By Mark Bentz – At-Large Candidate
Thunder Bay – Election Coverage – If elected as an at-large councillor, what specific measures would you support to make Thunder Bay measurably safer across all neighbourhoods? Please explain how you would vote and advocate on issues including violent crime and illegal firearms, drug trafficking, downtown and neighbourhood disorder, homelessness, addiction and mental-health response, police staffing and 911 response times, youth prevention programs and community-based safety initiatives.
What should the City fund directly, what should be the responsibility of Thunder Bay Police, and what support would you seek from the provincial and federal governments? Finally, what measurable results should residents use after four years to judge whether your approach has worked?
Drug use and homelessness and the resulting crimes due addiction and poverty seem to be on the rise in many communities across our nation. Thunder Bay being a smaller regional hub is particularly susceptible to these issues.
The solution to these social issues involves enhanced funding levels from the other orders of government who oversee these matters as well as a renewed interest in our police/justice system enforcing existing laws and successfully prosecuting all individuals who break the laws. This funding will provide proper rehabilitation opportunities and transitional housing to those who want a better live and enforcing the laws that are in place will make communities safer.
Under our current framework, bodies other than City Council are legislated and funded to take care of these types of social matters. The Thunder Bay DSSAB is mandated to oversee homelessness and transitional housing, The Ministry of Health is mandated to oversee public health including rehabilitation, The Police Service is mandated to oversee law enforcement and public safety and The Ministry of the Attorney General is mandated to operate our justice system so that it does not become a revolving door for offenders. As such, these governance bodies have the largest role to play in public safety in Ontario communities. They are not governed by City Council although we can provide them with input and attempt to influence them.
Our best path forward is to engage in partnerships with existing service providers and agencies to ensure we can attract the most resources into our community to help solve these difficult problems. We are doing that with targeted investments. Partnerships also involve advocacy. It is the role of Thunder Bay City Council to advocate to the organizations listed above to bring about change that will assist with our situation. We do this now and have relationships with organizations and Ministers. More work is needed here to get our message across through Council’s Intergovernmental Committee.
The City has decided to take more of a lead role in homelessness and has established a temporary shelter, which is about to open, along with designated encampment areas. Even though this is not our core responsibility, through advocacy, the City has received most of the capital costs for this project through grants and and we continue to seek operating funding from outside agencies. This new development will give local law enforcement more ability to move people out of areas where encampments are not allowed as well as give residents who are homeless a safe place to call home. This is a step forward with safety in our community.
Mark Bentz
Candidate, Councillor At-Large
