As Thunder Bay Economy Heads South, CEDC CEO Heads East on Asian Junket : Thunderbay IMC

According to a posting on the CEDC web site, an 11 person delegation from Thunder Bay departed Thursday, May 24 to visit two of Thunder Bay’s Sister Cities. During the visit to Gifu City, Japan, and Keelung, Taiwan, the City will renew its Twinning Agreements with the two Asian cities and explore 'economic development, education, and cultural opportunities'.

However, what is not clarified in the statement is what Thunder Bay goods or services does Demmings and his over-paid bureaucratic cronies expect the Japanese and Taiwanese to buy from Thunder Bay.

During the 10 day trip delegates will visit municipal and police facilities, schools and universities, waterfront destinations, national parks, research institutes, and tourist attractions - in other words, a free vacation on the backs of Thunder Bay taxpayers.

“This is a great chance to compare practices and investigate new opportunities with our Sister Cities,” says Mayor Lynn Peterson. “A lot can be learned and accomplished through twinning relationships and we are looking forward to exploring the possibilities with our Asian Sister Cities further.”

However, conspicuously absent from Mayor Peterson's comment is once single example of trade between the Asian Sister Cities and Thunder Bay that such junkets have generated over the past years. That's because they haven't generated any trade. But hey! Vacations are expensive and its better if you can stiff the taxpayer for them and call it a 'trade mission' even when there's been zero trade!

Thunder Bay’s delegation includes: Mayor Lynn Peterson, Councillor Aldo Ruberto - Chair, Sister Cities Advisory Committee, Bob Petrie - CAO, John Hannam - City Clerk, Bob Herman – Chief of Police, Steve Demmings - CEO, Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Commission, Elaine Waring -Vice Chair, Sister Cities Advisory Committee, Reg Jones –Vice President Corporate Services, Confederation College, Fernande Vezeau – Owner, Good News Café, Simone Laatu - Vice-President Network Engineering and Operations, TbayTel, and Ahti Tolvanen – Regional Manager, Sterling Mutuals Inc.

The last time a delegation from Thunder Bay visited these two Sister Cities was in 2000. Delegations of approximately 10 representatives from their cities have been visiting Thunder Bay almost annually. Thunder Bay will again welcome Gifu City this summer.

The City of Keelung, Taiwan, Republic of China, a port city of nearly 400,000 people was twinned with Thunder Bay in 1988. Keelung is located on the north coast of Taiwan, near the capital of Taipei. It is the second largest of the five international seaports in Taiwan.

Gifu City, with a population of over 400,000, is located almost in the center of Japan, about 30 kilometers north of Nagoya and 250 kilometers west of Tokyo. The city is situated in the northern part of the fertile Nobi plain that was created by the Nagara, Kiso and Ibi rivers. Yanaizu is located in the suburbs of Gifu City in Central Japan. The town of 12,000 people was twinned with our City in 1998. Gifu University for Education and Languages, located in the former Town of Yanaizu, has been operating student exchange programs with Lakehead University in Thunder Bay since 1988.

Hopefully, the taxpayers will remember this and other junkets taken by these bureaucrats the next time they head to they vote in municipal elections.

For more information, Contact:

Lynn Peterson, 625-3601

Councillor Aldo Ruberto, Chair – Sister Cities Committee, 768-8038