Latest news with #ThunderBayPublicLibrary
CBC
24-04-2025
- Business
- CBC
Thunder Bay's federal election candidates share top issues they're hearing about on campaign trail
Affordability and U.S. tariffs were the main concerns shared by voters and candidates alike at Wednesday night's meet and greet in Thunder Bay, Ont., ahead of Monday's federal election. The event was hosted by the Thunder Bay Public Library at its Waverley branch. All candidates from the Thunder Bay—Superior North and Thunder Bay—Rainy River ridings were invited, and all but the Greens attended. It was an informal gathering, where people had an opportunity to speak one-on-one with those vying for their support. "It's an essential part of our democratic mission as a public institution, as the library, as people's real public access to information and knowledge, that we're able to fill this function," said the library's CEO, Richard Togman. "Regardless of political affiliation, orientation, whether you sit left, right, centre on the spectrum, everyone is welcome here at the library, and all of the candidates are welcome to deliver their message to the public and really engage one-on-one with people to decide what's important to them." CBC News asked each candidate at Wednesday night's event to share concerns and issues they're hearing about the most from people in their ridings. What Thunder Bay—Superior North's candidates are hearing For Thunder Bay—Superior North's Liberal incumbent Patty Hajdu, it's "the need for stable, serious and experienced leadership during a time where we're seeing a fracturing with the United States, our closest trading partner." "People really don't want a government that's divisive. They don't want leaders that are pitting us against each other. They want people that can see the promise and potential in all Canadians," she said. Conservative candidate Bob Herman pointed to economic concerns, especially among younger generations. "They're living pay cheque to pay cheque. They have good jobs — sometimes they have more than one job — but they just can't save enough money to buy a house, for example," Herman said. "They're tired of having all these taxes heaped up on them, and they're concerned about their future." The riding's NDP candidate, Joy Wakefield, said U.S. president Donald Trump dominated much of the conversation at the start of the election, but now she's hearing more about housing, health care, infrastructure gaps and reconciliation. "The environment has come up. I've heard about Gaza as well, and affordability is a big one that people are talking about, the cost of groceries, the cost of living," Wakefield said. Amos Bradley of the People's Party of Canada said he's been talking a lot about job security and U.S. tariffs. "They're thinking of their kids and what their kids are going to have in a couple years if the economy is going to continue to get worse," Bradley said. "As far as the tariffs are concerned, open, honest negotiation with the states is the best move." Issues shared with Thunder Bay—Rainy River's candidates In Thunder Bay—Rainy River, Liberal incumbent Marcus Powlowski said residents are worried about the Canada–U.S. trade war. "Overwhelmingly about Donald Trump and concerns about Donald Trump, his openly advocating that we become the 51st state, that kind of economic turmoil that would come out of this kind of behaviour," Powlowski said. The cost of living is another issue that keeps coming up, he added. Similarly, Conservative candidate Brendan Hyatt spoke about tensions between Canada and the U.S. and the ripple effect on the economy. "I think that the things that we really need to focus on is making Canada as a whole, a country where we actually build in this country, and actually find trading partners that are more amenable to working with us," Hyatt said. Yuk-Sem Won of the NDP, who participated in the event by video call, said Canadian unity has been a big theme on the campaign trail, as well as ways to support Canadian businesses and industries. "The second one is the concerns around health care. It's about making sure that there's no cuts to health care and that we continue to expand it," she said. People's Party of Canada candidate Sabrina Ree shared several concerns she's been hearing about, including the ability of young people to buy homes, the impact of the carbon tax on people in the trucking and agriculture sectors, and overall affordability. "The seniors are really, really concerned that they have to make a decision between their groceries or their heating bill, which one to pay," Ree said. Housing, climate change among voter concerns Omotunde Adeniran is completing his PhD at Lakehead University. He said many of his peers have struggled to find accommodation in the city, and he wants to see the next federal government do more to address homelessness. "We need leadership in this country," Adeniran said. For Drake Parr, the housing crisis hits differently. The seasoned carpenter said he cannot afford to buy his own home. "I fix houses all the time, so not being able to afford one at my age is kind of ridiculous, right?" Parr said. "I don't have that kind of money and I don't make that kind of money." Sarah Lewis, who brought her children along with her, said she's concerned about how the rising cost of living will affect their future. "What matters most is building a country that can be a leader in the world again, and really having a region in northwestern Ontario where people are able to have good jobs and to support their families, which I think is a struggle for a lot of people right now," Lewis said. Climate change was another concern raised. Keith Swazey said he wants more done to address the urgency of environmental issues, and sees green energy as a good opportunity to boost the economy. "The way the world [is], this is the biggest economic opportunity we've had in 100 years to change, to move ahead," he said.
CBC
18-03-2025
- Business
- CBC
Thunder Bay Public Library prepares massive renovation to children's space at Waverley branch
Amid an "unprecedented demand for children's programming," the Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) is planning a massive renovation at the Waverley Resource Library in Port Arthur. More than 10,000 additional children participated in programming at the Red River Road location last year compared to 2023, said TBPL CEO Richard Togman. "All of our programs for kids are usually booked up through pre-registration weeks ahead of time, and so we're clearly not meeting community demand," Togman said. On Monday, the library announced a massive overhaul to create a 12,000 square-foot Children's Library in the building's lower level, as part of an ongoing multi-million dollar project to renovate the Waverley branch. "We need to fix some of the structural features, for example, an issue with the foundation that potentially can affect the children's area if it's not fixed proactively soon," Togman said. The extra space is being created by the upcoming departure of Anishinabek Employment and Training Services; the organization is vacating both the Waverley and Brodie libraries at the end of May. Having more room means being able to offer more programming, seating areas, community meeting rooms and dynamic play spaces, Togman explained. He attributes the rising demands for the library as a symptom of people's growing desire for community connection, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic. "When we look at the amount of community spaces available and especially ones that are safe and educational and really have that good feeling for kids and families, the library is one of the first places people come," said Togman. Meanwhile, as the cost of living continues to climb, being able to access free materials and programming is a game changer for many individuals and families, he added. "People are looking at their pocketbooks and saying, 'well, do I have the money to spend on extracurriculars? Am I going to pay to take my kids to different programming, or take advantage of what my taxpayer dollars already provide in high-quality, free programming at the library?'" Project to take a phased approach While the Children's Library project is still in the design and costing phase, Togman said the City of Thunder Bay is pitching in some money set aside in 2018 to renovate the Waverley branch. Funds from the Friends of the Thunder Bay Public Library 50/50 lottery are also coming into play. "We can't imagine a better use for these funds than in support of a new space for children's programs and books," said Fran Duke, president of the Friends of Thunder Bay Public Library, in a news release issued Monday. "A new Children's Library will benefit the whole community, and we hope Thunder Bay will be as excited as we are to support this plan by buying tickets for the Friends 50/50." The renovations are hoped to begin in the fall or winter and are expected to take several months to complete. However, the work will be done in phases so that the library can remain open, said Togman. In the meantime, he wants the community to remember that people use the library for a diverse range of reasons — from attending programming to borrowing reading materials and even board games. "With economic uncertainty and tough times ahead, I think [it is] really reminding people of the value of the library services that are free, that are open to the public," said Togman.
CBC
07-02-2025
- Business
- CBC
Partners in Thunder Bay, Ont., look to educate public, engage businesses as tariff threat looms
Social Sharing As Canadians grapple with how a potential trade war with the U.S. could affect them, the Thunder Bay Public Library (TBPL) is looking to bring the conversation to the local level. The library is hosting a panel discussion called "Tariffs and Turmoil: What Trump's Trade War Could Mean for You." The goal is to educate community members about the impact of potential tariffs in Thunder Bay, and how they can prepare ahead of time. "It was really important for us as a major public institution and a source of community trust to come out with some real information," said the TBPL's CEO, Richard Togman. On Saturday, U.S. president Donald Trump imposed a 25 per cent additional tariff on imports from Canada and Mexico, as well as an extra 10 per cent tariff on imports from China. Energy resources in Canada would also see a 10 per cent tariff. The U.S. administration said the purpose of the tariffs was to prevent illegal immigration and drug trafficking across the border. After speaking with Prime Minister Justin Trudeau on Monday — who committed to ramp up Canada's $1.3 billion border security plan — the Trump administration decided to pause the tariffs for 30 days. The TBPL panel discussion will feature: Karl Skogstad, associate professor of economics at Lakehead University. Toby Rollo, associate professor of political science at Lakehead University. Sarah Lewis, senior manager of economic advisory at Deloitte. Charla Robinson, president of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce. "A lot of people don't have access to university-level professors or get to talk directly to the president of the chamber of commerce," said Togman. "It was a really amazing opportunity for us to connect directly with local people in our region and get some experts to explain to them, at the level of everyday people, what this actually might mean." 'There are winners and there are losers' Much of the tariff concerns in northern Ontario have revolved around the impact on the softwood lumber industry, as well as brewing companies and exporters that send almost all their goods to the U.S. The cost of living is another concern shared among Thunder Bay residents. WATCH | Thunder Bay shoppers share tariff concerns Thunder Bay shoppers share tariff concerns 4 days ago Duration 1:08 Skogstad, one of the panelists at next week's event, is currently teaching a course on international trade. The tariff threat has sparked many conversations with his students. "I think having the opportunity to actually sit down and even talk to someone about it in a familiar environment, this could be a lot more reassuring and a lot more informative than trying to work your way through a number of different articles and videos online, not knowing what to trust and what to believe," Skogstad said of the upcoming library panel. Drawing on his own expertise, Skogstad said consumers should be prepared for higher prices for goods purchased from the U.S., while keeping in mind products assembled in Canada with parts imported south of the border. As for industries, he said firms will have to consider their vulnerability to tariffs and what they can do to remain competitive. Retaliatory tariffs, and the low value of the Canadian dollar, may work in their favour, he added. "Whenever you move from restricted trade to free trade or free trade to restricted trade, there are winners and there are losers in that process," Skogstad said. "We can't necessarily claim everybody's better off or everybody's worse off." When it comes to the push to buy Canadian goods, Skogstad said that while consumer choices are always driven by prices, patriotism is also playing a role. "Consumers will continue to look at the prices trying to get the best deal, and that might mean just naturally buying more Canadian products. "But they also might just seek out those Canadian products regardless as an attempt to rally around the flag, as it were, in this period of strife with our American friends." Thunder Bay chamber, CEDC seek feedback Meanwhile, the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and the city's Community Economic Development Commission (CEDC) have teamed up to compile a list of local businesses that export to the U.S. The organizations are encouraging businesses to complete an online survey, launched a few weeks ago, which also gives them the chance to express their needs for support. Jamie Taylor, CEO of the Thunder Bay CEDC, said they've been having regular conversations with the provincial and federal governments about potential stabilization funding or opportunities to support affected businesses. "We want to ensure that northern Ontario businesses, our specific impacts, are included as they're thinking about what the governments can do in response," said Taylor. "As well, for our own purposes, as to whether or not there's something that the CEDC or the chamber can do specifically." More information about the survey can be found on the CEDC's website. Meanwhile, the TBPL's panel discussion will be held at the Waverley Resource Library on Thursday, Feb. 13 from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m., and is free to attend.
