Northern Ontario Separation and Alienation – Page 10

‘Rugged’ first year as MPP [Vic Fedeli Northern Ontario issues] – by Gord Young (North Bay Nugget – December 29, 2012)

December 29, 2012

http://www.nugget.ca/

The ongoing saga of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission will remain this riding’s top issue in the new year, says Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli.

In a year-end interview, Fedeli said he believes rail will likely be the next division to be sold after Ontera, the ONTC’s telecommunications division.

“I think they’re scrambling to sell Ontera as quickly as possible,” said Fedeli, noting the provincial Conservatives have called for the rail freight division to remain public, plus a strategic review of the remainder of the Crown agency.

A request for proposals was issued Dec. 17 for the purchase of Ontera to firms that pre-qualified as potential buyers in October; and the province has said the successful bidder will be announced in the spring. The province has also indicated it hopes to complete rest of the divestment process by spring as well.

Fedeli said it’s difficult to say what the strategic review his party has promised would involve because it’s unclear what ONTC assets will be left by the time there’s a provincial election.

He said the Conservatives would also move the ONTC from under the Ministry of Northern Development to the Ministry of Transportation. In addition, Fedeli said he signed a petition supporting the proposed New Deal to revitalize the ONTC involving the creation of federal ports authority because it involves keeping the rail freight division in public hands, as well as the transporting of ore from the Ring of Fire chromite find in the James Bay area via rail.

Mining, forestry on MPPs’ agendas for 2013 – by CBC Radio Sudbury (December 28, 2012)

December 29, 2012

http://www.cbc.ca/sudbury/

Area members of provincial parliament want to expand northern Ontario economy

Northern members of provincial parliament are setting their agendas for 2013, but many MPPs don’t seem to be on the same page. For Sudbury Liberal MPP Rick Bartolucci, the coming year needs to focus on promoting mining in northern Ontario.

“If you’re a mining company, this is where you want to be, because it’s booming,” he said. New Democrat France Gelinas said she wants to see a stimulated economy that will produce better paying jobs.

The Nickel Belt MPP said “way too many people can’t make ends meet. There are some jobs that we have recovered since the recession, but a lot of those jobs are precarious.”

Growing forestry

Over in Nipissing, Vic Fedeli said forestry is at the top of his agenda. The conservative MPP said he wants to re-introduce his private member’s bill to allow buildings taller than two stories to be built with wood — a bill that was lost after prorogation.

“All it needed was to come to the floor for one minute and have a vote and we would have had six-storey wood building in Ontario,” Fedeli said.

Liberal hopeful backs [Ring of Fire] rail system – by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – December 21, 2012)

December 21, 2012

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – Ontario Liberal leadership candidate Charles Sousa is a strong supporter of rail systems and believes more needs to be done to enhance the service throughout the province.

During a stop Thursday in Timmins, Sousa’s declared support for Ontario Northland Transportation Commission fell short of offering to reverse the government’s current plans to privatize the ONTC if he succeeds in being elected provincial Liberal leader.

“I have advocated for increases in transportation,” Sousa said during an interview with The Daily Press. “I have said we need high-speed rail throughout the southern corridor and we need the ONTC or the rail system going up the North, to the spine up to the Ring of Fire. We need to have these transportation systems in place.”

Partnership with private enterprise is the key to developing enhanced rail systems, Sousa said.

Sousa is one of seven candidates running for the Ontario Liberal leadership. He is at least the third candidate to have come through Timmins during this current campaign. The party will elect its new leader to replace Premier Dalton McGuinty at a convention being held in Toronto Jan. 25-27.

The Mississauga South MPP was asked what he would do to address the overriding sense in the region that Queen’s Park is out of touch with Northern Ontario.

More support to revitalise ONTC – by Henry Lazenby (MiningWeekly.com -December 18, 2012)

December 18, 2012

http://www.miningweekly.com/page/americas-home

TORONTO (miningeekly.com) – The New Deal for Northern Ontario, an initiative to revitalise the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), build a rail link to the Ring of Fire and create thousands of new jobs, on Monday said it is gaining traction as more role-players voice support for the initiative.

Liberal leadership candidate Harinder Takhar recently issued a policy statement calling for “Divestiture of the ONTC to an independent, self-sustaining organisation, and the development of a new rail line for the ‘Ring of Fire’ operations.”

Takhar’s statement is closely aligned with the New Deal plan to transfer ownership of provincially-held ONTC’s railroad and other assets to a new ports authority to be operated under the Canada Marine Act. ONTC operations will be strengthened, and a new rail line to the Ring of Fire mineral deposits will be developed to ship chromite, nickel and other minerals and finished products to markets around the world.

MPP Glen Murray, another Liberal leadership candidate, has called on the government to “pause” its plan to divest the ONTC, while Gerard Kennedy is seeking a “review” of the sell-off decision and further examination of ONTC’s potential role in developing the Ring of Fire mineral deposits. Candidate Charles Sousa, meanwhile, supports “a sustainable, reliable ONTC that connects the North and supports jobs.”

Liberal leadership rivals clash on autonomy for northern Ontario – by Maria Babbage (iPolitics.ca – December 10, 2012)

December 18, 2012

http://www.ipolitics.ca/

THUNDER BAY, Ont. – Ontario’s Liberal leadership contenders clashed Sunday over the question of whether northern Ontario should be given more independence to resolve its own economic and social issues.

Facing off in Thunder Bay for the second official debate, the seven rivals tried to fight the perception that the governing Liberals are too Toronto-centric and neglecting a region that will likely become one of the toughest battlegrounds in the next provincial election.

It may be a difficult sell, given the slow progress in building infrastructure to develop the Ring of Fire chromite deposit and the cash-strapped government’s decision to privatize the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and freeze a key energy project.

Other problems plaguing the Liberals were on display outside the lecture hall at Lakehead University, where dozens of labour and anti-wind turbine protesters picketed the debate. Most were from the union representing public high-school teachers, who wanted to show their displeasure with a controversial new law that gives the government the power to stop strikes, freeze wages and cut benefits.

Inside, the candidates answered pre-selected questions centering on education, aboriginal and northern issues. But the discussion kept circling back to whether northern Ontario should have the power to make its own decisions on creating jobs, tackling aboriginal issues and maintaining public services.

NEWS RELEASE: Support Builds for New Deal to Revitalize Ontario Northland, Connect Ring of Fire

December 17, 2012

• More stakeholders demand government pause its ONTC sell-off plan

• New website launches today to support the New Deal

NORTH BAY, ONTARIO (Dec. 17, 2012) – The New Deal for Northern Ontario www.newdealnorth.ca), an initiative to revitalize the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), build a rail link to the Ring of Fire and create thousands of new jobs, has expanded its base of support among key stakeholders.

Liberal leadership candidate Harinder Takhar recently issued a policy statement calling for “Divestiture of the ONTC to an independent, self-sustaining organization, and the development of a new rail line for the ‘Ring of Fire’ operations.”

2012 is Northern Ontario’s 100th birthday – by Gordon Dowsley (Toronto Star – December 16, 2012)

December 16, 2012

The Toronto Star has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.

Gordon Dowsley, a consultant in international development with specialization in the financial sector, teaches courses at the seniors center in Oshawa on history, geography and art.

Before the year slips away, we should celebrate the centennial of Northern Ontario. Not of its existence of course, for its Canadian Shield rock has been here for a billion years. However, its political boundaries were only established in 1912.

After Confederation, Ontario did not extend much beyond the Great Lakes. But in 1870 the new Canada bought all the land draining into Hudson Bay for £300,000. That launched a battle over which provincial government ruled what.

In 1884, the eastern border of Northern Ontario and Quebec was set, a straight line bisecting Lake Timiskaming. This set off a series of events led by one Charles Farr. He had surveyed land around Hailebury, named after his school in England, and New Liskeard.

This is not shield country but the Great Clay Belt. Cloaked in all the biases of his era, he lobbied Queen’s Park to settle the clay belt and set up a wall of English Protestants in the face of the French Catholics across the lake.

Promoting regional autonomy as a campaign issue raises expectations – by Lloyd H. Mack (Kenora Daily Miner & News – December 13, 2012)

December 14, 2012

http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/

During my tenure in Kenora I have often thought there was a closer affinity between this region of the country and Manitoba than Southern Ontario. So it only makes sense a former ‘Toban, Glen Murray, would call for the creation of a regional government for Northern Ontario.

Murray, who served as mayor of Winnipeg from 1998 to 2004, now lives in Toronto and is MPP for Toronto Centre. He’s presently on the campaign trail as a candidate in the 2013 Ontario Liberal Party leadership race. At an all-candidates debate in Thunder Bay on Sunday, Murray displayed an understanding of northern and rural issues by voicing the idea of a regional government that would administrate transportation, energy and regionally relevant legislation such as the Northern Growth Act and the Far North Act.

Four of Murray’s rivals embraced the idea of giving northerners a louder voice in decisions that directly affect them, but make no mistake none of the leadership candidates are using the ‘S’ word. In fact, Kathleen Wynne cautioned this kind of policy idea can’t be viewed as the Liberal Party supporting the idea of Northern Ontario separating from the rest of the province.

But Murray drew a parallel between how a regional government could address the unique needs of the North and the way the 2007 City of Toronto Act allowed the province’s population centre to levy taxes for administrating some of its provincial affairs.

NOMA calls on Ontario political leaders to outline relationship they envision with the North – by Jon Thompson (Kenora Daily Miner & News – December 12, 2012)

December 14, 2012

http://www.kenoradailyminerandnews.com/

Murray has released a platform that would grant Northern Ontario its own government within the province. Elected alongside municipal councils, it would have taxation powers, administrate legislation with Northern relevance and have a degree of autonomy over energy and transportation portfolios.

NOMA is calling on other Liberal candidates as well as Ontario’s PCs and NDP to let their views be known on what kind of relationship they envision between Queen’s Park and Northwestern Ontario.

“We’re looking not just at the Liberal Party because of their leadership race. That’s what spurred it but we’re looking for all parties to buy in to this concept of the decision-making process in the Northwest, by the Northwest for the Northwest,” Canfield said, speaking on NOMA’s behalf. “An MPP out of Toronto, who is a little bit more familiar with our region than most of them are, has brought this up in the leadership race, it was a perfect opportunity. We’ve been saying this for years.”

Canfield insisted the Northwest needs an independent deal from the Northeast, as Calgary is closer to Kenora than is Sudbury, yet he sees three legislative buildings and three planning acts when he looks the same distance to the west.

Why Ontario has a strong economic case for seceding from Canada – by John Ibbitson (Globe and Mail – December 13, 2012)

December 13, 2012

Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

“But prosperity will prove elusive, unless $12-billion that flows out of Ontario
annually is used at home – to retrain unemployed workers, to expand public transit
in Greater Toronto and to supply the needed roads, energy and Internet without
which Northern Ontario’s Ring of Fire, touted as the most promising Canadian mining
development in a century, will never reach its full potential.” (John Ibbitson)

If it were simply a question of dollars and cents, Ontario should separate from Canada, now. This is emphatically not the conclusion of a new report by the Ontario Chamber of Commerce on the punishment that Ottawa inflicts on Canada’s economic heartland. But so damning is the evidence contained in that report that the sentiment is hard to suppress.

A copy of “A Federal Agenda for Ontario”, released Thursday, was provided in advance to The Globe and Mail. It details the manifold ways in which federal policies punish Ontario workers and the Ontario economy.

‘Twas ever thus, but at least in the past Ontario was wealthy enough to bear the burden. No more. “Ontario needs to think of how it can reinvent itself and reinvent its economy,” Allan O’Dette, president of the Ontario Chamber of Commerce, said in an interview.

North getting some attention – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Jouranl Editorial (December 11, 2012)

December 11, 2012

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

SEVEN Ontario Liberals who want to lead the party came to a weekend debate in Thunder Bay, mainly to say how they’d do the North differently. Each of them had some proposal for a new degree of autonomy here. Each of them recognized that their party, and the others, have failed to tend to the North enough over the years and promised that, if selected to replace outgoing Premier Dalton McGuinty, things up here will be different.

We say “up here” because all of the candidates are from deep in southern Ontario and, naturally, have not had a lot to do with the North until now.

Now, they are turning their backs, to one degree or another, on what their government has done concerning Northern Ontario in order to convince Northerners that a Liberal party under their leadership will do things better. It will provide the North with more decision-making, a bigger share in its own resources and more attention to lingering issues of social inequality. Despite this region’s long sense of alienation from Queen’s Park, each of them suddenly understands the North. And yet all of them have been cabinet ministers, some as recently as October. What’s changed?

Their personal aspirations. Whereas they used to be concerned with their own ridings and their particular cabinet responsibilities, now they must think of Ontario as a whole. Now, the North matters.

Liberal candidate calls for new Northern Ontario government – by Karen Howlett (Globe and Mail – December 10, 2012)

December 10, 2012

Globe and Mail is Canada’s national newspaper with the second largest broadsheet circulation in the country. It has enormous influence on Canada’s political and business elite.

Liberal leadership contender Glen Murray is once again displaying a strong focus on northern and rural issues and a willingness to put forward new policy ideas.

At an all-candidates debate in Thunder Bay on Sunday, Mr. Murray called for the creation of a regional government for Northern Ontario, one that would make decisions on a range of policies that directly affect the area, including job-training programs, transportation and electricity prices.

Strengthening the relationship with residents of Northern Ontario is a key priority for the Liberal Party, one it has been accused of neglecting under outgoing Premier Dalton McGuinty.

The booming mining industry – centred around an exploration area in the James Bay Lowlands known as the Ring of Fire – needs “made-in-the-North” decisions, said Mr. Murray, a former mayor of Winnipeg who now represents an urban riding in Toronto.

[Ontario] Energy policy unintelligible – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (November 30, 2012)

December 5, 2012

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

IT is becoming increasingly difficult, if not impossible, to understand Ontario’s energy policy. No more so than in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario where the policy is marked by fits and starts instead of a stable program for reliable electricity that grows with demonstrated need.

Ontario is short of revenue and it is at times short of electricity. More electricity can and will lead to more revenue, both in terms of general economic development and through taxation. The recent Ambassadors study by Lakehead University demonstrated clearly that if just the nine most promising mining projects in this region proceed, $135 billion will be spent and $17 billion will be paid in taxes, a third of it to Ontario.

It is not an exaggeration to say that the new Northwestern mining boom can be the economic driver for all of Ontario. But it must have the electrical power on hand to run things.

As this newspaper reported Wednesday, as part of its responsible clean-air goal to phase out coal-burning power plants, Ontario drew up plans to convert the Thunder Bay Generating Station to natural gas.

Independent policy analysis for Northern Ontario – by David Robinson (Canadian Government Executive – Vol. #18 Issue #9 – November 26, 2012)

December 5, 2012

http://www.canadiangovernmentexecutive.ca/

Dr. David Robinson, is director of the Institute for Northern Ontario Research and Development at Laurentian University.

We are entering what Neil Bradford calls the third wave of Canadian regional development policy, which recognizes the importance of regions in national-provincial economic growth.

The word “northern” in Ontario means something quite different from northern in the rest of Canada. Northern Ontario is southern Canada. Almost all the population of Northern Ontario lives south of Vancouver, and more than 99 percent live south of Edmonton. It is a region larger than Alberta, Saskatchewan or Manitoba, and larger than the four Atlantic provinces. It would have been a province, in fact, if forward thinking Torontonians had not engaged in a bit of successful colonial expansion.

Northern Ontario provides a striking example of how regional differences complicate provincial policymaking. The south of the province is part of one of the world’s most powerful economies: 56 percent of Canada’s population lives and works in a tiny strip 1,100 kilometers long, just 100 km wide bordering the largest market in the world. The rich, industrial Windsor-Quebec corridor, can go toe-to-toe with the famous “Asian Tigers.” Modesty aside, it is the historic heart of Canada and still the economic engine of the country.

The south is dealing with massive urban growth and immigration. The north is an economically depressed region despite the current mining boom, and Ontario forecasts zero population growth over the next 25 years.

Power plant costs pile up – by Bryan Meadows (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – November 28, 2012)

November 28, 2012

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

The bills are piling up amid failed attempts to convert the coal-fired Thunder Bay Generating Station to alternate fuels. The Chronicle-Journal has learned that Ontario Power Generation has cancelled a contract with Union Gas, at a cost of more than $5 million, that would have tied the power station to the Union Gas pipeline system.

The project was integral to converting the coal-fired plant to burning natural gas as fuel. Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson said Tuesday that the Liberal government has now spent $20 million on its on-again, off-again plans to convert the Thunder Bay GS from coal to natural gas.

“If the government’s going to spend $20 million, they should walk away with something more than the bill they hand ratepayers,” Bisson said. “Instead of building responsibly to meet our province’s electricity needs, this Liberal government spends whatever they need to meet their party’s needs at election time.”

Bisson noted that the conversion of the Thunder Bay plant from coal to gas has been started and stopped twice. Conversion of the plant was announced in 2005 but the plan was cancelled in 2006. In August 2011, work started again, but it stopped this month.