Daylight shooting in Thunder Bay triggers community meeting on escalating gang violence

In the aftermath of a daylight shooting in Thunder Bay's Westfort neighbourhood, more than 70 people attended a meeting Tuesday night with questions about what the city's leaders can do to address gang violence in the city's south end.

But as Coun. Kristen Oliver admitted, residents may have left the meeting with more questions than answers.

Conversations about crime and drug use in the neighbourhood aren't new, but tensions came to a head after a shootout on May 2 at Spence Court, a building owned by the District of Thunder Bay Social Services Administration Board (TBDSSAB) with 163 rent-geared-to-income housing units. Three arrests have been made so far.

Oliver organized the meeting at the West Thunder Community Centre to give residents the chance to express their concerns following the incident, as well as their ideas for solutions.

She also invited councillors who sit on TBDSSAB, the freshly-minted police chief Darcy Fleury, and Mayor Ken Boshcoff – whom one resident called out for falling asleep during the meeting.

Emotions ran high, with one woman in tears describing the day of the shooting, and others screaming their frustrations in the tightly-packed room.

Some residents called for more accountability from TBDSSAB, positing ideas like banning visitors at Spence Court and re-designating it as seniors-only housing.

But as Coun. Albert Aiello said, landlords cannot dictate who visits their units, and Oliver pointed out the building was opened to all ages due to the city's lack of affordable housing.

One person said the last time they called the police, no one showed up. Another asked what they could do, legally, to protect themselves – to which Fleury responded that even when police resources are strained, people should always call 911, and only exert self-defense when necessary.

One thing city manager Norm Gale made clear from the outset was what the city can and cannot do to address ongoing social issues, like homelessness, addiction and mental health. 

"It's not on the city's shoulders to solve this problem; it's a provincial problem that must be solved by the province," he said.

Oliver, who chairs the city's intergovernmental affairs committee, said council has been tirelessly advocating for more supports from upper levels of government – including for a piece of the $390 million announced earlier this month from the federal government to prevent gun crime and gang violence across the country.

As many of the city's leaders said, advocacy is one of the only things the municipality can do.

Resources such as a crisis centre, detox centres and safe, sobering sites would ease pressures on the city's emergency services, but as many residents expressed during Tuesday's meeting, more support is needed, especially from the province, Oliver said.