The County Fair Mall is the main topic at the upcoming McIntyre Ward virtual meeting.
Ward Councillor Albert Aiello will answer residents’ questions starting at 7 p.m Tuesday.
The mall parking lot has been the focus of complaints about garbage and bottles of urine, allegedly left by truckers using it as an unofficial rest stop.
Aiello feels it should be tackled as a social issue, noting organizations like Thunder Bay Police and the Thunder Bay District Health Unit have been trying to get a handle on the issue.
“Really, that’s what we’re missing there right now is just the balance between, you know, being human and being caring and showing empathy, and on the other side, just ensuring that people that go there feel safe,” he says.
Truck traffic on East Avenue is also on the agenda. In June, Aiello proposed a weight restriction for East Avenue that would effectively ban trucks from accessing the mall parking lot unless they are making a delivery.
That entrance to the parking lot is currently partly blocked by a construction project.
“That driveway has been closed off, so these trucks can’t get into the mall right now,” he points out. “So once they make the turn on to East Avenue, the truckers are basically stuck, and now they have to drive through residential areas to get back to the highway.”
Aiello feels the area has become a “magnet for activity” lately.
The meeting is being broadcast on the same channels as City Council meetings: Shaw Spotlight channel 10, BlueCurve channel 105, Tbaytel TB channel 110, or online through the city’s website.
