THUNDER BAY — The Thunder Bay Police Services Board has appointed a new chair and vice-chair to lead the board for the remainder of 2020 and into the new year.
Board member and city councillor Kristen Oliver will serve as the new chair and the board’s newest member, Michael Power, was acclaimed for the role of vice-chair. The annual appointment of chair and vice-chair was one of the first tasks addressed during Tuesday’s virtual police services board meeting.
Georjann Morriseau served as the former chair after she was elected in December 2019. As part of the Police Services Act, the board selects a new chair and vice-chair every year. Morriseau chose not to have her name stand again, according to the board's secretary John S. Hannam.
Previous to Morriseau, former board member Celina Reitberger served as chair. Oliver spoke briefly after being nominated for the position.
“I am juggling quite a bit right now but I recognize that this position needs to be filled obviously so yes I will take this on,” Oliver said Tuesday, Dec. 15.
The new chair also thanked the former chair for her time in the position.
“It’s been challenging times but you have led us through an impeccable way so thank you for your time,” she said.
The board’s newly appointed member, Michael Power, will fill the role of vice-chair. Power’s appointment to the board filled the vacancy left by former member Reitberger whose term expired on Nov. 27. He was appointed to the position by Solicitor General Sylvia Jones.
Dr. Kyle Lansdell served as the former vice-chair after he was appointed at the Feb. 18 board meeting and remained in the position until October when he submitted his resignation.
After Power was affirmed into the board, members discussed a drafted motion regarding new members completing training for cultural sensitivity following a 2018 report by the Ontario Civilian Police Commission (OCPC) by Senator Murray Sinclair.
The OCPC report recommended new board members not have voting rights until they completed the required training. The motion presented during Tuesday’s meeting recommended new members have voting rights immediately but must be committed to undertaking the recommended training.
Oliver expressed her support for the recommended motion during a brief discussion period.
“In 2022 there will be three vacancies that are opening pending the outcome of the election of course but we have our municipal representative and our two members from city council so if we have three people who wouldn’t have voting rights initially until training was done I could see this being problematic,” she said. “This is an ideal situation to addressing those needs and getting this work done.”
Power said he was fully committed to completing the training.
“I will attend as soon as that can be arranged,” he said.
