The City of North Bay will be celebrating 100 years of incorporation in 2025 and preparations are underway to hold a centennial celebration to mark the milestone.
During Tuesday's regular meeting, North Bay City Council approved the proposed membership of North Bay’s Community Centennial Celebration Committee and appointed Mayor Peter Chirico and Deputy Mayor Maggie Horsfield to serve on the committee as ex officio members.
With the approval, the committee will have the purview to add new members as required.
City staff began meeting in the spring to discuss the centennial celebration, following the framework left by the Millennium Celebration that also marked the city's 75th anniversary in 2000. A report to council and this resolution were needed to officially form the committee. The City is also in the midst of hiring a "Centennial celebration programmer," a dedicated 27-month contract position.
See related: You can help plan North Bay's 2025 centennial celebrations
The City of North Bay initiated a call for applications from citizens to become committee members in June. Several community organizations were identified and invited to have representation on the committee.
"From the call for applications, 19 applications were received and reviewed. From these applications, five community champions were identified. The five community champions were subsequently formally invited to join the Committee. Applicants who were not selected were formally contacted and informed that they may be invited to participate through a subcommittee to support the Centennial Celebration Committee," according to a report from Ian Kilgour, the director of community services.
Kilgour's report acknowledges the celebration will "require funding. The position that has been advertised is funded through third-party funding and student job vacancy savings. Further, the administration is preparing the event budget and a Service Level Change for 2024 and 2025 will be brought forward during the 2024 budget deliberations. The administration is also exploring all potential grant funding opportunities."
Community Centennial Celebration Committee members to date:
Honorary Chairs
- Colin Vezina
- Garth Goodhew
Community Champions (North Bay residents)
- Sarah McGowan
- Thomas Palangio
- Bill Steer
- Catherine Mayne
- Dave Mendicino
City-funded external agencies:
- Katina Connolly - Capitol Centre
- Jeff Fournier - Municipal Heritage Committee
- Seniors Rep. - Not yet confirmed
Public Post-secondary education institutions
- Cristin Talentino - Nipissing University
- Graham Loyst - Canadore College
Cultural Leadership Council representative
- Deborah Robertson - Multicultural Centre
City of North Bay Staff (Ex officio)
- Melinda Fry - City of North Bay
- Erin Vaughan - City of North Bay
- Contract Staff (TBD) - City of North Bay
- Gord Young - City of North Bay
- Adrienne Mazzuchelli - City of North Bay
Mayor & Deputy Mayor (Ex officio)
- Mayor - Peter Chirico
- Deputy Mayor - Maggie Horsfield
School Board Representatives
- Liana Blaskievich - Near North District School Board
- Serge Levac - Conseil scolaire catholique Franco-Nord
- Paula Mann – Nipissing-Parry Sound Catholic District School Board
- Conseil scolaire public du Nord-Est de l'Ontario - Not confirmed yet
Downtown North Bay D.I.A and North Bay & District Chamber of Commerce
- Amber Livingstone - Downtown North Bay
- Donna Backer - Chamber of Commerce
Indigenous Community Representative
- Maurice Switzer - Indigenous Friendship Centre
Tourism North Bay Representative
- Tanya Bedard - Tourism North Bay
Not-for-profit organizations (includes arts, culture, sports, recreation, community service clubs, etc.)
- Holly Cunningham - Creative Industries
- Bill Jacko - Sports Hall of Fame
- Jason Maclennan - North Bay Pride
- Anne Brule - Les Compagnons
Armed Forces North Bay
- Chief Warrant Officer Didier Pignatel
The Committee's Mandate:
The City of North Bay Community Centennial Committee is intended to bring together members of the community to develop and coordinate a city-wide plan to celebrate the City of North Bay's 100th Anniversary in 2025, per the staff report.
The Community Centennial Committee will serve as the community table at which local champions and organizations will provide input, collaborate, plan, coordinate and execute events, activities, and initiatives that will take place in 2025.
Goals and Objectives of the Committee:
- Provide input and support to City staff to develop a city-wide plan for the 100th anniversary of the City of North Bay in 2025.
- Provide input and support to City staff to develop communications and outreach plans for the 100th anniversary of North Bay in 2025.
- Assist in planning, coordinating, and delivering 100th-anniversary events, activation, and initiatives as needed.
- Support outreach activities and act as Anniversary Champions to 100th Anniversary initiatives.
- Collaborate and determine partnership opportunities between Committee members and the community leading up to and during the anniversary year.
- Deliver fun and memorable events and activities that celebrate the history and vitality of the City of North Bay over the past 100 years.
- Identify third-party funding and sponsorship opportunities.
