THUNDER BAY -- City manager Norm Gale is hanging his tie up after 40-plus years in public service.
In place of the scheduled state of the city address from Mayor Ken Boshcoff, Gale made it known Monday that he will serve in his role until the end of June.
“I’m grateful to members of successive city councils for their support of me, and to my colleagues on the executive management team and all city staff for their dedicated service to the people of Thunder Bay,” Gale said.
“It has been a privilege to work alongside such talented and committed individuals. I am grateful for the support and collaboration that has defined our collective efforts to enhance the well-being of our community.”
Gale will be Thunder Bay's longest serving city manager when his tenure concludes.
He took on the full-time role on January 11, 2016, filling in on an interim basis when Tim Commisso stepped down in October 2015. Commisso went on to hold a similar role at the City of Burlington from 2019 to 2023.
Before landing the city's top non-elected job, Gale was chief of Superior North EMS with the city and District of Thunder Bay, a position he held for seven years after being a front-line paramedic for more than a decade.
“The fact that Norm has been the longest serving city manager in Thunder Bay’s history is a testament to his steady leadership and ability to build a strong, effective team,” said Mayor Ken Boshcoff, in a release issued on Monday night.
“We look forward to working with him over the next six months and appreciate his commitment to facilitating an effective transition.”
Gale said there are still plenty of things he'd like to see completed before he steps down.
"There remain major milestones on a variety of projects that will be my main focus over the next six months, including delivering the 2024 budget, finalizing the 2023-2027 strategic plan, and positioning our city to meet our housing targets. I will continue to work hard and to lead the Corporation until my very last day, and I look forward to helping with the transition to the next city manager.”
Under the strong mayor powers afforded him by the province, Boshcoff could hire the next city manager without the input of council, though it's not known if he plans to go that route. Boshcoff has previously indicated he plans to delegate most of the powers.
