Left to right: Deputy Mayor Brian Lundmark, City Manager Anthony McInnis, and Councillor Duncan Wong, all from Thompson; City Manager Randy Patrick (NB), Mayor Colleen Smook (Thompson), Mayor David Gillan, Councillor Ross MacAngus, and Councillor Len Taylor, all from North Battleford, Councillor Les Ellsworth (Thompson) and Councillor Kent Lindgren (NB). (Submitted photo/City of North Battleford)

By Angela Brown

Working together

North Battleford and Thompson, Man. partnering to address crime and social issues

Jun 16, 2022 | 2:39 PM

The City of North Battleford is partnering with the City of Thompson, Man. with the aim to address crime and social issues in these communities.

They recently made the announcement after taking part in the Federation of Canadian Municipalities (FCM) Annual Conference in Regina earlier this month.

North Battleford Mayor David Gillan told battlefordsNOW the city first came together for discussions with Thompson during the conference.

“It was two communities meeting up for a talk. We agreed to keep talking and try to share experiences, strategies, and plans because they are very similar communities… They [Thompson] are also either one or two on the Crime Severity Index with us. So we thought it was a good idea while we were in Regina to get together and start talking.”

Both North Battleford and Thompson continue to be considered some of the most dangerous places to live in Canada in the Maclean’s Magazine ratings, and rank high in the Statistics Canada Crime Severity Index for the number of criminal code violations in these communities.

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The two communities have similar populations and are dealing with common challenges.

The two cities also are thinking about how to grow their communities successfully. Looking at a community safety strategy is also being discussed.

Gillan added North Battleford and Thompson mayors and councillors agreed this was something they want to continue to do, to try to find ways to make the communities betters.

“That includes reducing crime but also helping people with mental health, addictions, all kinds of issues that every community has,” he said. “We share these commonalities. It’s just trying to improve our cities.”

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Angela.Brown@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @battlefordsnow