Mayor Bill Mauro participated in a virtual, pre-budget consultation today hosted by the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Superior North and Marcus Powlowski, Member of Parliament for Thunder Bay-Rainy River.

The Government of Canada is holding virtual roundtables with diverse groups of people from a range of regions, sectors and industries, including those hardest hit by the pandemic. These roundtables are an opportunity for Canadians from across the country to share their ideas and priorities for how the government can best invest to create jobs, strengthen the middle class, and build a greener, more competitive, more inclusive, and more resilient economy.

On behalf of City Council, Mayor Mauro brought the following key issues, and requests, to the table:

  • Future contracts for Thunder Bay’s Alstom Plan (former Bombardier Plant)
  • Infrastructure Funding
  • Stimulus Funding for Infrastructure Projects in Thunder Bay that could assist with COVID-19 economic recovery.
  • A request for additional direct funding from the Federal Government to municipalities similar to the Federal Gas Tax.
  • A request for a doubling of the amount of Gas Tax funding this year to assist with post COVID-19 economic recovery.
  • A request for additional Safe-Start Funding for anticipated 2021 COVID- 19 operating losses.
“Today’s roundtable presented me with a great forum to highlight key issues facing our community, and I’d like to thank Minister Hajdu and MP Powlowski for providing this opportunity,” said Mayor Mauro. “As we consider post COVID-19 economic recovery, these dialogues are absolutely critical and we feel there is a role for the Federal Government to provide assistance.”

The Government of Canada website states that when COVID-19 is under control and Canada’s economy is ready to rebound, the government has a plan to make smart, targeted investments to jumpstart the country’s economic recovery and begin to repair the damage done by the pandemic.

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Contact: Jeff Howie, Policy Assistant – Mayor’s Office, 632-9233