Northwood Is Home, and I can tell you a lot about it.

I can tell you a lot about Northwood because, for most of my life, Northwood has been home.

I grew up on Edward Street and went to St. Vincent's School. I was an active member of St. Dominic's Church, where my father was one of hundreds of volunteers who helped build the church from the ground up. I was there when it opened in 1982.

As a kid, Northwood was my world. I rode my bike along Redwood Avenue and up Ironwood Crescent. My brother and I took a canoe up and down the McIntyre River, and I fished for steelhead in the Neebing. The Cow Palace on Edward Street was my corner store. Walking to Zellers for a grilled cheese sandwich at the Skillet was a big deal. I hit my first golf ball at Chapples and spent winter days on the sliding hill.

Years later, I attended Confederation College. Eventually, I went back, that time to teach in its entrepreneurship and business marketing programs.

I grew up in Northwood, went to school in Northwood and taught in Northwood. And today, I still call Northwood home.  I've only moved away from the ward twice in my life, both times for about two years. Both times I came back. Apparently, Northwood and I have a pretty strong long-term contract.

Knowing a Neighbourhood Means Living It

I've watched Northwood change. I've watched the mall and businesses change and new families arrive. Many of the people I grew up with are still here. For some who aren't, their parents still are. I know them. I know their families.

I've also watched my own children grow up here. They played on my street and ate ice cream on the corner. My dogs played in the green space. My neighbours became friends.

But knowing Northwood also means understanding its challenges because I've lived many of them.  I know what it's like to have a flooded basement and deal with everything that follows. I know the frustration of pinhole leaks in old pipes. I know the fear of watching the Neebing River rise 15 feet or more toward the Edward Street bridge and wondering how high it's going to get.

I know the bungalows that make up so much of Northwood and I know the property taxes attached to them. I've lived in Northwood apartments, too, and I've watched rents climb dramatically since I lived in them.

I know Edward Street is getting busier. I know Arthur and Edward and Arthur and James are two of the busiest intersections in the city, particularly on a Friday afternoon in the summer when it seems like half of Thunder Bay is trying to get to camp at exactly the same time.

I know when the blossoms come out along Victoria Avenue. I know how busy Delaney and Fort William Stadium get when football and hockey begin. I know the James Street playfield, our splash pad and garden, our schools, churches and community spaces. I've watched the Thunder Bay Tennis Centre succeed and its members work to build their own indoor facility with help from the city.

And I know Northwood isn't just one kind of neighbourhood. We have seniors who have lived here for decades, young families, apartment residents, homeowners, school children and people from different cultural and economic backgrounds.

We also have challenges with crime and public safety, and those concerns are real. But they don't define Northwood. There is far more good here than bad, families building their lives, neighbours helping neighbours, volunteers giving their time and people investing in their community.  That's the Northwood I know.

But Knowing Northwood Isn't Enough

My lifelong connection to this ward is part of why I'm running for Northwood councillor. But I don't believe anyone should vote for me simply because I grew up here, rode my bike on Redwood Avenue or once considered a grilled cheese sandwich at the Zellers Skillet a major outing.

A councillor needs to understand the job. For years, I've followed Thunder Bay City Council closely. I've watched the debates, read the reports, studied budgets and followed the decisions that affect our taxes, roads, infrastructure, public safety and future. I've seen council work well, and I've seen occasions where I believe we could have done better.

I understand that getting things done at City Hall requires more than making speeches or taking positions. It requires asking difficult questions, understanding the issues, listening to people and working collaboratively with fellow councillors to find solutions. I'll fight for Northwood, but I'll also work with the rest of council because those two things aren't opposites. They're the job.

I want our infrastructure properly maintained and our infrastructure deficit addressed instead of continually pushed into another budget year. I want people to feel safer in their homes and neighbourhoods. I want responsible decisions about taxes and spending, greater transparency at City Hall and a city that welcomes growth and investment.

When I drive along Edward Street, I don't just see a busy road. I see the street where I grew up. When I pass St. Dominic's, I remember my father helping build it. When I see the Neebing, I remember fishing there, falling into it once when I was 12, and watching it rise to scary levels. When I pass Confederation College, I remember being a student and later returning as an instructor. When I see kids playing in the neighbourhood, I remember being one of them and, years later, watching my own children do the same.

That's what a lifetime in a community gives you: perspective. You know what has changed, what we've lost, what we've gained, what needs protecting and what needs to get better.

Northwood is where I grew up, went to school, taught and raised my family. It's the place I left twice and chose to come back to both times.  Now I'm asking for the opportunity to represent it.

I bring a lifetime of connection to Northwood, professional leadership experience, a strong understanding of City Council and a passion for this city. I'll listen, do the homework, ask the questions and work with others around the council table to make Northwood safer and stronger and to keep Thunder Bay moving forward.

I know Northwood because I've lived it.

I love Thunder Bay because it's home. And I'm ready to put that experience to work for both.

On October 26, Vote John Ongaro, Councillor for Northwood.