THUNDER BAY – Tonight, Thunder Bay City Council will look at the Royal Edward Arms, look at putting a deal together with the Thunder Bay Border Cats to retire existing debt, and the Eye on the Streets will come under Council’s eye tonight as a report will be presented.
The City got good news today from the Province with regard to the Whalen Building in the downtown North Core. The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC), is putting in a million dollars toward the building upgrades. The City of Thunder Bay is upgrading more than 23,000-square feet of the Whalen Building to welcome new tenants into the facility. The project includes improvements to three floors as well as upgrades to accessibility features, washrooms, the main lobby and the building’s heating system.
Minister Michael Gravelle states, “Our government understands that improving commercial space and attracting new businesses is vital to the long term economic prosperity of Northern Ontario communities. I am very pleased that the NOHFC could help Thunder Bay transform the Whalen Building into a modern office complex equipped with the latest technology.”
For the Royal Edward Arms, the District Social Services Administration Board (DSSAB) has decided not to renew the thirty year lease for the property. Council will determine what the city should be doing with the facility.
There are concerns that the housing shortage in the city, especially with regard to lower income housing will be greatly impacted if the sixty residence units in the Royal Edward Arms are forced to move. The earliest that the building could be closed would be in a year and a half.
The issue is likely to be a lively one at Council.
Thunder Bay Border Cats
With the Thunder Bay Border Cats, Administration will recommend that “the City enter into a License Agreement with Brad Jorgenson and 2208811 Ontario Inc. trading as Thunder Bay Border Cats for the Port Arthur Stadium, subject to the terms and conditions referred to in this Report and to Administration’s complete satisfaction”.
The Eye in the Streets
Council will hear that in 2012, 55 requests from Police for video evidence were processed which provided supporting evidence in 13 of the requests and one (1) where a complainant declined to press charges.
“In 2012, there were 58 incidents where EMS and/or Fire were also involved and provided medical intervention to individuals. Five (5) of these incidents are in addition to those included in the tables for this report.”
The report states, “The Thunder Bay Police Service fully supports the continuation of the Eye on the Street program and all it has to offer in the protection of persons and property in our City. We continue to work with our service provider, police and the community to ensure that the camera room is staffed when incidents are most likely to occur”.
Statistics from Eye on the Street
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