This summer I reached out to 2500 people in our community. From political leaders to union reps, influencers to students, parents to community champions. My platform is the result of those conversations. I am ready to stand up for you. I will not back down, I can’t be intimidated, manipulated or bought.
I am here for you, you are my boss.
Let’s talk?
Community Safety
- I will invest deeper into community groups that are finding success at the grass roots level
- I will work with the police services to help make sure they have what they need to fight gang and drug related crime
- I will never put the safety of youth in our community second to anything, lets talk to the school board about getting them back on their busses and keep their schools and playgrounds safe
- I will be a continual ally and advocate of every demographic in our city who needs it, racism, sexism and disrespect to the LGBTQ+ community is NOT acceptable here
Our city suffers from a frustrating and daunting amount of crime in many different forms. We need to work with community groups like the Bear Clan and government organizations like the Thunder Bay Police to make it harder for criminals to continue casually breaking into cars, stealing and vandalizing. We need to work to stop crimes of desperation that stem from systemic issues.
Along with oversight, we as community members need to assist Police services with the problems of violent crime and drugs that have been more and more prevalent by engaging at the neighbourhood level. What we can do is improve support for the community organizations looking to reduce crime so that the police/emergency services resources can be used for more serious issues.
No one should have to feel afraid, together we can work on this. People in Thunder Bay need to feel that they are safe and supported in their lives. Every time someone is made to feel uncomfortable because of their race, gender of sexual orientation, we as a community are all to blame. Long past are the times where people would try to justify away ignorance as someone not knowing any better or that they come from a background where people do not accept each other.
From gangs to drugs, from racism to robbery, we HAVE to make a stand and hold ourselves and each other accountable to build the city we want to live in.
We have SO many organizations working at the grass roots level to build community. They work with minimal resources to fortify neighbourhoods against crime, to help youth find direction and to add value to the places we live and play. We need to address these groups and empower them. Their success is our success and often they are able to achieve on a string budget what larger would have to spend far more on. (There are so many of these: Evergreen: A United Neighbourhood, Our Kids Count, Big Brothers Big Sisters, Science North, Roots to Harvest, The Bear Clan as examples)
When we support these groups, we are helping enable the real, hard working community champions to achieve. These groups have already proven not only their drive to help people in our city, but also the ability to do it very efficiently with the resources they can muster. An investment in these community groups will help us to develop our community. As more people reach out and talk, attend events, eat together and live together, we are able to make people feel more comfortable and promote dialogue.
Community Advocacy
- I will make sure ALL families have sports related and recreational programming options
- I will make sure the city budget is open and easy for everyone to understand so we can make responsible decisions together
- I will work constantly to ensure people in Thunder Bay have access to food and shelter
- I will be a constant advocate for reconciliation and continue learning more from our indigenous community
- I will never hide my battles with anxiety and ensure our community provides support for those who suffer from mental health issues
Too many people in our city don’t have access to the food they need. Organizations like Roots to Harvest, the City Food Strategy, the Good Food Box, and the RFDA (just to name a few) have been spearheading projects for years to get food to people through different means. So much of their time is spent locking down funding that it negatively impacts the time that these community champions can spend on programming. I want to try and figure out a way to establish permanent core funding for some of these organizations or help to streamline the application process at the very least.
Our city has a wealth of farmers and food producers working hard to compete in a very competitive environment. We need to commit ourselves to developing a facility to assist with the collection, storage, procession and distribution of local food.
Our youth need to be eating better, not only is this an issue of access, but of education. With more food based programming in schools we can help youth make responsible food decisions.
People in Thunder Bay need to feel like they are a part of their own governance system. I talk to so many people who feel like they aren’t qualified to critique those that spend their money. When we talk about barriers it is easy to define the ones we can easily see like money, but words and bureaucracy can be walls just as fearsome as a bill someone cannot afford. Families need to be able to all have the chance to engage in recreational programming (like soccer, which has a low cost of entry and upkeep) and engage in conversation about where their taxes go. The onus is on council to make sure both are as easy to do as possible.
We need to better inform people in the city about the budget process, about spending and about the options that exist. We need to use common terminology that everyone can understand and we need to be open and inviting about it.
We need to help map out city services so that people know what they have access to and how best to use it. People need to know who to call and what their rights are in any given situation. I help so many small businesses who feel daunted by City By-Law and Admin (Both offices are very friendly to deal with by the way, people get put off by how hard it can be to find the right information)
I am going to report on each issue and break it down into lay terms as best I can so that people can both understand how decisions are made and have a chance to put in their opinion.
Every Single Person Matters
Taxes in Thunder Bay are always frustrating for everyone. Any time someone critiques spending, they are met with the response: “What would YOU cut?” or “What service would you trade it for?”
While a large portion of the city budget is spent in areas that are locked in by higher levels of government, we need to break the rest down into real numbers for everyone to see and debate. As a community we need to know what we are spending each others money on, and decide together if we agree on it. I think by opening this process we will be able to make city spending more efficient.We need to approach lowering taxes by taking a look at everything we spend on and prioritizing.
We live in a city with a big heart. We know that we want to identify and fix the issues with racism that haunt our community, yet systemic issues like this are very complicated. In order to help heal our city and move forward we need to look to those most affected to begin healing and rebuilding. I am going to be consulting with local leaders in the Indigenous community to try and get a better understanding. I will report back as I learn more.
Our city exists in an area that makes us very optically important for relations between Indigenous peoples and the larger Provincial/Federal government. We talk a lot about Thunder Bay having a big heart, being a community that supports the people who live in it, yet we are unable to face the reality of reconciliation. We know that Canada was built over-top an existing culture, superimposed aggressively from other colonial nations into a vast area full of different indigenous peoples.
It becomes very easy to take on the mentality of “That wasn’t me that forced people out so that my ancestors could settle here.” or “My family didn’t come to Canada until after that.” I think that once we are able to accept that the area we live in was forcefully, and unfairly wrested from the people who originally lived there, and that our government did its best to sabotage their culture, we are left with two options. Either we attempt to live with the hypocrisy of our nations foundation or take a leadership role in how we want to live, with ourselves and others moving forward.
We exist in a position to do actual good. The decisions that we make in Thunder Bay can either assist with or detract from relations with the Indigenous peoples here, and the standard we set here will resonate throughout the country. I propose we push to make some next steps, that we establish a precedent of returning land, starting with parkland and developing the procedure and momentum to expand. I want a whole, healthy and vibrant community. Sometimes leadership can be about making hard decisions, but if we do it together it could be an exciting new chapter for everyone.
Our city is plagued with mental health issues.From workplace environments to every day life to treatment, we need to look at solutions to heal people and facilitate real recovery and wellness.
As someone who deals daily with anxiety, I know first hand how hard it can be to convey the challenges associated. We need to support agencies promoting mental health awareness.
Community Development
- I will have a position established specifically to help people/investors and businesses looking to start/expand or enter our city to connect with the people and services they need to avoid red tape and succeed
- I will establish a list of pre-approved community capital projects based on what affects the most people and then ensure our MPPs can use that document to pre-vet funding options
Thunder Bay is beautiful, we love living here. We want to make it better. These are commonly held beliefs in the city. A problem we run into is that moving forward comes with costs and sometimes we don’t prepare correctly for those.
We tried to build an Event Center without making sure the funding was in place, we did it based on external consultants telling us what we wanted to hear. When it comes to these large capital projects (Like the currently planned and debated Art Gallery) we keep running into the same problems.
We are always given the option of funding for these arbitrary projects and have to adjust our own plans to suit them. This rarely works smoothly. We need to get ahead of this and get organized, run internal feasibility studies (not using outside firms) and then once we decide on projects that our city needs that everyone can benefit from, we propose it to the Provincial/Federal government and lobby for funding.
When we hastily jump at the option for a Prov/Fed contribution to a large project we often don’t put into perspective how much we are spending against how many people in the community will actually benefit from it. Declaring constantly that any building we put up will eventually benefit everyone is the same argument as “Trickle Down Economics” and isn’t fair.
We live in a city with so much potential, we need to put more efforts towards removing barriers for people to start and expand business, building jobs and keeping revenue in the city. By keeping our focus on working from the ground up we can work hand in hand with our business and education communities to improve the quality of life for everyone and fill the city coffers for projects as we plan for them.
Thunder Bay is a great city to do business, that being said we are not without challenges. Business owners in the city have to deal with high tax rates, transportation costs and utility bills. It is important that as we move forward we ensure that Thunder Bay is able to stay competitive. Many new businesses in the city run into issues of extra costs and bureaucratic hurdles. We need to make sure we that our own city services are not too daunting to use and that we are facilitating success and not accidentally just making it harder.
Community Group Surveys
(Sent to me from special interest groups)
1.What contribution to making Thunder Bay a better place to live are you most proud of?
I am most proud of my work with Eat Local Pizza, providing food over and over to people who need it, and creating that food locally. I am also proud of my urban gardening program with Evergreen, my volunteer work with the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce, Roots to Harvest, The Food Strategy and The Thunder Bay Country Market. My door is always open to people and groups who need advocacy and over the years many have sat with me and gone over issues. Regardless of being elected or not, I will always be that person.
2. What are three priorities that would guide your work on City Council?
Three main priorities for me if I get elected are:
1. To really bolster the resources being provided to community safety initiatives and the grassroots organizations working to keep youth safe, educated and fed.
2. To open up the city budget so that families can easily see, line item by line item, where their money goes. I want people to see how much money goes into each project so that we can enforce transparency in each area. Once people can feel comfortable with talking about the budget, that discourse will promote more of a 2-way communication between them and their municipal government.
3. I want to help find the people working on community led projects for community safety and get them what they need. I believe that is a big step towards the safe streets we need.
3.What three community organizations in Thunder Bay are you most interested in supporting?
Roots to Harvest
Evergreen a United Neighbourhood
The Bear Clan
4. How would you build relationships between the City of Thunder Bay, Indigenous residents and neighbours?
To build relationships between indigenous residents and neighbours we need to look deeper into how to support each level of the community. There are already people doing this work, providing these links and working in the best interest of the community. Instead of me trying to say I have sort of glorious 3rd person solution, I am going to honestly say I will continue talking, learning about the people, families and groups already doing the work in each neighbourhood and then help them overcome barriers. It is only by respecting people and helping them to live their lives as they want to, safe in their own homes and streets, and promoting the kind of activities that agencies like Evergreen do that we can help. Respect, kindness and an open mind is how our city needs to view everyone. We cannot rely on antiquated policy or legislation, we need to provide as much opportunity for real conversation as possible
5. What should the City of Thunder Bay do to pursue reconciliation with Indigenous peoples?
We need to begin the process of bringing Indigenous elders and leaders to the table with the mandate of next steps. We have to be ultra-vigilant that we do not let ourselves stop at solutions centered around optics. As a northern community situated where we are, we have the opportunity to set precedent in helping further along the cause of reconciliation and make a real difference. I am willing to push hard here.
6. The city of Victoria, BC recently removed a statue of Sir John A. MacDonald from in front of their City Hall due to his role in starting Indian Residential Schools. What is your opinion on this?
This is a good question. We need to be proud of ourselves as a nation. We need to be proud of our accomplishments and those who worked towards them….
… But that has to be real. Either we churn through history for real champions to build statues of, that did not promote genocide or profit from exploitation OR we tear those down and replace them with those of people leading the charge. I understand the reluctance some have to shaking up an established written history of out nation, but in reality that history has been proven over and over to have been written in extreme bias and is due for revision.
7. Is the City of Thunder Bay doing enough to mitigate and adapt to climate change?
No – not at all. We need to move beyond token solutions and look at how the variance in precipitation and temperature affects the homeless, farmers, homeowners and our infrastructure. We are already late to act on this.
8. The City of Portland, Oregon voted to ban all new fossil fuel infrastructure. Would you vote to do the same in Thunder Bay?
I would first study implementation. We live in a Northern city that already suffers from extreme transportation issues for both individuals and businesses. If we can find a solution that suits the needs of our community then absolutely.
9. The Nuclear Waste Management Organization is currently looking at Ignace as a possible site to bury nuclear waste from southern Ontario. Would you vote to prevent the transportation of nuclear waste through our city?
Of course I would. If I lose the vote I will join a protest.
10. Would you be willing to get arrested at a protest to protect our natural environment?
If there is something I believe in, I will do whatever it takes to stand up for it.
11. Tell us one example of how you would reduce homelessness and increase housing in Thunder Bay.
The first one is obviously to support and promote Basic Income but that is simple. Aside from that we need to develop housing solutions for everyone. There are many examples of communities doing this and I have no doubt we can work it into our budget.
12. Would you appeal to the Province to re-instate the Ontario Basic Income Pilot? If so, how?
1000% I have been working with groups affected to help them band together and provide guidance and resources to have their stories told. I joined the board of the LSPC for the chance to champion this cause and with the Conservative government looking to cancel the program I will be working every angle I can find to push for re-instatement.
13. Tell us one thing you would do to support local businesses.
I want to establish a position at the CEDC with the sole purpose of connecting small, expanding and new businesses with the people in engineering, by-law and admin that make the yes/no decisions on their projects. We need to become a city centered on solutions to save everyone time and money while projecting an environment of open opportunity to those looking to invest.
14. Tell us one thing you would do to support local food production.
I will continue to push for a local food hub as I have been for years, to help with storage, processing and distribution to help lower overall costs of Thunder Bay farms and Producers.
15. Tell you one thing you would do to improve the public transportation system.
I have been learning more about this. We need to work on re-evaluating our city streets and their upkeep. We need to look at where our community hubs are and how to both improve access for everyone while prioritizing community. Cycle paths, walk-ways and dependable transit need to be implemented.
16. Do you support lowering bus fares?
Absolutely. We need to promote accessibility not create more barriers, especially not for the vulnerable and at-risk populations.
17. Would you work to have the Memorial Link, a proposed bike lane linking Port Arthur and Fort William, built within three years?
I sure would.
18. Tell us one thing you would do to help Thunder Bay neighbourhoods become safer and more vibrant.
I will support the community initiatives that bring people together. I have seen first hand the impact of Roots to Harvest and Evergreen: a United Neighbourhood and I am convinced in the value of both models.
19. Tell us one thing you have done to support racialized people, to increase accessibility, or to support LGBTQ+ people in Thunder Bay.
My business has always been, and will always be a safe place for everyone. I have donated to and supported initiatives for each of those groups and look forward to helping create a city where everyone feels safe and respected.
20. Tell us one thing you would do to support urban infill.
I will vote against expansion.
21. How would you put pressure on the province to proceed with the planned safe injection centres in Thunder Bay?
I think it is important to highlight the plight of those suffering from addiction in the city. We need it to be know that while in the long term we of course want to lower addiction levels and remove access to dangerous drugs but that right now we have life and death situations that need to be dealt with.
22. Is there anything else you would like us to know about the vision you have for Thunder Bay?
My door is always open to talk. I want to open up Thunder Bay governance and help rebuild community confidence, even if it is one person at a time.
Waiting for copy
a. How would you advocate for the ongoing community greening of Thunder Bay?
I would work with the organizations already doing the work to help streamline funding while continuing my role as an advocate for green space and urban agriculture. I think we need to encompass more established greenspace into planning, not just from a recreational, but from a functional perspective.
b. What have you done, professionally or personally, to support green infrastructure or Urban Forestry?
I have worked for years in a partnership between my business: Eat Local Pizza and Evergreen: a United Neighbourhood to establish a community gardening program that costs the city nothing but makes food available for as many people as possible. Check out our new huge garden on Simpson street. I have also been on the board of directors of Roots to Harvest for 7 years.
c. What are some health benefits of green infrastructure that you recognize for the community?
When we talk green infrastructure there are 2 core benefits that I focus on in my life.
1. Food Access: It is very important people can get food. It is easy to plant food in just about any green space and often the only barrier here is a small amount of money and some education.
2. Climate Change: We need to be looking at how heat and precipitation affect people, community spaces and businesses. To put it as simply as possible, people need shade in public places and cities need green space to absorb water to avoid flooding.
(questions are multiple choice)
1. Are you aware of the current state/lack of indoor facilities for soccer in The City of Thunder Bay?
somewhat aware
2. Have you studied the Chappples Park Master Plan?
yes
3. Are you aware of the current sate of the outdoor facilities owned/maintained by The City of Thunder Bay?
somewhat familiar
4. Have you actively engaged the soccer community, adding to the discussio or asking for clarification on any areas you are unsure of, not well versed in, or otherwise uninformed?
yes
5. Have you studied the business model, requested by City Council, and partially funded by Soccer Northwest Ontario?
yes
6. Do you have any suggestions, comments or thoughts on the business model?
I will be reading more about it. I have looked over the business model and it makes sense for the city.
. Do you believe a temporary indoor facility is a priority?
agree
8. Are you in favour of the construction of a permanent Indoor Turf Facility?
yes
9. What do you feel is an appropriate time line for the construction of such a facility?
Immediately, the business plan and drawings exist.
- Frontline Fire Fighting Capabilities
A) The National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 1710 Standard states that 90 per cent of the time, four fire fighters should be on scene of a residential structure fire in four minutes of receiving the call, and 15 to 17 in eight minutes in order to constitute adequate protection of the public. Do you believe our city should be working toward this standard? Why, or why not?
We should always be working towards benchmarks that put safety of community members first.
B) Fire protection is not just a cost to the city and its taxpayers, but an investment in the community. Adequate fire protection, as described by NFPA 1710, saves lives, reduces property loss, reduces the economic impact of commercial and industrial fires by minimizing job losses and reduces residential and commercial insurance rates. Do you agree or disagree with this statement? Why?
Of course I agree. That one is a leading question though 🙂
C) In your view, what things should the city consider when making decisions about the number of fire fighters on duty, the number of fire apparatus in service and the number of fire stations in the city?
I think we need to ensure we are on par with other communities of similar size and consult with the Fire Fighters Association to learn of any barriers to ensuring we are there. Obviously all emergency services are expensive but when we put community safety first as the mandate, it makes the budget conversation easier.
D) What changes, if any, do you think need to be made to the city’s fire service?
I honestly am not sure. In order to better answer this I will need to have a chance to go over the budget and compare it with similar cities with similar usage numbers.
E) Who do you think city council should consult on issues that involve fire protection, fire department capabilities and overall public safety? (Check all that apply)
x Fire Chief
x Ontario Fire Marshal’s Office
x Fire fighters (association)
x The public
x Taxpayer’s association
❑ Chamber of Commerce
❑ Private consultants
❑ Insurance grading organization
F) Many municipalities have reached out to the Minister of Labour to change the arbitration system in Ontario. If elected will you support fire and police by ensuring the current balanced dispute resolution process is not skewed against emergency services workers?
I support all balanced dispute resolution.
2. EMS
A) What is your current understanding of the role that the city’s full-time fire fighters currently play in the delivery of Emergency Medical Services?
Honestly my current understanding is lacking. I know that they are part of the emergency response service. I will gladly read any accompanying information to help me get up to speed.
B) Knowing that our city’s fire fighters have existing medical skills, are strategically positioned throughout the city and often arrive on the scene of medical emergencies before ambulance-based paramedics, do you support:
x Studying how the expanded use of existing on-duty fire fighters could improve response times and improve patient care in a cost-efficient manner
❑ Leaving things as they are
❑ Reducing the number of medical calls fire fighters respond to in order to save fuel and reduce the possibility of road accidents involving emergency vehicles
x Unsure / would like additional information
C) What changes, if any, do you think need to be made to the way Emergency Medical Services as delivered in our city?
Well I know we pay a lot of money between all of our emergency services and while I will always prioritize community safety, I would like to learn more about how we can continue to work to deliver these services as efficiently as possible.
3. General
A) What are your priorities for the city and its residents if elected?
My main priorities are this:
1. Community Safety
2. Community Advocacy
3. Community Development
(check out my platform at www.jimstadey.com for more information)
B) What in your view are the qualities that make you a worthy member of council?
I have spent years in business in Thunder Bay. Despite that I have never lost my love for the city and do my best to support community groups and projects. My experience in various organizations from 8 years on the Chamber board to 7 years in Roots to Harvest help me keep perspective on the various issues that face the city. I am a hard working man driven to see a safer community where people can live, work and do business together.
Will you commit to the development of a corporate culture at the City of Thunder Bay that encourages community outreach, consultation and collaboration as we build a city of opportunity? *
yes
Will you commit to fiscal transparency with constituents and will you support the implementation of a services and spending analysis for the City of Thunder Bay? *
yes
1-What kind of activities/organizations have you participated in that provided a benefit to our community?
I have built a business focused on local food and community involvement (Eat Local Pizza)
I have served on the Chamber board for 8 years (1 as chair)
I have served on the TBCM board for 2 years (1 as chair)
I have served on the Roots to Harvest Board for 7 years
I have served on the Executive for the city food strategy
I serve as a mentor for new businesses coming through the CEDC and Innovation Center
2- What are your priorities for the Ward/City?
Community Advocacy
Community Safety
Community Development
(for more: see www.jimstadey.com )
3- How do you view the role of publicly owned services in our society and what value do you place on these services?
I think it is very important for the public to control administration of key services in order to ensure the prime mandate of access.
4- Where do you stand on collective bargaining and the right to strike?
I support both.
5- Where do you stand on contracting out and privatization of public services?
I am against that.
6- What are your thoughts on community economic development and job protection?
Our city needs to prioritize the facilitation of businesses that can provide long term job security for people in the city.
7-What is your view on a $15.00 an hour minimum wage?
I think it is a good start. We need to lock min wage with inflation to protect both individuals and employers.
8- Do you think City council should support a “Municipal Living Wage Policy?”
Yes, I am an aggressive advocate of this.
9- How would you promote equity and inclusion as a councillor?
I am going to be working hard to help provide the support needed for the grass roots community organizations to keep doing the work they do. Many of these groups contain amazing community champions that do fantastic advocacy work. We need to bolster these groups and follow their lead in equity and inclusion work.
10-Is the city doing enough to include our indigenous population in planning and development?
No
11-Do you think it is important to liaise with labour on community matters, and what is your commitment to labour representation on City established boards and committees?
Yes, definitely. I think that we need to develop a culture of communication in our city where, each group and organization representing portions of the population can easily connect with their representatives to both have their voice heard and to ensure that representatives are acting in their best interests.
12-What do you see as a solution to racism in our city?
Listening
I am going to keep meeting as many people as I can and talking to as many people as I can. I want your feedback please. All of my positions are open to debate and I am willing to take more on. I want to know what you think.