1. By Kris Ketonen | Central Support
The new General Manager of the City’s Infrastructure
&OperationsDepartmentisacommittedteamplayer.
Kerri Marshall formally took over as General
Manager on Oct. 6, but had been acting in the position
since June, when the former General Manager
Darrell Matson retired. She has quickly discovered
that working as part of the City’s team to contribute to
the success of the community is “a good fit” for her.
Marshall started with the City in 2003, as a Project
Engineer in the Engineering Division. Four years
later, Marshall was named Manager of the
Environment Division. That brought with it the chance
to work as part of the management team in the
Infrastructure & Operations Department.
One of the accomplishments Marshall is most proud
of from her days as Environment Manager is seeing
the City become one of the first 10 municipalities in
Ontario to become an accredited Water Authority.
“Every position in the Corporation contributes to the
success of the City, and I am thankful for having had
the opportunity to lead a great team of dedicated
individuals through major changes surrounding
water and the environment,” Marshall said.
“Thunder Bay now has a Drinking Water Quality
Management System, a modernized water rate
structure, and Financial Plans to provide for the
delivery of safe drinking water and wastewater
services in the short- and long-term in a cost
effective manner, through priority planning
and integration with other municipal and utility
infrastructure projects.
NOV 27, 2015 VOL. 22 NO. 3
“Looking ahead, we have a lot of big initiatives
coming up,” Marshall said of her new role as General
Manager. “The Infrastructure & Operations Team will
be the lead on a number of strategic initiatives of
City Council.”
Among those, she said, are the Transportation
Master Plan, the Climate Adaptation Strategy,
Stormwater Management Master Plan and the
implementation of the Solid Waste Management
Strategy and Urban Forest Master Plan.
“I’m looking forward to working with the
Infrastructure & Operations team to implement
these initiatives to support continued transformation
of the City to become its best,” Marshall said.
Marshall, who was born in Thunder Bay, is a
Professional Engineer, and obtained an Engineering
Degree from Lakehead University.
HaveasuggestionforaCityemployeetobeprofiled?
Contact Amanda Rozenuk at 625-2871.
By Matt Schmidt
Corporate Services & Long Term Care
Smoking Cessation Program with Dr. Jim Morris
– City Staff members wanting to quit smoking
will be sponsored by the Wellness Coach to
enroll in Dr. Morris’ smoking cessation program.
Benefits of this program:
• Comprehensive quit smoking program
• Evidence-based methods that work
• Emotional support system
• Follow-ups to ensure you follow through
One on One Health Coaching
If you are someone who has thought about diet
or exercise, need help getting started, and want
the motivation to succeed in your plan, Health
Coaching may be for you.
Areas include:
• Diet and exercise plans to lose/maintain
weight
• Exercise plans to build muscle
• Tracking of blood pressure, weight, waist
circumference
• Critique of previous plans or area of exercise
• Learn how to build exercise into your life
• Learn how to set SMART goals and succeed!
Yoga Sessions
We are pleased to offer weekly yoga sessions
with our amazing instructors Danielle and
Jenelle.
Sessions with Danielle run:
• Tuesday, from 12:10–12:50 pm at City Hall
(3rd floor Council Chambers)
• Wednesday, from 12:10–12:50 pm at
Victoriaville (Supply Management Boardroom)
Sessions with Jenelle run:
• Tuesday, from 12:10–12:50 pm at the
55 Plus Centre
• Thursday, from 12:10–12:50 pm, 1:10–1:50 pm
at Victoriaville Civic Centre (IT boardroom)
Employees are welcome to attend sessions at
any location and no experience is needed. Come
out and enjoy the benefits of a relaxed body and
mind over your lunch hour.
For more information about any of the Wellness
Initiatives, call Matt Schmidt, Health & Wellness
Coach at 625-3586 or email
mschmidt@thunderbay.ca
l-r: Kathy Benincasa, Hilda Henri and Carla Aiken. The
Licensed Private Home Child Care program was established
in 1974, and is a vital service for the community. Provider
Hilda Henri started with the program in 1979, and has
retired after almost 37 years of service. She was the last
original provider from the onset of this program.
Kerri Begins New Leadership Role
Emergency Services Take Proactive
Approach to Mental Health
ByValerieMarasco | CorporateCommunications
First responders, including the City’s police,
paramedics and firefighters are often exposed
to tragic circumstances while helping people on
the frontlines. For many of those responders, the
impacts of seeing the people they’re helping in the
worst moments can lead to damaging and even grim
personal outcomes.
The Thunder Bay Police Service (TBPS), Superior
North EMS (SNEMS) and Thunder Bay Fire Rescue
(TBFR) are each developing mental health programs
to help responders cope and to recognize the signs
of crisis in others.
“Mental wellness concerns, such as post-traumatic
stress disorder, can affect all first responders and
be either as a result of a singular dramatic event or
an accumulation over a career,” said Acting Chief of
EMS Wayne Gates.
SNEMS is currently working to develop a program
with the City and mental health experts to address
and prevent issues for their 170 paramedics across
the region and to help ensure they have long and
productive careers helping others. That program is
being developed using paramedic input as well as
scientific evidence and best health practices.
“We are working with paramedics in a progressive
fashion to preserve their mental wellness,” said
Gates. “This work includes an academic component
in partnership with Lakehead University where new
knowledge will be created using confidential input
from paramedics.”
According to Police Constable Jeremy Pearson,
efforts to develop programs to deal with critical
incident stress and mental wellness have been well-
received by its members. Pearson is TBPS’s new
Critical Incident Peer Support Coordinator, a position
instated this April as a higher priority is placed on
mental health. He is one of two officers trained
to deliver the Road to Mental Readiness Program
developed by the Department of National Defence
and managed by the Mental Health Commission
of Canada. The road to mental readiness training
is being delivered in partnership with a clinical
psychologist from St. Joseph’s Care Group.
TBPS has created a Stress & Peer Support Team
nominated by the membership. The team has been
trained in individual and group crisis intervention by
the Canadian critical incident stress foundation. A
representative from SNEMS also participated in the
peer support team training. Police are also reviewing
policies to ensure those in need have access to
proper help resources.
Both Police and Fire have implemented a Critical
Incident Stress Management Protocol developed
through the Canadian Critical Incident Foundation
following all calls involving trauma. Thunder Bay Fire
Rescue has also introduced safeTALK – a suicide
alertness training session for all Fire Rescue staff
– as the starting point for a new level of health and
wellness training.
“Firefighters can be at risk for PTSD and other
mental health conditions,” said Deputy Chief
Greg Hankkio. “By having tools to talk about suicide
and mental health, we hope to cultivate a culture
where vulnerability is not seen as a weakness, but
can help us to create a safer workplace and a safer
community. It’s time to create a pro-active dialogue,
because not talking about it isn’t working.”
The Thunder Bay region has high rates of suicide
and it is often the first responders who attend to
these deaths. safeTALK gives responders the tools
to talk with families and friends who have just been
exposed to traumatic situations.
“Recognizing that safeTALK is to suicide what CPR
training is to heart attacks, Fire Rescue is taking
the first steps towards preventative action,” adds
Hankkio. “As public servants emergency service
responders do what it takes to save lives and make
our community safer. They are now being given new
tools to help keep themselves and each other safe.”