Northern Ontario Politics – Page 8

Hampton wants better relationship between feds and First Nations – by Amber McGuckin (Kenora Daily Miner and News – July 16, 2015)

July 17, 2015

http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/

The Harper Conservatives are failing to work with Treaty 3 and Nishnawbe Aski Nation First Nations, causing an economic delay in creating good jobs and a better economy in Northwestern Ontario, according to Howard Hampton, federal NDP candidate in the Kenora riding.

“The Harper Conservatives’ refusal to cooperate with First Nations is delaying vital development projects for the Northwest,” said Hampton. “The Ring of Fire, four-laning the Trans-Canada from Manitoba to Kenora, and building a hydro transmission line to the Far North could all be a reality if the Conservatives would stop ignoring the First Nations in the region.”

Hampton noted that many mining, forestry and pipeline companies understand the importance of working in partnership with First Nations to move their projects forward.

“There is a clear connection between working in partnership with Shoal Lake 40 First Nation to build the ‘Freedom Road’ and a water treatment facility and moving forward with the four-laning of the Trans-Canada Highway from Manitoba to Kenora,” said Hampton.

Mining Marshall Plan for Ontario’s Far Northwest (Part 1 of 2) – by Stan Sudol (June 18, 2015)

June 21, 2015June 18, 2015

Infrastructure desperately needed in Aboriginal northwest

There has been much commentary about healing and rapprochement with Canada’s First Nations due to the recent Truth and Reconciliation Commission report on the horrific abuse Aboriginal children experienced at residential schools during the last century.

However, if Ontario, which has the largest population of First Nations people in the country, truly want to make amends for the “sins of the past” than we need to look at “economic and social reconciliation” as our primary vehicle for restitution.

Until every First Nation community in the province has the same level of infrastructure and social services as non-Aboriginal towns and cities, most of the remorseful speeches by guilty white politicians are nothing more than “hot air.”

Without a doubt, some of the most destitute and impoverished First Nations communities are located in Ontario’s mineral-rich but isolated northwest, near the Ring of Fire – the most significant Canadian mineral discovery in almost a century – and in the regions to the west.

Almost a decade of political inaction by both the provincial and federal governments has caused Cliffs Natural Resources – a major American multi-national mining company – to abandon its $3 billion private sector investment in northern Ontario and miss out on the first part of a multi-decade commodity super cycle.

Mining Marshall Plan for Ontario’s Far Northwest (Part 2 of 2) – by Stan Sudol (June 18, 2015)

June 28, 2015June 18, 2015

For Part 1 of Mining Marshall Plan for Ontario’s Far Northwest click here: http://bit.ly/1RdhyAA

Roads, the best way to find new deposits

One of the first priorities is road transportation. Last March at the PDAC mining convention, the federal and provincial governments jointly announced roughly $800,000 in funding for four of the five isolated First Nations – Webequie, Nibinamik, Neskantaga and Eabametoong – to begin consultations on an east-west road that will connect their communities and the Ring of Fire camp to the provincial highway system. A small “baby step” of progress!

However, Marten Falls is currently not part of this initiative. While this community is the smallest populated of the Matawa Tribal Council, it probably has the most clout as its traditional territory encompasses the Ring of Fire. Although Webequie is considerably closer to the mining camp, it didn’t receive full-reserve status until 2001. Hence it is critical that Marten Falls be strongly encouraged to join the consortium discussing the road connection.

Manitoba is currently undertaking a visionary initiative to build “all season” roads on the east side of Lake Winnipeg – that has similar Canadian Shield geography as in northwestern Ontario – to connect isolated First Nations communities.

NEWS RELEASE: GRAND CHIEF OUTLINES STRATEGIC APPROACH FOR INFRASTRUCTURE AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT

June 17, 2015

http://www.nan.on.ca/

THUNDER BAY – June 17, 2015) – Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) Grand Chief Harvey Yesno outlined plans for a strategic approach for infrastructure and community development in NAN territory at the opening of the 5th Annual Ontario Mining Forum in Thunder Bay today.

“NAN is currently developing a strategic and innovative strategy that will position our 49 First Nations as active partners in delivering and financing comprehensive regional transportation infrastructure across our territory in Ontario’s remote north,” said Grand Chief Harvey Yesno during his keynote address. “The development of transportation infrastructure will help our communities diversify their direct reliance on the mining economy while maximizing socio-economic benefits and providing new business opportunities that will help develop local economies and strengthen our Nation.”

Mining accounts for 20 per cent of Canada’s exports to global markets, according to a 2013 Conference Board of Canada report, with Northern Ontario home to the largest mineral mining industry in Canada. Instead of waiting for infrastructure plans developed by industry and government, NAN is moving forward with the identification of corridor options based on First Nation knowledge of local topography, sacred sites, cultural heritage, and environment and resource development activities. This new approach will provide certainty for First Nations and the business community.

Northern Ontario’s next boom must come from within – by Livio Di Matteo (Waterloo Region Record/Troy Media – June 3, 2015)

June 3, 2015

http://www.therecord.com/waterlooregion/

Livio Di Matteo is professor of economics at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

Ontario’s north has experienced slower economic growth than the rest of the province for decades. Its shrinking economic role within Ontario — rooted as it was in natural resource extraction and processing — is a constant economic and political issue that has vexed politicians and community economic leaders for nearly 50 years.

The crisis in the forestry sector and its more capital-intensive production methods have also led to reduced northern employment. Whereas in 2003 there were 373,000 jobs in northern Ontario, by 2013 the number had decline five per cent to 355,000. Even the favourable unemployment rates in major northern urban centres are illusory, given that they reflect a shrinking labour force.

Compare that to Ontario as a whole, which saw employment grow 11 per cent over the same period despite the manufacturing malaise.

One response from northern Ontario to the employment decline has been to rely more on government. But public administration, health and social assistance, and education together already make up nearly 30 per cent of employment in northern Ontario, compared to 24 per cent in the province as a whole.

Sudbury letter: Liberals fail the North: PC leader – by Patrick Brown (Sudbury Star – May 28, 2015)

June 1, 2015

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

Patrick Brown is the Ontario PC leader.

Re: New PC leader urged to speak up for Ring of Fire, May 24:

During my leadership campaign, I vowed to make Northern Ontario a priority. On Friday, one of my first trips as the new leader of the Ontario PC Party was meeting with the Northern community and visiting Ontario’s Ring of Fire.

Over the past 12 years, the Liberal government has ignored the value and potential of Northern Ontario. Just like her predecessor, Dalton McGuinty, who said “we are not going succeed in Ontario by pulling stuff out of the ground”, Premier Kathleen Wynne has also shown her disregard of Northern Ontario by ensuring no progress has been made in developing the Ring of Fire.

This Liberal government is failing to unlock the full economic potential of the Ring of Fire and instead continues to blame the federal government, which is simply asking for a plan and is not about to write a blank cheque.

[Howard Hampton Federal NDP Ring of Fire Advisor] Former Ontario NDP leader makes jump into federal politics (tbnewswatch.com – May 29, 2015)

May 29, 2015

http://www.tbnewswatch.com/default.aspx

Howard Hampton is getting into federal politics.

The former Provincial NDP leader announced Friday morning that he’s seeking the nomination for the federal NDP in Kenora. “The conservatives under Stephen Harper have not been kind to Northwestern Ontario,” he said.

This is a developing story. More will be published soon. You can read the full NDP-issued media release below

Hampton to seek the NDP nomination for Kenora

Thunder Bay – Howard Hampton announced today he will run for the NDP nomination for the federal riding of Kenora in the upcoming election.

“I’m excited to announce today that I will be seeking the NDP candidacy for the Kenora riding in the upcoming federal election,” said Hampton. “Whether it was as a provincial cabinet minister, MPP, NDP Leader, or Special Advisor to Tom Mulcair, I’ve proudly stood up and fought for the people of Northwestern Ontario for over 20 years. I hope to earn the support of the NDP members in the riding to run as their candidate.”

Liberals ‘out of touch’ [Northern Ontario and mining sector] PC leader says in Sudbury – by Harold Carmichael (Sudbury Star – May 29, 2015)

May 29, 2015

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

The Liberals are “out of touch” with Northern Ontario and the mining sector, and that’s why little progress has been made developing the Ring of Fire, Ontario’s new PC leader says.

In an interview with The Star, Patrick Brown referred to a statement made a few years ago by former Liberal Premier Dalton McGuinty that Ontario “must stop pulling stuff out of the ground” if it wanted to create new wealth and jobs.

“That shows how out of touch the Liberals are and their comprehension of the mining sector,” said Brown during a visit to Greater Sudbury on Thursday. “This is a $60-billion opportunity.

“Northern Ontario could be an economic driver for the entire country. And the NDP, they have gone along with their (Liberal) policies when it comes to mining and forestry.”

The so-called Ring of Fire is a mineral-rich find in northwestern Ontario containing chromite, nickel, copper and other minerals. At one point, Cliffs Natural Resources planned to ship chromite from a mine in the Ring of Fire to a plant in Capreol. Those plans have since been cancelled and Cliffs has withdrawn from the Ring of Fire.

Steady decline in FedNor funding – by Alan S. Hale (Timmins Daily Press – May 27, 2015)

May 27, 2015

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

Funding for Northern Ontario initiatives through FedNor has been reduced by 25% since the Conservatives came to power in Ottawa in 2006.

In addition to those cuts, over the past six years more than $14 million of available funding for the region was not spent at all. That’s according to annual financial reports that are accessible to the public online.

FedNor (Federal Economic Initiative for Northern Ontario) money is used fund anything from major infrastructure upgrades for Northern Ontario municipalities, to helping support fledgling businesses and small non-profit organizations.

The apparent scaling back of the program under the Conservatives has outraged MP Charlie Angus (NDP — Timmins-James Bay) who believes the Conservatives have sacrificed a program vital to the region’s economy to pay for their pre-election recent budget surplus.

“Quite clearly, the Conservatives are bad for business in Northern Ontario,” said Angus. “Cutting money from economic development is not how you build an economy. Tools like FedNor are essential for us to make sure we have a diversified economy because we are a boom/bust economy.

Patience key, judge tells Sudbury audience – by Jim Moodie (Sudbury Star – May 27, 2015)

May 27, 2015

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

Negotiating with First Nations in the Ring of Fire may be tricky, and take time, but the country can no longer justify ignoring or exploiting its aboriginal communities, a former supreme court judge said Tuesday.

“The project does illustrate how government and industry can, and should, take First Nations seriously in economic development,” Frank Iacobucci told a Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce luncheon series audience.

The veteran lawyer, who brokered an agreement in 2013 with the Matawa Tribal Council chiefs on behalf of the Ontario government, said he has been impressed with the leadership of aboriginal communities and the efforts they have made to engage their members.

“With that leadership and that engagement, there is more opportunity for agreements,” he said, while cautioning patience is often required. “It’s not a matter of being quick,” said Iacobucci. “It’s a matter of being right.”

As deputy minister of justice in the Mulroney government of the 1980s, Iacobucci worked on a constitutional amendment that would have afforded more political autonomy to First Nations.

New PC leader [Patrick Brown] urged to speak up for Ring of Fire – by Staff (Sudbury Star – May 25, 2015)

May 25, 2015

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

Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle is calling on the new leader of Ontario’s Progressive Conservatives to stand up to the Harper government and demand federal funding for the Ring of Fire.

Patrick Brown is the former Barrie Conservative MP who won the provincial PC leadership earlier this month. “Mr. Brown is no longer part of the federal Conservative caucus and has the opportunity to speak freely,” said Gravelle. “I hope he uses this as a chance to stand up for the North.”

Gravelle said the Liberal government of Premier Kathleen Wynne has committed $1 billion to develop the Ring of Fire and reached a regional framework agreement with the chiefs of the Matawa Tribal Council.

“Meanwhile, the federal government hasn’t stepped up to the plate,” said Gravelle. The Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP said Brown recognized the importance of the Ring of Fire in a leadership debate in Sudbury on Nov. 24, 2014.

Gravelle said Brown told an audience he believes there’s tremendous opportunity “for our party to highlight a credible plan for how we’re going to make sure … the Ring of Fore develops, and it’s going to be extremely beneficial to all Ontario, but especially Northern Ontario.”

Ontario’s new PC Leader [Patrick Brown] tours Ring of Fire with Nipissing MPP – by KA Smith (Bay Today – May 22, 2015)

May 25, 2015

http://www.baytoday.ca/

After a helicopter tour of the Ring of Fire, Ontario PC Leader Patrick Brown met with supporters at the Discovery North Bay Museum early Friday evening.

Brown told reporters, “I wanted to make my first trip as the Ontario PC leader to Northern Ontario to show it’s a priority for me.” Brown toured a parcel of the Ring of Fire with representatives of NORONT Resources and Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.

Brown is calling for the Ring of Fire to be at the centre of any economic plan for Northern Ontario. Brown denounced the Liberal government for their inaction. “Talk is cheap. There hasn’t been a single application. There hasn’t been a foot of road built and there hasn’t been a foot of rail built.”

“I just feel we’ve let down this opportunity. It is tremendously fortunate for Ontario to have resources like that, whether it’s the chromite or the nickel. Seeing the tests, and seeing the base camp reminds me sort of like a new frontier. This is an opportunity in North Ontario that we have to forge.”

Brown says there has to be an easing of red tape, energy costs have to come down and there must be a plan for transportation.

Excerpt From Call of the Northland: Riding the Train That Nearly Toppled a Government – by Thomas Blampied

May 21, 2015

To order a copy of Call of the Northland: Riding the Train That Nearly Toppled a Government, click here: http://www.northland-book.net/buy.html

Historian, author and photographer Thomas Blampied has been interested in railways for as long as he can remember. Growing up east of Toronto, he spent summer evenings sitting trackside with his father watching streamlined VIA trains race past and long freight trains rumble by. From these early railway experiences grew a lifelong passion for railways and rail travel which has manifested itself through model railroading, photography, writing, railway preservation and the academic study of railway history. This is his fourth book about railways in Ontario. He has studied in both Canada and the United Kingdom and currently resides in Southern Ontario.

Chapter 14: Transformation

After a year of no Northlander service, very little else had changed in the divestment saga. While Michael Gravelle was on record as stating that divestment was not the only option, the continued indecision and lack of transparency did not lend credibility to the government’s new position. For his part, Vic Fedeli was especially frustrated that documents related to divestment remained restricted. Meanwhile, the future of the ‘Ring of Fire’ appeared even less rosy.

Having failed in its request for an easement, Cliffs Natural Resources decided to appeal the decision, a move which would mean years of court proceedings. As Cliffs prepared for the long-haul, passengers on the ONTC’s buses gave up travelling at Thanksgiving as it was standing room only for a second year running, with even the most determined passengers opting to try to travel another day in the hopes of getting a seat.

The divestment was only one of many concerns in the north. To local leaders, the plight of the ONTC was symptomatic of wider problems in the region. While resource extraction continued across the north, raw material was increasingly being moved out of the province to be processed in other jurisdictions with cheaper energy costs.

Excerpt From Call of the Northland: Riding the Train That Nearly Toppled a Government – by Thomas Blampied

May 15, 2015

To order a copy of Call of the Northland: Riding the Train That Nearly Toppled a Government, click here: http://www.northland-book.net/buy.html

Chapter 4: The North

The next station was one I had been looking forward to for many years – Cobalt. Legend has it that the town’s silver bonanza was set off by one Fred La Rose, a blacksmith, who threw a hammer to scare away a fox. According to the tale, when his hammer missed the animal and hit the ground, it uncovered a vein of silver. While this story might be true, the credit for the first silver find goes to J.H. McKinley and Ernest Darragh, who were scouting for suitable timber for railway ties.

Their claim predated La Rose’s by a month and, besides, La Rose incorrectly identified his silver vein as copper. The approach to “Silver City,” renowned for its steep and winding streets, is truly special as the line carves a long, sweeping curve around the lakeshore before passing the station. We were one minute late at 4:21 but, with nobody there, we rolled right by the large station and on past the preserved mine buildings. This is what I had wanted to see for so long. Some of the most iconic shots of the ONR over the years have been taken from the road bridge overlooking this spot – with the mine to the left and the railway snaking around an “s” curve to the right.

[Ring of Fire] Minister marks mining week at TSX – by Carol Mulligan (Sudbury Star – May 15, 2015)

May 15, 2015

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

Anyone who says the federal government isn’t doing anything to advance development of the Ring of Fire hasn’t been paying attention, says Natural Resources Minister Greg Rickford.

Rickford initiated the siren at the opening of business Thursday at the Toronto Stock Exchange to mark National Mining Week, a celebration of Canada’s leadership and expertise in the industry.

The minister hand-picked a who’s who of “movers and shakers” from Northern Ontario to accompany him at the ceremony and they met in a round-table session afterward to discuss mining in the Ring of Fire

Among those invited were Frank Smeenk, president and chief executive officer of KWG Resources, and Alan Coutts, president and CEO of Noront Resources. Noront recently purchased the assets of Cliffs Natural Resources in the Ring of Fire, making it the biggest player in the Ring.

Rickford took the opportunity when addressing the stock exchange to list the ways in which the Conservative government of Prime Minister Stephen Harper has been working to get ready for mining the rich chromite deposits in the James Bay lowlands.