THUNDER BAY – Moving Forward was the theme for an event hosted at The Hub on Victoria Avenue East today. In the spirit of the Friendship Agreement to build on the positives, the four signatories North Caribou Lake First Nation, Fort William First Nation, City of Thunder Bay and Thunder Bay Police Services Board along with Thunder Bay Police Service presented a “Together We Are Stronger” feast in the Downtown Fort William Neighbourhood.
The feature of the afternoon event was stew and bannock served with some very positive fellowship. The success of the event can be seen simply by how many people came out. There were 240 servings of stew, and the bannock ran out. The goodwill and smiles, however, did not run out. It offered an opportunity for the neighbourhood, one often with lots of problems to come together to make a real difference in a spirit of togetherness.
The event had Thunder Bay Police Service officers serving up the stew to a very appreciative crowd. The stew was made at Excuria, one of the amazing businesses in the downtown Fort William neighbourhood.
It took some really positive efforts from all of the event organizers to make this event a success. The Fort William BIA, The Hub, along with the signatories to the Friendship Agreement all played their part.
The efforts are part of an overall impetus to make the downtown Fort William a better place for all residents. Le-Anne Chevette from the Crime Prevention Council says, “We are just trying to get more people to come down and celebrate this part of Thunder Bay”.
“We are doing lots of work to engage with people in the neighbourhood and to make it safe for everyone.”
Councillor Frank Pullia states, “It is great to see the whole neighbourhood getting together. Getting together and getting to know each other is important.”
“Things are getting better, and seeing the great turnout today shows this is working”.
The event also saw Councillors Johnson, Virdiramo, and Ruberto attend.