“Maamawe, Growing Together”: A Roadmap for the City’s Future
Thunder Bay – On Monday, July 17, City Council will be presented with a new strategic plan titled “Maamawe, Growing Together” for adoption. Designed to guide the City’s decision-making process, the strategic plan pinpoints top priorities and provides a roadmap to achieve them.
Transformational Planning for Quality of Life
City Manager Norm Gale stated that the objective was to develop a transformational strategic plan. “This plan builds on the successes of the past and zeroes in on what is crucial to enhance the quality of life for everyone in Thunder Bay,” Gale explained.
The plan’s focus on quality of life aims to drive impactful improvements leading to better outcomes, more informed decisions, a long-term outlook, continuous improvement, and stronger democracy. Communities with a superior quality of life often witness greater employment and population growth compared to similar communities.
Community Input Shaping City’s Direction
The “Maamawe, Growing Together” Strategic Plan is City Council’s blueprint for steering the direction of the City. The plan has been developed with input from the Council and is shaped by community consultations, review, and reflection. Tracie Smith, Director of Strategic Initiatives & Engagement, said that the community played a critical role in the creation of the plan. “They told us what is most important to them and what they need from a strategic plan,” Smith said.
Strategic Pillars for Success
The strategic plan is centered around three strategic pillars:
- Maamawe – All together. We honour the truth and reconcile for the future.
- Safety and well-being. Our community is healthy, safe, and strong.
- Prosperity and sustainability. We advance a thriving economy and environment.
Gale pointed out that each strategic pillar is interconnected. “Progress in one area supports success in another,” Gale noted.
The City Council is also set to consider a recommendation to extend the Strategic Plan’s timeline to December 31, 2027, instead of terminating it with the term of the current City Council. Gale stated that the extended timeline will ensure a seamless transition of strategic priorities while the 2026 Council settles in.
The strategic plan entails goals and objectives within each strategic pillar to guide the City’s internal departments and divisions. Once the plan is adopted by the Council, the action planning phase will kick off. This action plan will outline milestones, overall time frames, project leads, and indicators of success.
