THUNDER BAY – Four years ago, Shelby Ch’ng was a first-time candidate looking to oust a powerful councillor who had served at city hall for 11 years.
She captured 38 per cent of the vote in the four-person race and handily captured the ward, sending Mark Bentz to the sidelines.
Ch’ng, now 36, quickly proved her worth on council, becoming an advocate for all things Northwood, while at the same time showing a keen grasp of the issues affecting the city at large.
On Oct. 22 she’ll be seeking a second term, saying she’s got plenty of unfinished business left to accomplish after spending the early days of her inaugural city council stint learning the ropes, the ins and outs of how Thunder Bay operates.
“Over the last four years we’ve come to realize that we’re headed toward a major labour shortage,” said Ch’ng, the youngest council member.
“We’re not unlike other Canadian municipalities in that we’re aging. So as people age out and leave the workforce, we’re going to have to fill (jobs) ... Not only do we need to attract and retain young people to live in Thunder Bay and work in Thunder Bay, we have to compete against other Canadian municipalities.”
It’s time to start selling the city for what it can offer professionals and entrepreneurs, focusing on things like the pace of life and the low cost of housing.
Inside her ward, Ch’ng said residents are still reeling from the flood of 2012 and are insistent that the city make better efforts to minimize water issues they face each year.
The incumbent candidate said she’s helped champion a lot of that work already.
“We’ve done a number of upgrades in Northwood, over $11 million in contracts that have happened just in Northwood alone to upgrade twinning the James Street pipes, all the out-valves to the storm sewers. So I think people are breathing a little bit easier with that,” Ch’ng said.
“Right now it’s maintaining that infrastructure so things like that don’t happen again.”
Other priorities include convincing council to find the money to make upgrades to the Centennial Botanical Conservatory, and continuing work on improvements being made to soccer fields at Chapples Park, including pushing for a year-round, indoor soccer facility.
