As the city struggles to put this year's budget to bed, Thunder Bay advocates talk transit - Action News
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Thunder BayTBAY BUDGET

As the city struggles to put this year's budget to bed, Thunder Bay advocates talk transit

As Thunder Bay, Ont. grapples with an unprecedentedly high tax levy on the table, pre-budget public deputations to council shared a common theme: transit. From waterfront trails to active transportation and reduced rates for city transit passes, plights to make the city more accessible were heard repeated. But if the tax levy is to be reduced, cuts will have to come from somewhere.

Getting around town was the theme of the city's deputation meeting Thursday night

Warren Philp of Thunder Bay, Ont.'s Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team, speaks into the microphone at city hall. He made a deputation during the city's public pre-budget deputation meeting on Thursday night.
Warren Philp of Thunder Bay, Ont.'s Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team gives a deputation during the city's public pre-budget deputation meeting on Thursday night. (Sarah Law/CBC)

The resounding theme of thepublic pre-budget deputation meeting on Thursday night in Thunder Bay, Ont. was transit in a few different forms.

The meeting allowed residents and representatives of community groups to speak to council, following the release of the 2023 proposed budget, about what they would like to see approved in this year's chequebook.

More than an hour was spent on the Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team's deputation about desires for a 13.5 kilometre waterfront trail fromFisherman's Park via Mission Marsh to Jackknife Bridge. Later on, deputationsadvocating for protected active transportation lanes were heard, along withthe Affordable Access Pilot Program for Transit, which would see reductions in city transit fees for low-income individuals.

The calls to make the city more accessible come at a time when council is toying with how to reduce a proposed tax levy of 5.6 per cent, an unprecedentedly high rate in Thunder Bay. The speakers made their case for why investments in their passion projects should be spared from the chopping block.

But amid sky-highinflation, staffing shortages and supply chain disruptions, businesses want to see a lower tax levy than what's been tabled, according to Charla Robinson, president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce.

Charla Robinson is the president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. She gives a deputation to Thunder Bay city council during the public pre-budget deputation meeting on Thursday night.
Charla Robinson, president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, gives a deputation to Thunder Bay city council during the public pre-budget deputation meeting Thursday night. (Sarah Law/CBC)

She said most chamber members believe they can only handle a maximum tax levy of threeper cent before growth.

That's a number Mayor Ken Boshcoff said he'd be more comfortable with, too.

"The chamber has vocalized what they, I think, realize is probably where it's going to almost end up," Boshcoffsaid."Now you're pushing people to the breaking point, and anything more than threeper cent will really do our city a lot of harm."

On the other hand, a lower tax levy means cuts elsewhere. Boshcoff said there's ways it can be done like not replacing all of the city's retiring staff, for example but there isn't a simple solution.

City manager Norm Gale said a threeper cent tax levy would require at least $5.5 million in budget cuts which, while not impossible, would be challenging.

The City of Thunder Bay's mayor, Ken Boshcoff, listens to a deputation during the citys public pre-budget deputation meeting on Thursday night.
Thunder Bay's mayor Ken Boshcoff says he is against the proposed 5.6 per cent tax levy on the table for 2023. (Sarah Law/CBC)
Now you're pushing people to the breaking point, and anything more than 3 per cent will really do our city a lot of harm.- Mayor Ken Boshcoff

Cutting the budget means increasing risk, which can be done by raising revenue projections, lowering contributions to the reserve fund, and reducing or changing service levels.

But at the end of the day, the city is required to have a balanced budget, and every cent counts.

Expanding the waterfront trail

The Waterfront Trail Action Team asked council to earmark funds from the $16.5 million Renew Thunder Bay Reserve fund for its project, which would only be spent if the city receives matching funds from the provincial and federal governments meaning, a third coming from each party before the Renew Thunder Bay Reserve fund is used.The action team is also seeking fundraising dollars to support the trail expansion, andthe Port Arthur Rotary Club is forming a registered charity to facilitate this.

"It's been talked about for 15 to 20 years in the city and without a trail association present, things have been moving rather slowly," said Warren Philp, a member of the Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team.

The action team also wants council to make the waterfront trail's completion a top priority in the 2023-2026 strategic plan, and add the project to the city's 10-year approved capital budget and forecast.

Though he acknowledged it's a "tough budget" this year, Philp said investing in the city's waterfront is worthwhile from an economic standpoint.

"We think the trail is an easy way to provide more foundational pieces for growth in our city that adds to the tax base, and it works out ultimately to be a big win for our city in the long run," he said.

Active transportation lanes

KenShields, Sarah Brown and Kelsey Agnew spoke on behalf of Just Bike Thunder Bay and The Memorial Link project, a proposed five-kilometre, physically protected active transportation lane along Memorial Avenue.

They're asking council to proceed with plans for the Vickers Carrick Bridge this year something they say has been deferred for a few budgets now and to start putting protected bike lanes on May Street and Memorial Avenue, similar to those on Balmoral Avenue.

Ken Shields and Sarah Brown speak during the City of Thunder Bay's public pre-budget deputation meeting on Thursday night. They're advocating for the city to invest more money into protected active transportation lanes as council deliberates the 2023 budget.
Ken Shields and Sarah Brown are advocating for the City of Thunder Bay to invest more money into protected active transportation lanes as council deliberates the 2023 budget. (Sarah Law/CBC)

They made the case that investing in active transportation means investing in people's health, well-being and safety. Brown said she's been cycling to work every day, but she's putting her life at risk in doing so.

"People don't ride because we don't have a safe place to ride," she said.

Making city transit more affordable

Members of Poverty Free Thunder Bay are looking to protect the new Affordable Access Pilot Program for Transit. The program, which would halve the cost of a monthly bus pass for eligible low-income individuals, was approved last summer to start this coming July, pending ratification in the 2023 budget.

Tracey MacKinnonof Poverty Free Thunder Bayshared her lived experience with poverty as a person on the Ontario Disability Support Program. She said she pays more than 80 per cent of what she receives from the program on rent alone.

Paul Berger and Tracey MacKinnon of Poverty Free Thunder Bay speak during the City of Thunder Bay's public pre-budget deputation meeting on Thursday night. They were appealing to council not to cut the Affordable Access Pilot Program for Transit, which is slated to launch this July.
Paul Berger and Tracey MacKinnon of Poverty Free Thunder Bay appeal to council not to cut the Affordable Access Pilot Program for Transit, which is slated to launch this July. (Sarah Law/CBC)

More than 250 people have said they would benefit from the transit program, which would save them $41/month. That money could be spent on groceries, rent and bills, instead, and could makegetting to places like school, work, the grocery store or doctor's office a little easier.

What Paul Berger of Poverty Free Thunder Bay would really like to see is free transit for people who need it the most he's part of the Fair Free Transit working group he said the pilot program is a start.

"[Tracey] has lived experience of trying to stretch things and going without things in a way that I think all of us, I hope city councillors, are thinking about," Berger said. "Let's not make cuts in the areas where it really, really matters to people."

Corrections

  • A previous version of this story stated that the Waterfront Trail Rotary Community Action Team was advocating for a 20-plus kilometre trail network. In fact, they are advocating for a 13.5 kilometre waterfront trail.
    Jan 15, 2023 9:15 AM ET