Happy Thunder Bay Residents Rule
THUNDER BAY – Positive energy generates more positive energy. In Thunder Bay the silent majority sits back, observes, and rarely roars. The vocal minority and those perhaps a little too removed from what is really happening in our city might be too easy to find fault with our city. When surveys come out, like the Ipsos Reid work for the City on the Citizen Satisfaction Survey, the voice of that silent majority is heard loud and clear.
Some in the vocal minority of course seem to figure that ‘the fix is in’ and that there is no way that anyone else could feel as positive about our city as the majority of the respondents expressed.
The gloom that some people express does not resonate in several important places. First in the annual Citizen Satisfaction Survey, and second it did not resonate in the last civic election that saw Ken Boshcoff elected to replace Frank Pullia on Council. Pullia was not defeated for Council, the former At-Large Councillor ran for Mayor. The only major shift on Council was the election of Mayor Keith Hobbs who defeated Mayor Lynn Peterson.
Moving forward in Thunder Bay means, for our elected leaders having the foresight and vision to realize that working forward must include the silent majority and the more vocal minority.
Moving forward is the goal
Often in Thunder Bay there has been, in the past, a tendency to hang on to the past for far too long. Riding a wave until it crashes into the beach is not a long term strategy for success. If you look back, the region did that with the fur trade, the first mining boom, and then with forestry.
City Council bolstered by the silent majority are engaged in moving forward. A majority of Council are stepping forward. The results are shown in the Ipsos Reid survey results.
Crime Figures Are Down
Thunder Bay Police are starting to engage online and are reporting reductions in crime. Much of the early heavy lifting have come from the work of the Crime Prevention Council. Moving the Police Service forward, in Thunder Bay has taken leadership. It is difficult for police services to adopt to the new reality of a world where the Internet moves faster than the police. Major Police Services in North America are adopting new ideas and new directions. The changes are evident.
Thunder Bay lagged for a while, but now with a much better website, the potential is there for Chief JP Lesveque to really ramp up the service should he choose. The task of the police in building solid bridges into each sector of Thunder Bay will got a long way to making our community safer.
Thunder Bay Moving Forward
Thunder Bay needs to adopt an policy of positive thinking. Our city can not afford to lag in pushing the envelope. The residents, the Council, and the Administration, along with the federal and provincial government need to all work toward achieving the goals of making our city the best in Canada. Together, we can address the problems we face, and we can build the opportunities.
Thunder Bay is in the middle of everything. Building a positive future for all of us is critical.
The latest survey tells all of us we are recognizing the issues facing us, and we are working to achieve excellence. Those who don’t see that progress will, if they let themselves see it, will eventually join the positive energy that is such a huge part of the Emerging Thunder Bay.
Its really exciting.
James Murray
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