The city’s new Chief Administrative Officer has been brushing up on everything North Bay over the past three weeks, since taking over the job at city hall.

Keith Robicheau says he’s met with plenty of staff and community members to hear their thoughts and ideas and getting background information too.

He says one challenge the city, and many others are facing, involves aging infrastructure, although he says the province appears to be listening.

“They’ll be quadrupling the formula-based funding. By 2019 we’ll have more significant, stable, predictable provincial funding for infrastructure and that’s a good sign. It’s still not enough, but it’s a good sign,” he says.

Robicheau also says they need Ottawa to get the message, noting the Feds still have an application-based funding model.

In terms of surprises that have emerged since taking over the CAO position, Robicheau says one was the 2016 Census data that showed a population drop in North Bay.

The city’s population dropped by just under 2,100 people or 3.9 per cent between 2011 and 2016.

Robicheau says he expected North Bay might hold stable.

Pointing to lower fertility rates, he says population decline is an issue for rural and northern Canada.

But, Robicheau also says public sector jobs have been lost locally at the hospital and university and that sharpens the focus moving forward.

“To come up with strategies to address growing the city, economic opportunity and repatriating former residents, attracting and retaining youth,” he added.

Robicheau says he’s all about economic and community development and building the municipalities that he’s worked for.

He’s looking forward to working with local partners to build the city, make it better known and improve economic opportunities.