THUNDER BAY – Jockeying has begun in the races for city council and school board elections that will be held Oct. 24, with some potential candidates attending an information session held at Thunder Bay’s city hall Wednesday evening.
The session comes ahead of the opening of the nomination period on May 2, after which candidates have until Aug. 19 to declare their candidacy for positions including mayor, five at-large councillors, seven ward councillors, and trustees for local school boards.
Neebing Coun. Cody Fraser was the only sitting councillor among just 10 people in attendance at city hall Wednesday, confirming he's considering running for a second term.
Others present included Jason Veltri, an LGBTQ advocate who said he’s mulling a run for a ward seat; Matt Pearson, a former Sleeping Giant Brewing Company owner and current manager of central support for the city, who’s thinking of running as trustee for the Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board; Gary Christian, a provincial government employee who's considering a council run; and Dominic Pasqualino, the long-time labour leader at Thunder Bay's Alstom plant.
The lower-than-normal attendance for the meeting doesn't necessarily signal reduced participation, said city clerk Krista Power. The meeting was also broadcast and livestreamed for the first time this year, and attendance is not a requirement.
“I’m hopeful we had lots of folks watching at home and viewing it at a later time,” she said. “We had a significant number of candidates in 2018 – we’re expecting the same or similar [in 2022].”
Power, who serves as returning officer for the election, described the role of city councillors during the session, while Karen Bradica, an advisor with Ontario’s Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing, gave an overview of rules around eligibility and campaign finance.
Power emphasized running for elected office is a “significant decision” not to be taken lightly, warning the public spotlight can be harsh.
“It will be very hard to please everyone,” she told candidates. “There will be opposing views on everything.”
In an interview, she said the sessions are meant to reassure potential candidates that in a process weighted with a complex set of rules, support and guidance is available, but not to downplay the challenges of seeking office.
“I think there’s a lot to learn and it can be very intimidating,” she said. “And in a city like Thunder Bay, everybody knows everybody, everybody has an opinion… Public office is a big step, and we encourage people to really consider whether or not it’s a step they want to take to serve our community.”
Candidates posed just a handful of questions following the presentation, asking if nicknames can be used in place of legal names (yes, at the discretion of the city clerk) and about eligibility to run in school board elections (candidates must be registered as "supporters" of the school board they're running for).
Campaign finance tends to be the area her office receives the most questions about from candidates, Power said.
The 2022 election will bring few major changes for candidates, though Power noted they are now asked to make an appointment to file nomination packages, by calling (807) 625-2230.
The city’s election website is now live, offering information to voters. More information for candidates is also available online, while the province also offers a guide for candidates in municipal and school board elections.
Voters are encouraged to confirm online that they are on the municipal voters list, which is separate from that for provincial and federal elections.
