Northern Ontario Politics – Page 35

Cliffs chooses Sudbury for $1.8B smelter – by Arron Pickard – (Sudbury Northern Life – May 9, 2012)

May 9, 2012

This article came from Northern Life, Sudbury’s biweekly newspaper.

All rumours about where Cliffs Natural Resources will build its chromite processing plant have been laid to rest.

Cliffs has made public its intentions to build its $1.8-billion chromite processing facility north of Capreol. The Cleveland, Ohio-based company has selected the former Moose Mountain Mine site, located 21 kilometres north of Capreol, as it moves from a prefeasibility stage to feasibility, which takes the company to a more detailed analysis of the project.

An agreement in principle between the province and Cliffs has been reached, Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, said. This agreement sets the framework for the project. A formal agreement is expected to be finalized within months.

The project will employ 450 people during construction, and as many as 450 people when the facility is operational in 2015. Mine and mill development, as well as the construction and operation of transportation infrastructure, could create an additional 750 jobs, plus hundreds of indirect employment opportunities for northern Ontarians and First Nations communities. The smelter would be used to process ore from Cliffs Natural Resources chromite mine located in northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire.

ONTARIO CONSERVATIVE MPP NEWS RELEASE: RING OF FIRE ANNOUNCEMENT RAISES MORE QUESTIONS THAN ANSWERS

May 9, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
May 9, 2012

QUEEN’S PARK – In response to Minister Rick Bartolucci’s announcement that Cliff’s Natural Resources will be building a chromite processing facility near Sudbury, Northern Development and Mines Critic Norm Miller warned against celebrating too soon.

“I am pleased to see Cliff’s selecting a location in Ontario for their new smelter,” Miller explained. “However, I’m more interested in what the Minister didn’t say. I am suspicious of good news presented in vague terms.”

“There was no First Nations participation in the announcement, and no testimony from First Nations leaders anywhere in the Ministry’s materials. Aroland First Nation has already come out in opposition to the announcement. This suggests to me that very little progress has been made on this front, and much difficult negotiation still lies ahead.”

Bartolucci announced plans to begin discussions on a new all-season road to the mining sites, but offered no details as to who would build, finance, or own the road. He expressed a hope that the federal government would make contributions, but no federal representative attended the announcement.

NEWS RELEASE: Thousands of Jobs Coming To Northern Ontario – McGuinty Government Supports Responsible Ring Of Fire Mining Development

May 9, 2012

May 9, 2012 9:00 AM

Cliffs Natural Resources has announced a $3.3-billion investment to build a chromite mine, transportation corridor and processing facility in Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire that would lead to a new generation of prosperity in the north, with thousands of jobs and new infrastructure.

The Ring of Fire represents one of the most significant mineral regions in the province, and includes the largest deposit of chromite ever discovered in North America. The chromite found in this area, 540 kilometres northeast of Thunder Bay, is a key ingredient used to create stainless steel.

Cliffs Natural Resources has announced it intends to build a $1.8-billion chromite processing facility in Capreol, near Sudbury. This would employ 450 people during construction, and as many as 450 people when the facility is in operation. Mine and mill development, as well as the construction and operation of transportation infrastructure, could create an additional 750 jobs, plus hundreds of indirect employment opportunities for Northern Ontarians and First Nations’ communities.

Safer Railways Act [Northern Ontario History] – Charlie Angus M.P. Ontario, Timmins—James Bay (Hansard -May 1, 2012)

May 4, 2012

Charlie Angus’ commentary was given inside Canada’s Parliament on Tuesday, May 1, 2012 at 1:05 pm.

Mr. Speaker, it is always a great honour to rise in this House and speak on behalf of the people of Timmins—James Bay, a region that exists because of the railway.

It is also important to talk about this bill on safer railways at a time when we have so many issues facing railways in Canada. It is clear that if we look at the simple test for whether government has vision, whether government understands the issue of infrastructure, whether government has a forward-looking vision, we look no further than rail. Rail has been the kicking dog of Liberal and Conservative governments looking to squeeze it, to undermine it, to so-called privatize it, and we have seen a continuing loss of service while the rest of the world moves forward with smart high-speed rail.

Just this past February, when the VIA Rail train derailed at Burlington, we had three people killed and 42 passengers injured. We see the $200 million in cuts that are coming to VIA Rail now under the Conservatives. We see the undermining of rail links in important jurisdictions across rural Canada like Churchill, Manitoba. We see the government’s complete lack of interest in the importance of a high-speed rail corridor that would connect Windsor to Quebec City through our densest populations and allow people who are pretty much trapped because of the density of traffic in the suburban regions of this country to be able to move at a reasonable rate.

[Northern Ontario] Getting rail-roaded again – SOAPBOXING – by Dave Dale (North Bay Nugget – May 3, 2012)

May 4, 2012

http://www.nugget.ca/

Charlie Angus might be a natural front runner for the first premier of Northern Ontario — if the often knee-jerk fascination with separating the province materializes some day.

Comments by the NDP MP for Timmins-James Bay in the House of Commons Tuesday demonstrated an impressive grip on history, politics and the potential mishandling of a major economic opportunity.

Angus was speaking during a debate over federal rail safety legislation, which opened a window for him to touch on the ominous threat facing the Ontario Northland Railway.

Some people are already tired of the the topic. They don’t want to hear another word about the Ontario government’s intention of selling off Ontario Northland Transportation Commission assets. Protesting what they consider inevitable is a waste of their time.

Even those who make a living commenting publicly about news events have to fight off the urge to yawn when community leaders huddle over strategic communication campaigns.

Ontario’s economy is struggling and politicians dance – by James Murray (Netnewsledger.com – April 30, 2012)

May 1, 2012

http://netnewsledger.com/

THUNDER BAY – EDITORIAL – Ontario’s economy is struggling, and the real impacts of those struggles are not yet being felt. Our Ontario has seen years of government living beyond its means, along with years of outright denial that this is a problem. It is, and it is one that is going to take a generation to get over at the least. Ontario is likely to lag behind more prosperous provinces, and likely will continue to do so for some time.

Ontario’s deficit is the real elephant in the room. Should interest rates climb from their current levels, our government will have to spend massive amounts of money just to pay for what we already, as a province, have spent. Standard and Poor’s has fired a salvo across our province’s economic bow saying how potentially vulnerable Ontario really is.

Solving the problems is going to take some real effort and some really hard work. It won’t be easy. Right now, sadly, at the provincial level, there really isn’t anyone stepping up with real plans to make a real difference.

Premier Dalton McGuinty has a ham-fisted death grip on maintaining the status quo. Progressive Conservative leader Tim Hudak is opposing rather than leading.

[Kenora] Bear Pit’ session addresses Ring of Fire, Tourist Information Centres, education and infrastructure – by Reg Clayton (Lake of the Woods Enterprise – April 28, 2012)

April 29, 2012

http://www.lotwenterprise.com/

Provincial cabinet ministers field hard ball questions pitched by NOMA delegates

Delegates grilled three Ontario cabinet ministers and a parliamentary assistant on progress with the Ring of Fire, the closure of regional Tourist Information Centres, education and training initiaitvies and infrastructure funding at the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) annual meeting in Kenora, Friday, April 27.

NOMA president Ron Nelson served as moderator for the minister’s forum comprised of Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle, Minister of Municipal Affairs and Housing and Minister of Aboriginal Affairs Kathleen Wynne, Minister of Training, Colleges and Universities Glen Murray and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines Bill Mauro.

The ministers responded to ‘Bear Pit’ questions posed by municipal delegates regarding the apparent lack of progress on the Ring of Fire in Northern Ontario with assurances that discussions are ongoing on a multi-ministerial level in consultation with mining companies and area First Nations. However, details of these discussions remain confidential, according to the ministers.

Follow the development [Thunder Bay] – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Jouranl Editorial (April 27, 2012)

April 28, 2012

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

IT SEEMS there is so much going on in Thunder Bay that it’s hard to keep track of. In one way, that’s a good thing. Thunder Bay needs development to complement what’s left of forestry, build on the next big mining boom and capitalize on the emergence of medical research clusters.

But citizens need to keep aware and be apprised of all these initiatives. It’s our community, our region, and the power brokers must always bear in mind who’s in charge. Grand plans cost money and it mostly comes from taxpayers.

There are two distinct camps among supporters of a proposed event centre. Those who favour a downtown waterfront site agree it will build on and feed off the city’s designated entertainment district surrounding it. Those set on Innova Business Park like the wide-open space to allow for on-site parking and access from adjacent expressways.

A letter writer today wonders if Thunder Bay and area’s notoriously fickle sports fans will troop to a new arena when so few fail to attend events like the Dudley Hewitt Cup.

[Ontario] North fights for ONTC – by The Daily Press (April 27, 2012)

April 28, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Municipal, business and union leaders demand meeting with premier to discuss Ontario Northland

Northern leaders are refusing to give up the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission without a fight. Northern Ontario municipal, business and labour leaders met via teleconference this week to discuss strategy for saving Ontario Northland.

On Tuesday, the provincial Liberal budget was passed, even though opposition could have vetoed it in the current minority government situation. The plan to privatize the ONTC was left in the budget.

The group is making its second request for a meeting with Premier Dalton McGuinty to discuss the issue. In addition, they are requesting meetings with leaders of the opposition.

“Although the opposition parties are suggesting we are going into Round 2 in the fight, not being made aware of the process or even the rules of engagement, we are feeling that we have been knocked to the canvas and once again abandoned in the North,” said Iroquois Falls Mayor Gilles Forget.

NDP sells out the North – by Thomas Perry (Timmins Daily Press – April 25, 2012)

April 25, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Party trades away leverage for a few trinkets, bobbles

The NDP has sold out Northern Ontario for a few trinkets and bobbles. Instead of standing firm and voting against Ontario Premier Dalton McGuinty’s budget unless the province agreed to halt its plans to divest Ontario Northland, the party caved.

“We tried to get the government to bend on the ONTC issue, but they just wouldn’t,” MPP Gilles Bisson (NDP — Timmins-James Bay) told our sister paper, the North Bay Nugget.

“We put proposals on the table, but the government wasn’t prepared to move on the ONTC. They were hanging on.” Just like they “tried” to get Xstrata to reverse its plans to close our smelter and save close to 700 jobs in Timmins.

Well, guess what? Tried just doesn’t cut it in our books! Are we supposed to hold our collective breath, as Mr. Bisson and his party brethren continue to tilt at windmills?

Budget passes, ONTC fate sealed – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – April 25, 2012)

April 25, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

NDP backs down on ‘regional issue’ to avoid election

The fate of Ontario Northland is not worth triggering a provincial election. This was the message from MPP Gilles Bisson (NDP — Timmins-James Bay) minutes before stepping into the Legislative Assembly of Ontario to push the much-criticized Liberal budget forward.

“We will allow the budget motion to pass by not voting against it,” said Bisson. “We are essentially choosing to abstain from the issue. We aren’t voting for it because this is still a Liberal budget and there are still things in this budget that we don’t like.”

The provincial NDP are choosing to sit this one out, said Bisson, taking what they can from the budget for the province and hoping that the ONTC doesn’t fall through the cracks. A leap of faith, some might say.

“At this point, people don’t want an election, so we made some amendments to the budget and we are allowing it to move forward,” he said. “If the budget motion was to fail today, we would be in an election by this afternoon.”

Bartolucci brands NDP as ‘hypocritical’- by Jacob Touchette (Sudbury Star – April 5, 2012)

April 25, 2012

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

By not voting against the Liberal budget — which includes plans to get rid of Ontario Northland — the NDP has been “smoked out of their hole” on the issue and exposed as hypocrites, Sudbury’s Liberal MPP said Tuesday.

In a statement, Rick Bartolucci first thanked the NDP for not voting on the budget, which passed Tuesday by vote of 52-37. All Conservatives MPPs voted against the budget, while NDP MPPs simply didn’t vote at all.

It means the budget has passed first reading and that the minority Liberal government was not defeated, thus forcing a provincial election.

Bartolucci then tore into the NDP, which he said cut Ontario Northland Transportation Commission subsidies and services when it was in power almost 20 years ago.

Bartolucci’s post-budget reproach not productive – by Brian MacLeod (Sudbury Star – April 5, 2012)

April 25, 2012

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

Why on Earth did Sudbury Liberal MPP Rick Bartolucci feel it necessary to trash the NDP after his government’s budget passed in the legislature Tuesday with the help of a mass abstention by the New Democrats?

As the NDP and the Liberals came closer to a deal that would see Premier Dalton McGuinty’s minority government pass a budget that will allow the province to divest itself of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, the language from the two parties became more respectful, despite the obvious tension.

The NDP convinced the Liberals to agree to a 2% tax on those making $500,000 a year, boost child-care spending by $240 million, provide $20 million for northern and rural hospitals, and increase welfare and disability benefits by 1% ($55 million).

In return, the NDP dropped several demands, including a call to remove the HST on home heating and to retain the ONTC, which provides some bus, rail and communications services in the North.

NEWS RELEASE: [Ontario Conservative MPP] NORM MILLER DEMANDS ANSWERS FOR RING OF FIRE DELAYS (April 24, 2012)

April 24, 2012

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

QUEEN’S PARK – In advance of a trip to the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association’s Annual General Meeting with Tim Hudak, Northern Development and Mines Critic Norm Miller demanded that the Minister explain his government’s lack of progress in the region during Question Period on Tuesday.

“We have at our fingertips one of the most lucrative resource finds in our province’s history,” Miller explained. “The government is eager to talk about the Ring of Fire and boast about the Ring of Fire, but won’t take any action beyond expanding an already bloated and uncoordinated bureaucracy.”

In his question to the Minister, Miller also asked about the lack of progress on the proposed road to the mining sites.

“This is such a basic requirement,” Miller argued. “If we can’t access it, we can’t mine it. Communities, miners, and First Nations groups are waiting. They’re getting impatient, and rightfully so. The government has been spinning its wheels for far too long.”

Mayors blast ONTC sale – by Kevin Priddle (Sudbury Star – April 21, 2012)

April 21, 2012

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

Northern Ontario groups are stepping up the pressure on Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci and the Liberal government for a decision to get rid of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

On Friday, the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities issued a statement critical of Bartolucci, following a meeting Thursday with Northern Ontario mayors at his Sudbury office. Bartolucci is also the minister of Northern Development and Mines.

Also Friday, a group representing unionized employees at Ontario Northland took their displeasure to Premier Dalton McGuinty’s doorstep, protesting at his constituency office and law firm in Ottawa.

“As the premier has so far refused to meet with anyone from the North on this important issue, we thought we would save him the trip and travel to his home town to voice our displeasure with his government’s ill-advised decision to sell off Ontario Northland,” Brian Kelly, a spokesperson for the General Chairperson’s Association, said in a release.