Being elected to a third term was one highlight from 2018 for Mayor Al McDonald.

He says it’s an honour to serve.

“To serve three terms is always difficult, but I’m looking forward to it. Our mandate is growth, we really want to grow the city, so that’s what we’re going to be focused on in 2019, right through to 2022,” He says.

That ties in to another highlight this year, the success Invest North Bay is having.

“Canada Meat Packers was a classic example, 60 new jobs, but the interest in the Airport Industrial Business Park and business really interested in moving to our city,” he says.

McDonald announced this year that he wants to see the city grow by 10,000 people by 2030 and was asked if that’s doable.

“I hope so, I hope we all focus on growing our city. There’s no question we live in a great city, it’s a safe city, we just need to be able to promote it and advertise it more in the south,” he says.

2018 also included some challenges.

“We always honour whatever the Privacy Commissioner wants, we always give it to them. Summer In The Park was a disappointment for sure, but I think it’s an opportunity for Johanne (Brosseau) and Council to move forward on revamping that,” he says.

Looking ahead, McDonald expects 2019 to be a great year with big projects like the Cassellholme redevelopment, a new twin-pad arena, downtown waterfront master plan and government wharf on the docket.

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