THUNDER BAY – Brian McKinnon says he’s got too much unfinished business to walk away from city council and the Red River Ward.
The retired school principal has served the north-side ward on council since 2003 and said there are a number of infrastructure projects he’s championed still on the books, most notably the Junot Road extension.
“I want to push for that,” McKinnon said. “We lost it this year because of the work that had to be done on the Main Street bridge.”
McKinnon, a one-time candidate provincially for the Ontario Conservatives, said there are also a pair of parkettes in the ward he wants to see fixed up, and a number of sidewalk issues that could use a boost at the council table.
The parkettes, in particular, are important to residents in the ward.
“It’s critical to quality of life,” McKinnon said. “When you’ve got little kids, you don’t want to have to walk two miles to go to a park where there’s a swing or there’s a slide. So it’s important for the neighbourhood to have their own park.”
On a larger scale, McKinnon, who sits on the Police Services Board, would like to see more emphasis put on safety and security, not just in the ward itself, but certainly in the city.
“I have some ideas that I’m going to approach the chief with, maybe even reinstating the neighbourhood policing. I thought that was effective.”
As a member of the Police Services Board, McKinnon says he’s got the ear of both the chief and the executive, giving him powerful access to help push for better community safety.
“When I approach them, I think they listen to me because I’m a pretty straight shooter. I work hard for them on their behalf and also with the province to ensure that our police force and services has its fair share,” he said.
McKinnon is also keen on seeing Phase 2 of the waterfront development plan instituted, a project he’s been heavily involved with as a member of the waterfront development committee.
“I (also) really want to emphasize beautification in the city, starting with the image routes. There are three that we’re going to be emphasizing,” McKinnon said.
The municipal election is on Oct. 22.
