bay. Should we have a designated deputy mayor? The options for change are numerous and we want to hear what you think.
Currently, we have seven ward councillors, five at-large councillors and a mayor. This system has been in place since 1985. There have been a lot of changes in the past 39 years. This is the right time to take another look at our council and see what works best for Thunder Bay.
I hope you can take a couple of minutes to tell us how you want to be represented. You can fill out a survey online at thunderbay.ca/getinvolved or fill out a paper copy at city hall or one of the Thunder Bay public library branches. We are also hosting drop-in sessions at city hall and the 55 Plus Centre. If you miss us this time, we will continue to be out in the community later this year.
As a former member of Thunder Bay City Council, I know how important it is to have the best representation possible to make sure our elected officials can make the best decisions for our future. Be part of the democratic process. How do you want to be governed at the municipal level? It’s your community.
Rebecca Johnson
Chair of the council composition review committee
