One of the main goals for organizers of a new street patrol group is to keep it by and for Thunder Bay.
Mel Legarde is setting up the Sleeping Giant patrol, and notes he recently spent time in Winnipeg learning the ropes from the Bear Clan.
“I wanted to make it more local for all the businesses and people that live here in the city, to network with each other. And one of the things I really wanted to do is present the fact that as a city we should really grow and develop together.”
Organizers of the group plan on recruiting volunteers in about a month.
Legarde adds one of the main goals is to keep the Sleeping Giant patrol using as much diversity of volunteers as possible.
“I think a lot of people in Thunder Bay want to do something for the city as best as they can. So as a result of it we ended up branching out of them.”
The Sleeping Giant patrol organizer also wants to focus on making Thunder Bay feel safer.
“The extreme crime rate that’s been happening lately. And there’s a lot of people out there who’re really frustrated at the lack of outreach for this, and how we don’t really network with each other.”
The organizer claims of all the Bear Clan groups across Canada, the one in Thunder Bay was the only one that had political in-fighting, something he’s committed to keeping out of this group.
