Good evening Mayor and Councillors
I am Charla Robinson, President of the Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce and it is my pleasure to be here tonight to talk about the draft Smart Growth Action Plan.
Our Chamber is a voluntary, Member-driven organization of nearly 800 businesses working together to advance the commercial, financial, and civic interests of our community. we are focused on building a stronger business community here in Thunder Bay.
I’m proud to serve on the Smart Growth Taskforce alongside 20 exceptional leaders from organizations across our city—many of which are Chamber members who share our vision of Thunder Bay as a City of Opportunity for all.
Over the past 10 months, our Taskforce has engaged in thoughtful discussions about the foundations of sustainable growth. We’ve emphasized the importance of long-term thinking, strong partnerships, fiscal accountability, and reducing red tape to foster economic development.
These priorities are embedded throughout the Smart Growth Action Plan. The pillars—Readiness, Attraction, and Talent—are supported by key considerations such as financial sustainability, inclusiveness, environmental stewardship, innovation, and risk management.
We recognize that meaningful change takes time. That’s why this plan outlines a 10-year roadmap, with short-, medium-, and long-term actions to guide our progress.
As the Chinese proverb says, “The best time to plant a tree was 20 years ago. The second best time is now.” While we cannot change our past—marked by slow growth in both population and property tax base—we can shape our future. Now is the time to think boldly and set ambitious goals.
The Smart Growth Action plan sets clear targets:
3% annual property tax base growth, and
1% annual population growth (about 1,000 net new people every year)
As City Manager John Collin noted, achieving these goals will require sustained effort and collaboration between the municipality and the community.
The Smart Growth Action Plan shows us many of the steps we must take on this road to growth.
The Readiness pillar focuses on ways to prepare for growth. Many of the action items under this pillar address challenges that have been identified relating to the availability of land, reduction of red tape, streamlining of development processes and infrastructure capacity.
The Attraction pillar focuses on ways to make Thunder Bay more inviting and welcoming and addresses improving quality of life for all residents.
The Talent pillar focuses on building a skilled and diverse workforce and supporting recruitment and retention of the people we need in jobs across our community.
These actions cannot be accomplished in isolation. We are encouraged by the collaborative approach taken by City Administration, as reflected in the plan. The Chamber is committed to playing an active role in its implementation and will continue working with the City, the Taskforce, and community stakeholders to achieve our shared vision.
Thank you.