Thunder Bay waterfront sign moved to 2021 budget deliberations

A controversial sign proposed for Thunder Bay's waterfront will get taken off the council agenda for 2020and shifted to the 2021 budget deliberations.

Council voted on Monday night to move the sign, which was proposed as a legacy project of the city's 50th anniversary, to the budget process. It means any further discussion on the sign will take place in the new year.

"There's no time to go back to the drawing board and come up with new ideas, because I know some council members suggested that as well, because this committee's not going to be around forever," said Coun. Shelby Ch'ng, who also chairs the city's 50th Anniversary Committee.

The sign, which would say "Thunder Bay" in lit letters would be placed at the city's waterfront. It would be similar to signs found in Toronto, Winnipeg and Amsterdam.

"It just doesn't seem like council has anythey're just not taking this seriously to get anything done," Ch'ng said.

Work on the sign's design cannot proceed without the support of council allowing the committee to use some of the Municipal Accommodation Tax (MAT) earned in 2018 to pay for initial costs, Ch'ng said.

It's frustrating, she said, to have a volunteer committee work hard to come up with ideas to support the city and it's 50th anniversary, only to have council turn down those same ideas.

"I think it's par for the course for how we have to come to decisions on council."