Today is the day across Ontario as millions are heading to the polls, including here in Thunder Bay, for the 2022 Municipal Election. But while the final results are yet to be uncovered there are some within the many organizations in the city who are weighing in on what they hope to see going forward, including the Chamber of Commerce.

Chamber President Charla Robinson says while she isn’t in the predictions game, she knows with only seven incumbents running for the 12 councilor positions, and none of those being a guarantee, the make up of the next council will be drastically different. She notes for the city to take the initiative going into the winter all these new and possibly experienced voices will have to come together.

“Different points of view, different experiences, different priorities…” she says adding, “I think it will be really important for the new council to become cohesive quickly and build a team, build the trust within that team, and also between them and administration.”

Robinson is optimistic she and other Chamber members will be able to build relationships and trust with the new council.

But as she looks to the future, Robinson also looks back on the initiatives and accomplishments of the previous council and how the Chamber had a helping hand in getting that process. She specifically notes the Program and Service Review, which was first brought forward at the beginning of the last council session headed by former Mayor Keith Hobbs.

“It was finally undertaken in 2019-2020, and we’ll be continuing to go back to that to look for opportunities that maybe the last council didn’t want to move forward with.”

She believes there are areas of the review that could continue to help to inform the incoming council.