Thunder Bay’s Red River ward will have no incumbent in the upcoming municipal election.

Councillor Michael Zussino, who has represented the ward since 2022, has decided that his first term will also be his last.

“I have other pursuits that I’d like to embark upon and I’d like to do it still am healthy enough to do so,” says the outgoing councillor.

Zussino believes the city has made progress over the past four years, and says that the next term of councillors will be able to build off of some momentum from the prior term.

Looking back, the councillor feels happiest with the now under-construction indoor turf facility, the Tbaytel Multiplex.

“I’m happy with the location and I’m happy to see the walls up,” he says.

Zussino also stands by the Designated Truck Route, which he feels was the right thing to do “in terms of safety,” but acknowledges that it was controversial.

His advice to new councillors is to listen and learn as much as they can.

Before he entered local politics, Zussino had never met a city councillor or though much about municipal government.

“It was all new to me,” he explains. “Initially you’re kind of thrown in, you do your onboarding, you meet a bunch of different people that do a bunch of difference things, and then you’ve got to kind of assimilate that.”

“And then you figure it out.”

In addition to Michael Zussino, Councillors Shelby Ch’ng, Dominic Pasqualino, Kristen Oliver, and Mayor Ken Boshcoff have also announced they will not seek re-election.

There are currently no candidates registered to run as councillors for Thunder Bay’s Red River Ward in the upcoming municipal election.