City officials say more supports in place, coming for First Nations youth in Thunder Bay

Officials with the City of Thunder Bay say progress is being made to implement recommendations aimed at the city that came out of the inquest into the deaths of seven First Nations students in the northwestern Ontario city.

• CBC: First Nations Student Deaths Inquest

• First Nations student deaths inquest: 5 recommendations we've heard before

"We've got to get this right," City Manager Norm Gale told CBC Thunder Bay's Superior Morning on Thursday, noting that there's an added sense of urgency with the deaths of two other Indigenous teens in the city in May. "Which is why we're being thoughtful, we're being respectful and we're working hard."

"Every one of those 31 recommendations directed towards the City of Thunder Bay, we are taking action on."

• Thunder Bay city council votes to implement student deaths inquest recommendations

The inquest jury's recommendations directed toward the city cover a wide range with many of them focused on helping First Nations youth feel welcome in Thunder Bay, in part by introducing them to city services and recreational opportunities.

Others deal with implementing efforts to help ensure the safety of Indigenous young people and ways to combat and report racism, along with securing partnerships and funding to make that happen.

Gale said the city has already been working on the recommendations "for some time," and that city officials were closely following the inquest process.

On Monday, city council is scheduled to receive an update on what progress has been made so far for submission to Ontario's chief coroner. Council will also be asked to tentatively approve funding for the 2018 municipal budget necessary to continue to implement recommendations.

A number of new programs and services have either been implemented or soon will be, Karen Lewis, the director in charge of overseeing the city's response to the inquest recommendations told CBC News on Wednesday.

Some of those items include a new transit pass for First Nations high school students, additional channels to report instances of racism, more direct outreach to students and a number of safety initiatives, including those around the rivers that run through Thunder Bay.

Nishnawbe Aski Nation already runs an orientation session for Indigenous students who travel to Thunder Bay for school, Lewis said, but the city is working with NAN to see what the city can do to "step up" and help and how best to engage students before they arrive in Thunder Bay.

On Monday, council is also scheduled to hear a presentation outlining preliminary recommendations arising from a recent safety audit of Thunder Bay's rivers.

"As we were walking, we talked about 'this could happen here, this could happen there,' we need to prepare that report," Lewis said. "There are many recommendations, each need to be looked at, they need to be prioritized, they need to be costed."

"It's actually quite complicated and we are moving this forward very quickly."