Candidates for mayor weigh in on major capital projects

THUNDER BAY — The candidates running to be Thunder Bay's next mayor are offering a wide range of opinions on two major capital projects taxpayers may be required to contribute to in the next few years.

TBnewswatch asked Ken Boshcoff, Clint Harris, Gary Mack, Robert Szczepanski and Peng You whether they support or oppose the proposed construction of a covered turf facility (estimated at $39 million) and a new police station ($56 million).

The candidates were also asked what, if any, alternatives they would propose.

In alphabetical order, here is a synopsis of their responses:

Ken Boshcoff 

– Favours "proper and safe working facilities" for police and "a new facility accessible to the public"

– Supports a covered turf facility but says the current cost is "outrageous," so frills should be cut, "especially the restaurant"

Clint Harris 

– Does not support a new police building at present because the cost is "a moving target," because of the uncertain status of the present police board, and because input is needed from the next police chief

– Believes the indoor turf facility should remain on hold until external funding can be secured and there is "no risk to the taxpayer" 

Gary Mack 

–Says "now is not the time to spend extravagantly" on a new police building, when there is no police chief, the police board is under outside administration, and Indigenous people are calling for disbanding TBPS

– Believes Thunder Bay can't afford a covered turf facility without external financial support

Robert Szczepanski 

– Says he is "very opposed to the idea of anything new for the police" in light of "scandal after scandal" and reports of police misconduct and racism

– Opposes the covered turf "vanity project designed to help rich children" while ignoring other problems such as mental health issues, poor roads and need for low-cost housing

Peng You 

– Says council is responsible for providing police with an appropriate facility but there should be more consultation with council, and "some priority setting" in the construction to differentiate "need" from "want"

– Regrets that a more immediate solution wasn't chosen, wants more consideration of private/public partnerships, broader consultation beyond user groups, and more transparency in the process 

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Here is more of what each candidate had to say on these two issues in their submissions to TBnewswatch:

FROM KEN BOSHCOFF

1. Historical Note – New Police Facility $56M.   When the current building was being debated, it had been confirmed that it been constructed to allow for a second storey.  This was the convincing argument that ensured its passage then.

I am in favour of ensuring police have proper and safe working facilities, so I am in favour of a new facility accessible to the public. Referring to the Historical Note, I am questioning whether this alternative has been thoroughly examined as its location has distinct advantages including public accessibility. 

2. Turf Facility – Yes, as I believe that soccer is a sport accessible financially to most families there is no doubt as to need. In speaking with literally hundreds of people on this matter they are united in the need for such a facility. As the proposed cost is outrageous the first thing to be cut would be the frills especially the restaurant - people don’t go to community sports facilities for a dining experience !  Getting this built quickly, properly and within reasonable costs is a priority and will be dealt with early in the term.

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FROM CLINT HARRIS

1. When considering a new police headquarters a needs assessment would need to be done and provided. As it has been said by the current absent mayor Bill Mauro, he estimated it would cost $100 million to build. The cost is currently a moving target and to support such a costly project that may or may not be necessary a detailed analysis would also be required. This proposal for the project was passed with an 8-4 vote in current council, which tells me more questions need to be asked and answered before moving forward. The 2.4 million for project management and design causes me concern when it is still unanswered and unclear if the project is necessary. In my many years of deciding whether to go ahead with a project with costs unknown and uncertainty this question can't be answered with anything but a NO vote without further knowledge and details.The state of the current Police Service Board and the ongoing investigation adds another dynamic which needs to be resolved before any major decisions can be made regarding projects of this magnitude, and waiting for the new chief of police to be hired and provide input on the needs for a new station.

2. The proposal for a new soccer complex has created a stir in the community with many not understanding the expenditure when they look at the state of our city infrastructure as in the roads are a disaster, crime out of control and homelessness, human trafficking numbers rising and out of city gangs terrorizing our streets. I have seen the proposal which seems to have many missing parts. How will it sustain itself with revenues from marketing and sales within the structure? The rejection for the proposed facility of $22 million from Infrastructure Canada puts this facility in unknown territory. Thunder Bay cannot afford to incur these costs and although it seems a complex of this nature would be a great addition to the community you need guaranteed funds and support to move forward. Private sector financial support has been shelved due to lack of federal funds and until those commitments can be secured the project must remain on hold. Now this project has been ongoing since 2018 in council and in four years we are no further ahead. Now it's another project without answers passed down to the next council. The federal funding does not exist, the planned project has missing parts and when the complex in the future has the financial backing required it could and should move forward at no risk to the taxpayer.

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FROM GARY MACK

1. The needs of our community are vast and Thunder Bay has suffered from years of poor planning, financial mismanagement and a basic neglect of our core infrastructure. Police Services are in need of an overhaul, which includes a facility which allows our first responders to work productively to achieve city goals. Under current circumstances, with no police chief, the Police Services Board under outside administration and Indigenous communities calling for the disbanding of the police service, now is not the time to spend extravagantly on a new building... Thunder Bay needs a new model for its emergency services. We need a new tier of first responders who are trained and equipped to handle the vast majority of emergencies. Mental health crises, drug and alcohol abuse, traffic stops and other non-violent, non-criminal acts account for the vast majority of police calls. By bringing in the people and skills most appropriate to the situation we can get better outcomes while also staying within budget. Appropriately trained and paid first responders and a new model for crisis intervention are key to overcoming the challenges we face as a community.