Latest from the Campaign

When a business owner worries about an employee closing up safely, “support small business” has to mean more than grants and less paperwork.

When a business owner worries about an employee closing up safely, “support small business” has to mean more than grants and less paperwork. This concern reaches well beyond a handful of shops. According to the Thunder Bay CEDC’s Economic Profile, 87% of business locations in the Thunder Bay area had fewer than 10 employees in December 2021. These businesses are part of our neighbourhoods, our downtowns, and our daily lives. I know how hard it is to find time to speak up while running a small business. I joined the Chamber of Commerce Board to bring that perspective to the table. I can do it because I have an incredibly capable and supportive team. Local business owners want what other residents want: safe streets, reliable services, thoughtful construction planning, and a city where people feel welcome. They also want people experiencing homelessness, addiction, and mental-health crises to receive effective, humane help. Owners, employees, and customers feel the effects when those systems aren’t working. They can tell us where problems recur and whether a proposed fix actually helps. They deserve to be heard as partners, not left to manage these problems alone. I won’t pretend there’s one quick solution. I will listen to the people dealing with these issues every day, press the City and its partners for action that goes beyond more meetings, and ask how we’ll know whether things are getting better. People should be able to see and feel progress. That work may be slow and frustrating. I’m up for it. Better Decisions. Stronger City.