THUNDER BAY – Leaders Ledger – Andrew Foulds -Current River Councillor.
Dear Current River Ward Residents,
It continues to be a pleasure serving you as the Current River representative at City Hall.
A lot has happened over the last six months and I would like to bring you up to date on some of the issues.
First, on May 28 th, this City was hit with an unprecedented natural disaster. The flooding and sewage back-up impacted thousands of citizens. For many the disaster is not over. There are many people still struggling to put their lives back together following the severe flooding of Thunder Bay and surrounding area. Your donations are greatly appreciated. A charitable tax receipt will be issued for donations upon request. All funds raised for the Thunder Bay & Area Disaster Relief Fund will be matched by the Province through the Ontario Disaster Relief Assistance Program. All existing funds raised and any new donations to the Salvation Army, the Canadian Red Cross, and the United Way for the flood relief efforts will be transfered directly into the Thunder Bay & Area Disaster Relief Fund. Please go to http://www.thunderbay.ca/City_Government/Flood/Thunder_Bay___Area_Disaster_Relief_Fund to see how you can donate.
Second, recently Council received the phase 2 feasibility study regarding the Event Centre. The report recommended the downtown location. The experts used a broad-based Site Evaluation Matrix, they recommended the Downtown/Waterfront site because it offers the greatest short- and long-term benefits. A flexible, multipurpose facility is recommended that will include both spectator and conference components including 5,700 seats and a 50,000 square foot conference centre with major meeting rooms and a banquet hall for up to 1,000. Based on the Phase 2 Feasibility Study, the proposed Event Centre will have significant one-time and ongoing direct economic benefits to the City. Phase 3 will look at funding options and more detailed design. This project is still years away and a final decision has not been made. This community is dealing with some very serious issues, those that are immediate as mentioned above and some that require some planning. Thunder Bay is thoughtfully and strategically moving forward. We must be thinking now about the future. We will need to replace the Fort William gardens. Thoughtful and strategic planning will ultimately mean a better decision that is cost effective and in the best economic, social and environmental interest of the citizens of this community. Now is the time to act but I also believe we need to continue to effectively plan now for the future
Third, the Official Plan review is coming to an end. Many citizens in our ward continue to be concerned over the future of the LPH grounds. A group has formed called LPH greenspace that are working with the community to make the case to maintain the LPH grounds as greenspace. Please contact them at lph.trail@gmail.com if you wish to get involved.
Fourth, I would like to highlight some fantastic new projects in our Ward. The North Shore Steelhead Association continues work on the development of Fisherman Park. It is amazing to see the transformation of this ‘dumping area’ into a beautiful park with trails, benches, picnic areas and of course fantastic fishing. This park makes up a critical recreation node for the 52 km vision for Thunder Bay’s waterfront. It is inspiring to see the vision and hard work of the Steelhead Association, the community volunteers/ donors and the City of Thunder Bay come to fruition. Thank you to all those citizens involved in the creation of this wonderful gem of a park. The new ‘Living Active Transportation Corridor’ on Arundel Street has been completed and the feedback has been very positive. There are many people now using the bike paths and the trails as a connector route to the Shuniah Street area.
Lastly I would like to highlight two up coming events:
- I will be hosting a Ward Meeting on November 8 th at the Dawson Court Long Term Care home, start time 7 pm and all are welcome!
- Kids Halloween Party at the North End Recreation Centre on Friday October 26 from 6:30 to 9 pm there will be Prizes, Activities, food and a DANCE, the Cost: $ 3.00; In support of Northern Light Dog Rescue Program
If you have any comments or concerns please do hesitate to contact me at 766 9914 or email at afoulds@thunderbay.ca.
Yours Truly,
Andrew Foulds, Councilor, Current River Ward
