I am proud to deliver the annual State of the City Address. Our shared and amazing city resides in the Robinson Superior Treaty and has been built on the traditional lands of the Ojibwa people of Fort William First Nation. I would also like to recognize the contributions made to our community by the Métis people of Ontario.
On January 1, 2020, the City of Thunder Bay will be 50 years old – we are quickly approaching the Golden Jubilee, a milestone we can all be proud of. The last decade in particular has seen tremendous change including the transformation of our waterfront, major building projects throughout the city, transformation of key industries, work to improve our image routes, and growth.
Growth as a regional hub, growth in business, and growth in diversity and services for all. 2015 has seen the best assessment growth the City has seen in 25 years.
We are constantly communicating with citizens through tools like the Citizen Satisfaction Survey, and citizens tell us they generally like what they have in terms of City programs and services. They want us to focus on making what they have even better. I want you to know that we’ve heard you, and that is what we are committed to.
We have a new four-year Strategic Plan titled Becoming Our Best with a detailed implementation plan that is well underway. We ARE working to become our best.
Better roads and more enhanced infrastructure investments.
Cleaner, more beautiful streets and public spaces. More focus on addressing social issues and challenges such as the critical need for housing, eradicating homelessness, and tackling addictions issues, building more respect in our community, and continued effort to diversify the economy.
