THUNDER BAY — The mayor will have the opportunity to make his State of the City address during Monday’s committee of the whole meeting.
Mayor Ken Boshcoff told Dougall Media that he wants to “remind the public of what a successful year” Thunder Bay has had in terms of “the number of new businesses, the growth in the mining sector, and all of these things put together.”
Boshcoff said he's seen major business expansion last year, including new activity at the Port of Thunder Bay.
“Every second week I'm going to some new business that has decided to open up and become an entrepreneur and start-up, and it's very inspiring,” said Boshcoff.
When asked if there are areas within the city that need improvement, he said the opioid and homelessness concerns are “affecting so many lives.”
“This is a worldwide pandemic of drugs and homelessness. So as governments and societies try to grapple with this, it comes down to the municipal level as to how we can cope with it within our limited means,” Boshcoff said.
“It requires a united effort of federal, provincial, and municipal governments to try and pull these things together and deal with them."
He stated that he has not had any opposition from any upper levels of government in trying to address the opioid and homeless crisis, calling it an “era of cooperation.”
Looking forward, Boshcoff said there are plans to boost Thunder Bay’s profile on a national scale.
Without revealing too much, Boshcoff stated that the shipping and forest industry still drives Thunder Bay’s economy; however, he said that the public should “not underestimate the power of the transportation networks.”
“Thunder Bay is still a vital part of the Canadian infrastructure. We will always have a role in the nation, and so I would think that we can look at some stability in some of these things,” he added.
