Latest news with #KenBoshcoff
CBC
22-07-2025
- Politics
- CBC
Thunder Bay City Council changes mind on shelter village site again
Thunder Bay's proposed temporary shelter village won't be built on Miles Street East. Council approved the site — which was recommended by city administration — at its July 14 meeting. However, on Monday night, councillors voted against ratifying that decision, instead voting in support of a location next to 8th Avenue, known as the Hillyard site. "City council voted for the status quo, so at least in the south core, we're just looking at more of the same," said Coun. Brian Hamilton, who represents the McKellar Ward. The Miles Street East site is part of that ward. "Tough moment for those of us that have been listening to the experts, consulting with the organizations, and really trying to advocate for a well-balanced solution that balances the needs of ... business as well as helping people move their lives forward," Hamilton said. "Tough, emotional night here." Hamilton voted to ratify the Miles Street East site on Monday. Councillors Greg Johnsen, Kristen Oliver, Kasey Etreni, Shelby Ch'ng, and Andrew Foulds also voted in favour of ratification. Councillors Rajni Agarwal, Mark Bentz, Albert Aiello, Dominic Pasqualino, Michael Zussino, Trevor Giertuga, and Mayor Ken Boshcoff voted against. City Manager John Collin said city administration chose Miles Street East because it was the site that offered the best chance for the project to succeed. Administration has noted in the past that the site is close to services that the occupants regularly access. The village would include about 80 sleeping cabins for use by the city's unhoused population, with the goal of helping them transition to permanent housing. In addition, the Miles Street East site is ready for construction, and easy to access by emergency services. Regarding the Hillyard site, Bentz said it has some positives. "It doesn't put revitalization at risk," he said during the meeting. "It offers three times the land area compared to Miles." "It's rather isolated from residential uses." There are some challenges, however, Bentz said, including the site being located near to an active transportation corridor and an off-leash dog park. In addition, Bentz said, there is limited information available in terms of environmental concerns with the site, and it's further away from services. Hamilton had concerns about choosing a new site "on the fly." "I'm certainly not interested in spending money on a site that is not tested," he said. "It has not passed the consultation publicly, and passed the smell test of our senior leadership, and the organizations that are about to serve the people." "This is just throwing spaghetti on the wall. I'm not interested in in throwing good money after bad." Hamilton voted against the Hillyard site, as did Foulds, Johnsen, and Giertuga.
CBC
30-05-2025
- Business
- CBC
Victoriaville mall demolition to start in July
A south-side Thunder Bay landmark is coming down this summer. Demolition of Victoriaville mall — which opened in 1980 — will begin in July, the city said at a media event on Thursday. The work is part of the Reimagine Victoriaville project, which will see Victoria Avenue reopened to vehicular traffic between Brodie and Archibald streets. "You'll start to see the contractor mobilizing to the area next week," Aaron Ward, manager of the city's engineering section, said at a groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of the project on Thursday. "The first thing they're going to be doing is putting up their construction fencing and their staging areas off of Archibald Street, as well as off of Justice Avenue." Following that, temporary access to area businesses will be set up, Ward said, with the demolition beginning in mid-July. "They're expecting the entire mall structure will be down in two months, or two months and a week," Ward said. "Come end of summer, the entire area will be open to the air again." Ward said traffic will once again be able to drive along that section of Victoria Avenue by October 2026, and the overall project, including streetscaping and landscaping, should be done by June 2027. "It's invigorating," Thunder Bay Mayor Ken Boshcoff said. "I think this, also, is part of the community spirit." "People can feel the the uplift of all these types of projects that are going on as they all come together," he said. "You can see the community strengthening in the new prosperity." McKellar Ward Coun. Brian Hamilton — Victoriaville is located in the McKellar Ward — said revitalization of the city's downtown areas is a priority for city council. "This is a big component of the south side revitalization," he said. "This is like six years in the making." ""As long as I've been on council, this has been a big and important project for me, but not just for me, for actually the residents and the adjacent neighbourhoods."
