About John Ongaro
Northwood isn't simply the ward I want to represent. It has been my home for close to 50 years. I have watched the neighbourhood and Thunder Bay change, grow and face new challenges, and that long connection to the community is an important part of why I am running for City Council.
My career in radio spanning more than 36 years has given me the opportunity to talk with people from every part of Thunder Bay and, through more than a decade of City Council Round Up, to closely follow the decisions, budgets and debates at City Hall.
Community involvement has also been important to me. I have served for seven years on the Prince Arthur's Landing Marina Advisory Committee, including the past three years as Chair. I am a board member with the Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior and previously served on the board of the Thunder Bay Christmas Cheer Fund.
After years of following City Hall from the outside, I am ready to bring that experience, community involvement and straightforward approach to the Council table as Northwood's representative.
More About John
This is the neighbourhood I know, the community I have watched grow and change, and the place I continue to call home. When I talk about roads, infrastructure, neighbourhood safety, parks, traffic or the everyday services people expect from the City, I am talking about the same community where I live.
Thunder Bay has also been at the centre of my professional life. My career in radio has given me the opportunity to meet and talk with people from across the city, including business owners, community leaders, volunteers, elected officials and residents who simply care about where they live. For more than a decade, City Council Round Up gave me an especially close look at municipal government. I read the reports, followed the budgets and debates, questioned spending and tried to explain what decisions at City Hall actually meant to the people paying the bill.
My involvement in Thunder Bay extends beyond my professional career. I have always believed that being part of a community also means being prepared to contribute to it.
For seven years, I have served on the Prince Arthur's Landing Marina Advisory Committee, including the past three years as Chair. That experience has given me the opportunity to work with committee members, City administration and others on issues involving an important public asset on Thunder Bay's waterfront.
I am also a board member with the Canadian Lighthouses of Lake Superior, an organization working to preserve and promote an important part of our region's marine heritage. Previously, I served on the board of the Thunder Bay Christmas Cheer Fund, an organization with a long history of helping local families during the Christmas season.
These experiences have reinforced something I have believed for a long time: good communities don't happen by accident. They require people who are willing to get involved, listen, ask questions and work toward practical solutions.
I know there is a difference between commenting on decisions at City Hall and being responsible for making them. I am prepared for that responsibility.
I will bring the same approach to Council that people have heard from me for years: do the homework, understand the numbers, ask the questions that need to be asked and don't be afraid to challenge something when it doesn't make sense.
I won't promise that everyone will agree with every decision I make. I will promise to be accessible, explain where I stand and remember who I work for.