Several items are on the agenda for Thunder Bay city council Monday evening, including a recommendation from the Downtown Fort William Revitalization Committee that would advance the strategic plan for the area.
Chair Stephen Margarit says he’s optimistic council will be in favour of the plan, considering recent decisions to move forward with major projects in other areas of the city.
“I think there will be some different strategies around that but I think it will be great, I think most people will be happy that Victoria Avenue is going to be reopening and redone.”
The strategic plan is a long term outlook that Margarit believes will bolster the downtown south core, making it attractive but different from Downtown Port Arthur, which is about to undergo a massive $13 million dollar overhaul.
If council approves the recommendation it will then go to city staff with an expectation to return to council in September.
Margarit says this will allow for more much needed discussion, and will help the city see its future through a different lens.
“The success of Thunder Bay going forward, is we need to be a city of different neighbourhoods that all have their unique flair to each neighbourhood that are all successful.”
Another project in development that will have more of a reveal to council Monday will be the new Science North facility planned as part of the Pool Six project.
Science North CEO, Ashley Larose, is expected to present an update on the schematic design phase of the 34,000 square foot facility, which once completed could have a $6 million a year impact upon Thunder Bay’s economy.
And council will also be looking at updating the burning policy for the city, which would create a separate policy that covers Indigenous ceremony.
A draft corporate policy would not only allow residents to hold sacred fires on their property, but would also designate specific sites within the city on public lands.
Currently there is only one location, Marina Park’s Honouring Circle, listed as a public site, however the policy would allow for more to be added at a later date.
The policy would also provide a pathway for staff and, by extension, the community, to understand what a sacred fire is, when and where they might occur, and why they will be permitted outside of the Recreational Burning Permit system.
Tonight’s meeting gets underway at 6:30 and can be viewed in person at City Hall or online here.
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