THUNDER BAY – David George Noonan says if he’s elected to represent Red River Ward, he won’t treat the job like a part-time hobby.
There’s too much of that on city council these days, said Noonan, seeking the seat for the second straight municipal election.
Noonan, 38, said first and foremost he wants to see meaningful action taken to make the city’s streets and neighbourhoods safer.
It’s got to start there, he said.
“Some neighbourhoods are very safe, but at the same time other neighbourhoods we’ve had a lot of issues with gangs being there, with higher drug use, and our city council seems to be very silent on the issue.
“We need to change that. We need to address the issue and make sure that our police service has the tools necessary to do the job appropriately.”
Noonan, who arrived in Thunder Bay in 2005 from southern Ontario, has been a very active member of the community since moving to the city.
After the 2014 election he joined the Thunder Bay Police Service’s Zone Watch program, and has served on a number of committees as well as being a member of SHIFT.
A former union leader who ran for the NDP provincially in 2003 in Brant, he later worked in retail management. Noonan today works for Superior Fine Foods, where he has been a strong advocate for locally made goods and services.
As someone familiar with the local business community, he’d like to see the city do more to show potential entrepreneurs and companies that Thunder Bay truly is open for business.
“We have to find ways to encourage companies to come here or stay here. That’s a major issue. We’ve got to make sure that the city has options for businesses to be able to hire more people, because our city isn’t growing as it is,” Noonan said.
“We need to make sure that young professionals are staying in the city. We need to make sure we find ways for people to move here and find more local business and more small business.”
If elected, Noonan promised to return all phone calls and electronic communications, adding he plans to be a visible presence in the riding.
