Ken Boshcoff is ready to tackle the city’s social issues.
“We’ve got to step up to the plate. Other communities have done it so I think that if we come together as a community, we also can do it, but the bottom line is we don’t’ have any choice,” said the mayoral candidate and current at-large councillor.
“This can’t just keep on as it is.”
A familiar face in Thunder Bay, Boshcoff was mayor of the city from 1997 to 2003 and a Liberal MP for Thunder Bay-Rainy River from 2004 to 2008. He’s sat on numerous local boards throughout the years and says he’s accumulated the experience needed to now do what has to be done as mayor.
First and foremost is addressing homelessness in the community, which the private business consultant says is step one in addressing addiction, poverty, racism, crime and other issues.
“We have had many organizations – groups like the crime prevention council, the drug strategy, the anti-poverty group – all of these people working very hard,” said Boshcoff.
“I propose basically to take the energy and intelligence from those groups and, as a leader, formulate a community approach to it and do action steps as opposed to meeting steps,” he added.
On the proposed $114 million event centre, Boshcoff said he sees the project as inevitable, but he’s still waiting on the final numbers.
“The question is long-term affordability,” he said. “I believe we would have enough money to construct it; I don’t think that’s an issue with many people, although, huge numbers have issues with the location.”
The mayoral hopeful said once those numbers are in place, then the city can make an intelligent decision.
“There are still many unanswered questions,” said Boshcoff, wondering what effect the facility would have on existing facilities like the Thunder Bay Community Auditorium and local banquet halls.
“My hope for the facility is that it truly brings in new business from outside of the city that doesn’t have a detrimental effect on our existing operations or our existing hotel operations,” he said.
Boshcoff said he’s sat on hundreds of local boards for community organizations over the years, including major municipal boards.
He’s been a councillor, mayor and MP and a lengthy career in the business sector, first owning his own insurance business and also working in marketing for the city’s port.
“My life, heart and soul have been in Thunder Bay and I’m ready now,” he said.
Find Ken Boshcoff on Facebook and on Twitter @kenboshcoff.
NOTE TO READER: This story corrects and earlier version that featured an incorrect event centre cost.
