Without Barry Streib, the Thunder Bay Blues Festival might never have been born.
The same goes for the Thunder Bay Marathon, which has become a staple on the regional running calendar, an event that draws hundreds of people to the city each September.
Streib, taking his first run at municipal politics in the at-large contest, was a founding father of both events, a small part of a long, dedicated history to the City of Thunder Bay and its people.
He said he sees the proposed $109-million event centre as the single-most important issue facing the next city council, from a financial perspective.
While he likes the concept, he’s adamant that if built the city must ensure the facility does not present an additional tax burden to residents, especially those who can’t afford it.
“We’ve really got to take a close look at how we’re managing things. I think one of the ways is fiscal responsibility. And what I mean by that is doing a due diligence look at our core services in our Thunder Bay operation,” Streib said.
“We have to take a look at those operating costs and see where we can make some savings.
"I know that work is ongoing and being done now, but we have to continue to do that so we can say to our community, our taxpayers, our citizens that we’re looking at all options to ensure that we are going to be able to keep your taxes at a reasonable rate that’s affordable.”
Streib who spent many years as director of corporate relations at Tbaytel, knows government inside and out, something he learned as president of the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce.
He’s also a past chairman of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and has served on the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Foundation and Community Auditorium boards of directors.
“There’s a lot of experience that I can bring to the table from that point of view,” he said. “I think I can serve the community in many ways with that experience and knowledge.”
Find Barry Streib on Twitter @BarryStrieb
