Thunder Bay city council delays controversial cuts to transit, ice rinks after backlash

Thunder Bay city council voted to delay controversial budget cuts to transit, ice rinks, and city committees while city staff consult with stakeholders and explore possible alternatives. 

All of the deferred cuts will now be added to administration's budget directions report for 2024, which it will present to council in July.

Councillors voted Monday in favour of a motion from Coun. Trevor Giertuga to seek public input before closing the Neebing Arena, shutting down 31 outdoor ice rinks, ending the Sister Cities program, and eliminating the Mission and Neebing bus routes. 

"I think we've all heard a lot from the community," Giertuga said.

"I've probably got the most emails in many years about the closure of Neebing and the outdoor rinks. ... It's significant to our community and to our young folks." 

Councilors also deferred a decision to eliminate the Heritage program and rejected a proposal to end non-emergency driveway culvert replacements.

Ch'ng says real problem is ballooning cost of emergency services

Staff will complete community consultations on the proposals prior to council's August meeting.

Councilors, meanwhile, voted 9-1 to approve 22 other budget cuts proposed by city staff, including eliminating transit service on Christmas Day and New Year's Day, closing the Beck Street EMS station, and ending the Citizens of Achievement event, event fireworks, and movie nights in the park.

The lone dissenter was Coun. Shelby Ch'ng, who called the debate a distraction from the real issue, which is the ballooning cost of emergency services and a shrinking industrial tax base.

The cuts are the result of a contentious 2023 budget process that saw residents slamming city staff over a proposed 5.6 per cent tax levy after growth.

Councilors brought the number down to 4.4 per cent in part by instructing staff to find $2.2 million in staffing and service cuts.

The resulting list of 28 recommendations, published online last week, led to an outcry from the hockey community, which was upset by the proposal to close the Neebing Arena.

"I'm not sure how they will work that," said Jesse Traer, the president of Thunder Bay Women's Hockey. 

"We're going to eventually have to cut programming, I would think, because there's not going to be enough ice time for the teams to use, or every team ends up with less ice time, and now we're fighting even more to get on the ice."

Increased ice time fees might prevent closure

Westfort Hockey Association President Lex MacArthur called the arena "a very vital building in the hockey community, especially for users under the age of 13," and said there would be a "huge crunch coming" if it were eliminated.

Coun. Michael Zussino told council that the city's ice time fees are considerably lower than those of many other municipalities and questioned whether the city could avoid closing the arena to save $180,000  by generating an additional $180,000 in revenue from fees instead.

The city's general manager of community services, Kelly Robertson, responded that a 15 per cent increase in fees would generate the equivalent sum. 

Some transit riders, meanwhile, objected to the proposal to eliminate the Neebing and Mission transit routes saying it would make life hard for people who live in the serviced areas. 

"There's programs that go on out there for children – even the powwow that goes on yearly," said Jessica Shapwaykeesic, referring to Fort William First Nation, which is served by the Mission bus. 

"How else are low-income families going to get out there?"

The president of Amalgamated Transit Union 966, Fred Caputo, echoed that sentiment saying, "There are people that need those routes running."

The city's strategic initiatives and engagement.director, Tracy Smith, told council that allowing time to consult with Fort William First Nation on the proposed cut could provide an opportunity to work together to continue the service.

City manager Norm Gale warned councilors at the start of the budget conversation Monday night that the city needs to find millions in savings to maintain tax levies that are below the rate of inflation, and the decisions on what to cut will only get harder.

"We need to face the reality of our budget constraints," he told council.  

"We need to take a hard look at what we can truly afford to provide."