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Northern Ontario Politics

Tories seek to rescue North from red tape – by Jonathan Migneault (Sudbury Star – September 25, 2013)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Government red tape has impeded development in Northern Ontario – especially for the mining and forestry industries – according to a new white paper report by the Progressive Conservative Party.

“We want the government to move a little more efficiently,” said Paula Peroni, the Progressive Conservative candidate for Sudbury.

Peroni said the standstill on Cliffs Natural Resources’ plans to develop the Ring of Fire was a “perfect example” of a company that has been blocked by red tape. “The Ring of Fire needs to be a priority, not just for Sudbury and Northern Ontario, but for this whole province,” she said. “In my opinion, we are 10 years behind on this project.”

But mining analyst and Sudbury Star columnist Stan Sudol said the complications for the Ring of Fire project go far beyond government policy. “The Ring of Fire is a very complicated development that includes resource revenue sharing with First Nations, environmental approvals, transportation and power infrastructure challenges, just to name a few issues, on top of Cliffs’ current financial constraints and reduced global demand for all commodities,” he said in an email to The Sudbury Star.

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Province must settle this [Ring of Fire] dispute – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (September 22, 2013)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

A BUSINESS dispute over access to the Ring of Fire mineral belt has escalated to the point where the major player now claims the future of the entire development is threatened. Boardroom machinations are common in business but this goes far beyond a private enterprise spat. Determining how best to bring heavy chromite ore out of a vast tract of muskeg goes to the heart of a mining prospect so rich it stands to transform the moribund Northern Ontario economy and help the province itself recover economically.

So this impasse cannot be allowed to stand. It has to be solved and the province, as governor of mining activity, is the only party that can do it if lengthy court action is to be avoided. So far, however, Ontario has kept its hands off the dispute. That, too, cannot last.

Cliffs Natural Resources and KWG Resources cannot get past a tiff over land control. KWG’s search for diamonds led to the discovery of a mother lode of chromite, essential to stainless steel-making. It and Cliffs, a much bigger company, wound up partners but Cliffs eventually acquired a KWG partner and became the dominant Ring player intent on developing its Black Thor project including a road to bring ore out.

The road, using a desirable ridge of high ground seen as the key transportation corridor out of the Ring, would pass over some KWG claims. KWG remains fixed on its Big Daddy deposit and proposes instead a railroad.

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Northern [Ontario] Policy Institute needs tangible goals: chair – Staff (Northern Ontario Business – September 2013)

Established in 1980, Northern Ontario Business provides Canadians and international investors with relevant, current and insightful editorial content and business news information about Ontario’s vibrant and resource-rich North.

Martin Bayer doesn’t mince words when discussing the mandate of the Northern Policy Institute. There’s no point in wasting money on research papers if that work sits unused on a shelf somewhere, he said.

“I think we have to make sure we don’t allow ourselves to be yet another organization that generates more research papers with some recommendations that never get implemented or simply aren’t practical,” said Bayer, a Sudbury-based lawyer who was appointed the institute’s chair in February. “We want to be careful about that and be sure that if we are commissioning research and it’s evidence-based, it’s relevant, it’s going to be meaningful and it’s going to be used.”

As one of the primary recommendations to come out of the province’s 2011 Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, the institute has been charged with the development of policy options that reflect challenges faced by Northern Ontario and that foster sustainable development and long-term economic prosperity.

Bayer outlined the institute’s mandate, priorities and work to date during a luncheon sponsored by the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce on Sept. 17.

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Concerns of Northern [Ontario] cities outlined to province – by Benjamin Aubé (Timmins Daily Press – September 18, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Like the black flies of spring or the relentless nights of winter, leaders in Northern Ontario are making it clear to the government they’re not going anywhere soon.

Timmins Mayor Tom Laughren was among the five Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM) who met with eight provincial Liberal ministers at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario meeting in late-August.

At that meeting, the five NOLUM leaders – representing Timmins, Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay – presented a document titled Linking Municipalities and the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario.

Laughren hailed it as “historic” in its depth, explaining it outlines six distinct focal points Northern Ontario representatives will be pressuring the government on over the coming years.

“Anything we put in here was related to the Growth Plan, and it’s our ideas to how the government can push the Growth Plan forward that we believe that provide a benefit not only to those five communities, but of all Northern Ontario,” said Laughren at Monday’s city council meeting.

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ONTARIO PC NEWS RELEASE: WHITE PAPER CHAMPIONS NORTHERN JOBS & RESOURCES

Click here for report: http://www.scribd.com/doc/168634042/Paths-to-Prosperity-A-Champion-for-Northern-Jobs-and-Resources

QUEEN’S PARK – Northern Ontario can prosper again, but only by shining a Northern lens on provincial decisions and involving Northerners in the decisions that affect us, Nipissing MPP and PC Finance Critic Vic Fedeli said today upon release of the latest Ontario PC White Paper focused on Northern Ontario.

“It’s my genuine belief our White Paper lays out a plan to do exactly that, and to restore job creation and prosperity to the North,” said Fedeli.

Ontario PC Leader Tim Hudak, along with Northern Development Critic Norm Miller and Natural Resources Critic Laurie Scott launched “Paths to Prosperity: A Champion for Northern Jobs and Resources” today in Thunder Bay.

The paper contains 20 specific paths dealing with everything from the Ring of Fire, Ontario Northland, forestry, the use of Crown land, and the need to have decisions that affect the North made by and for the people of Northern Ontario.

“Our White Paper recognizes Ontario Northland as vital economic infrastructure for the North, and recommends keeping the rail freight line in public hands,” Fedeli said.

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Fedeli eyes ONTC as finance critic (North Bay Nugget – September 10, 2013)

http://www.nugget.ca/

Secret documents that were blacked out and deemed classified information might see the light of day to learn more about the sale of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

“Those are the kinds of documents I fully expect to see as finance critic,” said Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli. Progressive Conservative Leader Tim Hudak tagged Fedeli as the new finance critic Tuesday in a move that is speculated to anticipate a fall election.

Fedeli remains as energy critic leading a committee looking into cancelled gas plants in Oakville and Mississauga ahead of the 2011 provincial election that cost the province $585 million.

Documents Fedeli accessed as energy critic indicate selling the ONTC is expected to cost $790 million mainly due to severance, pensions and other liabilities. The Liberals said selling the ONTC would save the province $265 million.

“I’m looking to find out how long this has been going on, how long ago did this fire sale first get hatched. Those are the issues that I find critical,” Fedeli said.

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Sell-off [Ontario Northland] “not only option” – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – August 28, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – As Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Michael Gravelle is arguably the most important link to Queen’s Park for Northerners.

Gravelle took time out of his schedule to sit down with editorial staff at The Daily Press for an exclusive interview on Tuesday.

The minister discussed at length provincial issues specific to the region. He admitted one of the biggest bones of contention in the Northeast is the divestiture of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

“In the 2012 budget the decision was made,” Gravelle said. “There certainly was some very clear fiscal challenges and there was a decision made at that time, obviously in terms of the budget that indeed the divestment of the ONTC was the direction the government needed to go in. It was certainly a very tough decision at the time and one that (drew) a very strong reaction from Northern Ontario.”

Since that time, there has been a change in the premiership, with Kathleen Wynne replacing Dalton McGuinty. The provincial government has somewhat softened its response on the ONTC sell-off, but has not yet made any concrete promises.

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Lobby effort vital to growth in North – by Wayne Snider (Timmins Daily Press – August 28, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – For several years, there has been an ongoing effort by municipal leaders to lobby Queen’s Park on Northern Ontario issues.

The charge has been led in part by Timmins Mayor Tom Laughren and Kapuskasing Mayor Al Spacek. Through organizations like the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), Northeastern Ontario Municipal Association (NEOMA) and the Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM), they have met with provincial cabinet ministers on numerous occasions.

They have attempted to get Northern leaders to speak with one voice on key issues such as the divestiture of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, regional infrastructure needs, and potential closure of local provincial parks.

But how effective is this process? To answer that question, we went straight to the horse’s mouth. Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle has discussed these issues and many others, several times with the Northern lobby groups.

During an editorial board session at The Daily Press on Tuesday, he said such efforts allow the provincial government to clearly hear Northern concerns. “I think it is a very effective way for us to communicate,” Gravelle said. “I’ve built up some extraordinary positive relationships with Northern mayors in particular.”

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Group pushes for railway expansion in Canada – by Simon Kent (Toronto Sun – August 24, 2013)

http://www.torontosun.com/home

TORONTO – Around the world there is a quiet revolution brewing. Everywhere except Canada, that is. It’s based on shared principles and cuts across all political divides by uniting disparate communities through a single, common goal.

No, it’s not a religion, faith or creed. It wants a return to railways as an efficient way to move people and produce as modern roads and skies become more crowded by the day.

You can find new railways being built in Africa and Asia, Europe and the United States. Some are for fast passenger movement and more and more involve dedicated freight lines.

If this transport revolution is ever to reach critical mass here in Canada, a country that has lost more than 10,000 kilometres of track since 1990 in places as far apart as Vancouver Island and Quebec, it will need to start in the heavily populated province of Ontario.

The Northern & Eastern Ontario Rail Network (NEORN) is a lobby group dedicated to that goal. It launched a major push Monday to reawaken Canadians to the benefit of rail transport.

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Mayors want Northern Ontario summit – by Laura Stricker (Sudbury Star – August 21, 2013)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

In an effort to put life into Northern Ontario’s economy, the region’s five largest municipalities will host a summit with the province later this year. “We’re looking towards the end of the year (for the Northern Ontario Summit). We’re just looking at the logistics now,” Mayor Marianne Matichuk said Tuesday from Ottawa, where she’s at the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario (AMO) conference.

The three-day conference brings together 1,600 people from across Ontario. Councillors Fabio Belli, Claude Berthiaume, Doug Craig, Evelyn Dutrisac, Terry Kett and Andre Rivest are there as well.

Matichuk, along with the mayors of Timmins, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay, presented their Northern Priorities Document to seven provincial government ministers.

The document includes six items the mayors believe are necessary for Northern Ontario to thrive: A cohesive relationship between municipalities and all government ministries, reliable infrastructure funding, affordable energy, workforce development with a focus on immigration, more money for research and resource revenue sharing.

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Group fights for passenger trains – by PJ Wilson (North Bay Nugget – August 20, 2013)

http://www.nugget.ca/

Canada’s National Dream may have been derailed by politicians, but a grassroots organization is trying to get it back on track.

The Northern and Eastern Ontario Rail Network (NEORN) was launched at the Discovery North Bay Museum – the former CP Rail station – Monday in North Bay to not only unite rail supporters in the province, but to try to revive Ontario Northland’s Northlander passenger service.

“Rail service is in trouble in this country,” Peter Miasek, president of Transport Action Ontario, the umbrella organization, said to a small crowd of supporters.

In all the Group of Eight countries, Canada is the only nation that is not investing heavily in rail service, Miasek said. “Even in the United States, (President Barack) Obama is investing heavily in Amtrak” passenger train service, Miasek said.

The federal and provincial governments, he said, are trying to sink rail freight service through subsidies to the trucking industry, while “on the passenger rail side, the situation is even more dire.”

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Where’s Canada’s national highway? – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (August 12, 2013)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Among the many things for which U.S. president Dwight Eisenhower will be remembered is spear-heading one of the best road networks in the world. You can drive a BMW sports sedan as fast as you dare on Germany’s renowned autobahn — and possibly get killed doing it — but the American interstate highway system has few rivals in terms of size, overall road quality and connectivity.

Eisenhower can’t take all the credit. But he’s often the one cited for having the vision, which likely germinated during his Second World War tour in Europe as the Allies’ top commander.

The five-star general obviously realized that an interstate highway system could come in handy in terms of ensuring a country’s defence, although the system inevitably benefited the country’s tourism and commerce more than mounting a war effort.

Canadian snowbirds who make the long drive to Miami Beach in just three days can thank Dwight D. Eisenhower.
It seems rather astonishing, then, that in a country as geographically vast as ours there is no Eisenhower-equivalent cast in the imagination of Canadians when it comes to the post-Second World War development of highways.

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Calls for spring bear hunt resume – by Bryan Meadows (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – August 8, 2013)

Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

A Thunder Bay-based conservation group is calling for a return of the spring bear hunt after a city man was attacked by a black bear in Sandbar Provincial Park on the weekend.

The Northwestern Ontario Sportsmen’s Alliance says that hunting bears in the spring would help the animals develop a greater fear of humans, and not consider them as food.

Executive director John Kaplanis said Wednesday that “NOSA is extremely worried that while the Ministry of Natural Resources is well aware of the increase in aggressive bear activity and predatory type bear attacks on humans, little is being done to regulate this sort of bear behaviour.

“The concern is that black bears are learning to regard humans as prey, much the same as other vulnerable prey sources such as moose calves,” he said.

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ONTC solution must be built collaboratively – by Peter Politis (Timmins Daily Press – July 30, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Peter Politis is the Mayor of the Town of Cochrane.

TIMMINS – In the latest CTV news piece around the Minister’s Advisory Committee on the ONTC, I again found myself feeling less than inspired about the future of this critical northern asset.

While the employees and families of the operation continue to express their desire to work with the province and the committee, the province strangely continues to be less than receptive.

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle’s response to the employees, who are basically saying they understand that unusual changes are needed to the role employees play in the future of the ONTC, is to say thanks but you need to speak directly to the employer about that not me, or the committee.

Curiously though, Gravelle’s own ministry keeps telling the employees and the ONTC, their direction from the minister is to keep divesting and until that changes there is nothing to talk about.

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Old diary used as leverage in court challenge [for ‘fair share’ from mines] – by Staff (Timmins Daily Press – July 29, 2013)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

MOOSE FACTORY – Mushkegowuk First Nations are hosting a three-day conference this week to discuss the future of Treaty No. 9. This comes on the heels of a court challenge that has been launched by Mushkegowuk council earlier this month.

The dispute is over Aboriginal land rights and traplines in the Cochrane area where there has been increased mining activity. Mushkegowuk is using as legal leverage a 108-year-old diary that belonged to Daniel MacMartin, the Ontario treaty commissioner who negotiated Treaty No. 9 in 1905.

Much fanfare was made by Mushkegowuk when the diary was discovered a couple of years ago. It was felt MacMartin’s diary reaffirms the view that Aboriginal leaders were duped into signing a written treaty which they did not fully understand.

“When my grandfather signed the treaty in Fort Albany in 1905, the terms as discussed and orally agreed to, were very clear,” said Grand Chief Stan Louttit. “It was a sacred oral agreement about living together and sharing the land.

“The Omushkego (people of Mushkegowuk) never surrendered the land or the natural resources but were told their rights would be protected.”

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