Waterfront plan inches forward: recommendations flowing through for master plan in North Bay.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: NORTH BAY

This fall, the City of North Bay is expected to reach another milestone in its progress toward implementing its future vision for the city's downtown and waterfront areas.

Last March, city council was presented with the final, 120-page draft of the Downtown Waterfront Master Plan, a 20-year visioning exercise that takes into account the city's economic development, socioeconomic and cultural interests.

Seven guiding principles in the document range from celebrating the city's history and Indigenous culture to turning the area into a year-round destination to making the downtown and waterfront accessible areas.

Bev Hiller, the city's manager of planning services, said since last May, when a Downtown Waterfront Advisory Committee was struck, a dozen recommendations have been presented to, and adopted by, city council.

They include things like a geotechnical study around the city's wharf to kickstart the design process, the development of downtown signage, discussions with the local Rotary Club about a splash pad location, and striking a public art policy.

"We're plugging away at getting those pieces done, and that committee is supposed to get back together in the fall to re-evaluate what's happened over the summertime and provide some additional direction," Hillier said.

Comprised of 13 community members hailing from various sectors, the commit tee was tasked with providing leadership on the revitalization activities. Part of their mandate includes producing bi-monthly reports to Invest North Bay, the city's economic development arm, to measure progress of the project.

Included in the development process is the ongoing effort to create partnerships with stakeholders through the city, Hillier noted. From the outset, the city has emphasized that pulling off a plan of this magnitude will require help from various contributors in the city.

"We well recognize that there is no way that the...