Shelby Ch'ng was tired of watching her friends leave Thunder Bay. She was also tired of waiting for a candidate on city council she could support.
That's the reason the small-business owner decided to run for council in Northwood. Ch'ng represents a lot of demographics as a city hall candidate, from youth to women and business owners.
Very few current councillors are actively engaged in social media, where the political discussion for the next generation in the city is happening.
"I really didn't feel like anybody understood what the next generation was willing and able to do in Thunder Bay," Ch'ng said. "It's a lot of older mindsets."
Ch'ng wants to see ward meetings held at places like Confederation College with Wifi and social media accounts that actively engage people who can't physically attend the meetings.
Voters are often accused of being apathetic but Ch'ng sees the opposite.
"I think its the politicians that are apathetic," she said. "They're public servants but nobody's really serving."
Her summer spent knocking on more than 4,500 doors. Ch'ng said she's heard the frustrations from people in her ward who can't even get information on things like infrastructure projects.
When a person has suggestions, like a man last week who tried to get the city to move a yield sign near James Street and Golf Links Road, it tends to fall on deaf ears she said.
"It's really frustrating a lot of citizens," she said.
On crime prevention Ch'ng said the council needs more people with business experience on council in order to manage the police budget's bottom line. Better management is needed to get more officers on the street.
"People don't want to spend more money on police services but they still want to feel safe," she said.
As for the event centre, Ch'ng is against it if the current council is in charge.
"I don't trust many of them to manage 10 dollars of mine," she said.
Shelby Ch'ng on Twitter: @Shelby4tbay; on Facebook: Shelby Ch'ng for Northwood; On Youtube: Shelby Ch'ng
