THUNDER BAY – Jim Stadey says a lifetime of community involvement was enough to convince him to try to take things to a different level.
The 34-year-old entrepreneur, known best as the president and CEO of Eat Local Pizza, said he’s spent his life looking at things on a one-on-one advocacy basis.
He’s hoping to expand that outlook this fall, one of 26 candidates who have put their names forth in an attempt to win one of five available at-large seats up for grabs in the Oct. 22 municipal election.
“I’ve always been dealing with issues for people when they come up, and I think it’s time for me to look at how to create policy to fix these things on the larger scale,” said Stadey, who also operates the low-tech company, King Media and has been a long-time business mentor in the community.
Stadey says he’s always been an advocate for small business and food security in Thunder Bay, areas he’d like to continue fighting for around the city council table.
Council could certainly make improvements on both fronts, he said.
“When we look at the needs for business in Thunder Bay and we look at entrepreneurs, we look at people expanding and we look at people externally coming in, one of the things that we have it it’s hard for people to engage with the system that we have,” Stadey said.
“It seems the barriers that exist are for people that are new or getting started, or coming to the city, and the longer that you’re here, the better you can engage.”
Stadey said the city should create a facilitator position, whether through the Community Economic Development Corporation or other entity, that handles it all, to allow for quick decisions to be made in an ever-changing business environment.
Like most candidates, crime and taxes are the two issues Stadey is hearing most while knocking on doors around the city.
While there are no easy answers fighting crime, they are out there, he said.
“I think one of the best ways we can engage community safety and look at the organizations that are already existing at the grassroots level, community champions that are already doing the work. If we can help them to facilitate what they’re already doing, without spending a lot of money, it will have a large impact across the city.”
