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Northern Ontario Separation and Alienation

End of the line for Northlander – by Kyle Gennings (Timmins Daily Press – September 28, 2012)

The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – The morning mist was still burning off when The Northlander pulled away from the Cochrane Train Station early Friday morning, departing as it has for the past 36 years, bound for Toronto’s Union Station. This trip however, had a very different significance.

It was the last trek south that The Northlander would make. The last day that it would serve as the main passenger artery from the Northeast to the south. The last day that it would provide its legendary comfort, ease of use and reliability.

Friday was the latest nail in the coffin of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and its rail passengers service in the North.

“This is a very sad day,” said Black River-Matheson Mayor Mike Milinkovich. The Matheson station was a key link for Timmins residents. It’s where the shuttle bus would take passengers bound for the Northlander.

“This train has been in operation under one name or another for 105 years, now that legacy is at risk,” he said. Despite the fact that as far as the McGuinty government is concerned, this is the trains last trip down the rails, northern Mayors like Milinkovich aren’t throwing in the towel just yet.

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Boom in the making [Northwestern Ontario mining] – Kris Ketonen (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – September 28, 2012)

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

The full study can be found at:  http://www.thunderbayventures.com/upload/documents/mining-in-northwestern-ontario.pdf

Northwestern Ontario stands to reap huge financial rewards when the region’s developing mining sector matures, but a great deal of time and money must be invested to ensure the region is ready, a new study states.

Mining in Northwestern Ontario: Opportunities and Challenges examined several in-development mining projects, and found that when up and running, thy have the potential to create more than 13,000 jobs in the region alone, and the yet-to-be mined minerals and metals found here have a value of around $136 billion.

In addition, more than $16 billion in tax revenue is expected to be collected by the provincial, federal and relevant municipal governments during the average 17.5-year lifetime of the mines.

“There are a few objectives we had for this report,” Bahram Dadgostar, dean of Lakehead University’s faculty of business and one of the study’s authors, said Thursday after the release of the report.

“One is to make sure that communities are aware of the wealth that we have underground here, and the opportunities that we can have when we explore that. “And second is (to) make government aware of the wealth here and the profit that they can get out of it if they . . . effectively contribute to the process.”

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Ontario unwilling to answer north-south funding questions: economist – CBC Radio Sudbury (September 25, 2012)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/

Northern Ontario gives more than it gets, according to some northerners, but the government hasn’t crunched those numbers

A prominent economist is calling on the provincial government to figure out if northern Ontario is being subsidized by the south.

There has long been debate about whether the region contributes more to the province in taxes than it receives back in funding and Laurentian University economics professor David Robinson said the government seems unwilling to crunch those numbers.

“I’ve had two ministers tell me they would get it done and they haven’t,” Robinson said. “So I think the evidence is either somebody’s telling them it’s too costly and impossible — in which case they are incompetent — or they just don’t want to release those numbers.”

A spokesperson for the ministry of Northern Development and Mines said it is impossible to determine if northern Ontario pays more than it gets back from the government — partially because tax revenue can’t be narrowed down to specific regions of Ontario.

The question of whether northern Ontario is getting its fair share was highlighted again recently with the final trek of the Northlander train, which will make its last journey north at the end of the week.

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Northerners ponder separating from Ontario – CBC Radio Sudbury (September 24, 2012)

http://www.cbc.ca/news/

Province’s decision to sell the ONTC has leaders wondering if the region is getting its fair share. The Northlander Train is set to make its final journey between Toronto and Cochrane this week, leaving behind many people who are still furious about the province’s decision to sell the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission.

The move has disgruntled northerners who wonder — yet again — if the region is getting its fair share. It’s a sentiment that’s been expressed many times over the years by disgruntled taxpayers who think it might be in northern Ontario’s best interest to separate and become its own province.

The president of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities said municipal politicians in the region feel they are being treated unfairly. “The action this government has taken, they had promised a fair, open and transparent process and we feel that it’s fallen substantially short of that to date,” Al Spacek said. “So … they are not happy with the provincial government over this decision.”

He noted municipal politicians in the north don’t feel they have solid representation at the provincial level and said the region needs a strong voice at Queens Park so good decisions are made for the north.

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Northern train works, so why not keep it – by Dick Crawford (Peterborough Examiner – September 23, 2012)

http://www.thepeterboroughexaminer.com/

Dick Crawford is president of Crawford Building Consultants in Lakefield.

I recently had an opportunity to ride the Ontario Northland train from Toronto to Cochrane and back. I had an opportunity to observe firsthand the operation and service on this train, which operates six times per week. Here are some observations why this service is of such good quality and necessary for Ontarians.

I found the train to be clean and well maintained, with excellent staff service. The passenger train appears to be well patronized, not just by local users, but also by college and university students travelling to and from school, and a significant number of people travelling to tourist destinations to access canoeing and hiking. I noted the existence of a well-organized bus feeder service to nearby towns such as Hearst and Timmins. This train is a lifeline for northern residents to connect to the south, especially for much needed medical appointments.

I don’t understand why such a well-organized and patronized service should be removed. Consider that almost all the G8 and G20 countries are expanding railroad service. Why is Canada cutting back? The G8 and G20 countries consider train service to be a nation-builder and an efficient connector of people. It is well documented that there is nothing more efficient than a steel wheel on a steel rail.

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MPP to McGuinty: Keep rail freight division – by Staff (North Bay Nugget – September 24, 2012)

http://www.nugget.ca/

The provincial government should retain Ontario Northland’s rail freight division, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said in a letter hand-delivered to Premier Dalton McGuinty’s office.

At the same time, Fedeli said, Northern Development Minister Rick Bartolucci should be replaced, while responsibility for the ONTC is shifted to the Ministry of Transportation.

Fedeli said the recommendations are a result of months of study which found the government will achieve no savings through its “ONTC fire sale.”

“Based on what I’ve found and what I’ve heard, it’s clear . . . that Ontario Northland’s rail freight service is strategic infrastructure that is critical to economic development and private sector job creation in Northern Ontario,” Fedeli said in a media release Monday.

“That’s why the stakeholders believe the rail freight division must remain publicly owned. It should be treated the same way as highways and other essential services.”

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Sudden decision to drop rail service in [Ontario] North no surprise – by Wayne Snider (Sudbury Star – September 22, 2012)

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

It should come as no great surprise that municipal leaders across Northeastern Ontario are hopping mad with the provincial government over the sell-off of the ONTC.

The Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, which is publicly funded by the province, has been a key catalyst to industrial growth throughout the region. While disappointed with the decision to divest the ONTC, the real anger stems from how the issue has been handled by the government.

Leaders from Northeastern Ontario were promised by the ruling Liberals they would be consulted along the way, as things progressed. But late last month, Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci suddenly announced Ontario Northland rail service would be shut down in September.

That prompted an angry response from the Federation of Northeastern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), which represents 110 cities and towns across the region.

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Northlander shutdown shows Liberals are clueless on the northern Ontario – by Peter Worthington (QMI Agency/Toronto Sun – September 14, 2012)

http://www.torontosun.com/home

TORONTO – Why do governments do what they do — especially when it makes no sense? In March, the McGuinty government announced that the rail service between Toronto and Cochrane would cease — that after Friday, Sept. 28, the Northlander would no longer service communities on the 700-km route.

This means that communities such as Gravenhurst, Bracebridge, Huntsville, North Bay, Temagami, New Liskeard, Swastika, Cochrane and points in between will lose their train service. Instead, the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC) will rely on buses to service the communities.

Northern Development Minister Rick Bartolucci explained the decision: “No government has worked harder than ours … to make the ONTC viable. Our priority is to invest in areas that matter most to northerners such as health care, highways and the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.”

Supposedly, costs of maintaining the one-train per day to and from Cochrane have escalated from $28 million a year to $100 million. If you’ll pardon the expression, what a load of crock.

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MP foresees fiery clash [mining and First Nations]- by Ron Grech (Timmins Daily Press – September 12, 2012)

 The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – MP Charlie Angus (NDP — Timmins-James Bay) foresees a clash between First Nations and mining companies within the Ring of Fire. He believes the federal government has a role to play in helping to prevent it.
 
“We could end up with clashes on the ground and it seems to be a lot opportunity to have conflict over this,” Angus said Wednesday. “I’ve talked to First Nations and I’ve talked to mining companies in the North who are both very frustrated about the fact when it comes to these negotiations, the feds are not at the table.
 
“We need to be partners together for development. What we want to see is the feds sitting down at the table” along with the province, First Nation communities and mining companies. The Daily Press asked Angus about building tensions within the James Bay lowlands during a wide-ranging interview on Wednesday in advance of the fall session of parliament which begins Monday.
 
Among the key concerns for Angus is the plan to increase size of the Timmins-James Bay federal riding which is already larger than some European countries.

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Tar and feathers suitable for [Ontario] premier and minister – by Mac Dysart (Timmins Daily Press – September 7, 2012)

 The Daily Press is the city of Timmins broadsheet newspaper.

TIMMINS – If these were the days of the old western frontier, these men, after being rounded up by the posse, would probably have been dealt the most severe consequences of the old western judicial system for their complete disregard, humiliation and disrespect to country and fellow man. I am speaking of no one other than Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines, and Dalton McGuilty. (excuse the pun in spelling.)
 
Have we ever received a grant or a visit from Bart? Not that I know of! Have we ever seen McGuilty here? No!
 
These two men alone, especially Bart, a supposedly true northerner, since being appointed to this post by Dalton McGuilty, are doing more to ruin the structure of Northern Ontario than anyone in our history, and should and must, stand responsible for their actions of dissembling the Northeast Corridor of this province.
 
(Dr. David Suzuki fits into this category also, with his environmental issues, but that’s another story.) These actions should be declared an act against humanity, of which everyone must be held accountable, and these two are no exception to the rule.
 
The most eastern section of the North, including the Ontario Northland Railroad corridor, the very spinal system of the great North, does not fit into their vision as part of what we calls the North.

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Is it FedNor or FedMusk? – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (September 4, 2012)

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

Tony Clement has to go. His time as the boss of FedNor needs to end. Failing that, it’s time the Harper Conservatives admit they just aren’t interested in the concept of a regional economic development agency for Northern Ontario and end the farce that FedNor has become.

A news release issued Friday touted the creation of youth employment “across Northern Ontario” through the funding of 15 internships. As with most government press releases, it tries to make a big deal out of something that really won’t have a big impact. In fact, many of the internships are with organizations funded through taxpayers, so really it’s just draining the FedNor pot to help other tax spenders make their books look good.

What’s appalling is that seven of the 15 internships are in Clement’s riding of Parry Sound-Muskoka. The lone Northwestern Ontario riding represented by a Conservative didn’t fair so good. Greg Rickford’s Kenora riding accounted for zero out of 15 internships. Maybe if Rickford — or anyone not named Tony Clement — was the FedNor minister, the distribution wouldn’t have been so heavily weighted in one riding.

Clement clearly has not learned his lesson, and Prime Minister Stephen Harper clearly has not realized he needs to reel in this guy.

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Windmills, trains and Dalton McGuinty’s tin ear – by Thomas Walkom (Toronto Star – September 5, 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.

Ontario outside of Greater Toronto is not universally happy with Dalton McGuinty’s Liberals. This is understatement. In North Bay, there is palpable anger at McGuinty’s decision to shut down the government-owned Ontario Northland Railway, a mainstay of the city since 1902.
 
In an unusually confrontational move, the president of the local chamber of commerce has called on Northern Development Minister Rick Bartolucci to resign over the decision — one expected to affect about 1,000 jobs. Farther north, in Timmins, posters opposing the ONR shutdown dot the city’s main streets.
 
Timmins has relied on the ONR to move semi-processed ore from the area’s mines. But there’s also a sense — even from people who rarely use the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission’s trains or buses — that the Liberal decision is a slap in their collective face.
 
McGuinty strategists may tell themselves that the three northeastern ridings through which the ONR runs don’t vote Liberal anyway — or at least didn’t in the last election.

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Bartolucci should fend off calls for his resignation – by Brian MacLeod (Sudbury Star – September 5, 2012)

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

Sudbury MPP Rick Bartolucci is right to reject calls for his resignation or retirement in favour of a byelection. He is facing a storm of controversy over the privatization of the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission, but Bartolucci’s track record more than compensates for the difficulties he’s facing on behalf of a government trying to deal with a $15 billion deficit.
 
Bartolucci has had a productive career — at least, productive for his riding. It is understandable that people in North Bay, Timmins and Kapuskasing are upset. They’re losing their train service in favour of expanded bus service. In North Bay, hundreds of jobs may be lost if whoever buys the ONTC closes the rail service centre.
 
But the North was never going to escape the austerity provisions of a Liberal government. And this was indeed a government decision, not just a decision by Bartolucci in his capacity as minister of Northern Development and Mines. Look at who is affected the most, and look at the McGuinty government’s track record in such decisions. When the Liberals cancelled six major hospital projects in the last budget, five of them were in Progressive Conservative ridings, including one in Tory leader Tim Hudak’s home riding.

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We Love the [Ontario Northlander] Train, But Really … by Steve Paikin (The Inside Agenda Blog – August 29, 2012)

http://theagenda.tvo.org/blog

Ron Brown’s op-ed piece in the August 29 Toronto Star about how much the Northlander would be missed gave me pause. Ron describes in eloquent detail that seeing Northern Ontario through the windows of The Northlander is one of life’s wondrous experiences.
 
But do you know what we’re paying for that experience? Apparently too much for the McGuinty government’s liking, particularly as it tries to bite into a $15 billion deficit.
 
It’s true that all forms of transportation are subsidized. Taxpayers foot the bill for the roads our buses travel on. And the rails our subways and streetcars and GO Trains ride on. Come to think of it, taxpayers pay for those subway and surface trains, and streetcars too. And once upon a time, they paid to build all of the country’s airports.
 
But the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission (ONTC), while an enriching experience, is being subsidized to the tune of $400 per rider. The GO Train gets less than a $2 subsidy per rider.

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Hurricane makes tracks for minister [Bartolucci] – by Brian MacLeod (Sudbury Star – August 30, 2012)

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

Health Minister Deb Matthews isn’t the only Ontario Liberal cabinet minster under siege. Flying under that radar is a storm of pressure on Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci.
 
The Liberals’ decision in March to sell off the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission has put him in the eye of Hurricane North. The ONTC supplies bus and rail service to northeastern Ontario, and it runs a communications company that provides phone and Internet service.
 
The century-old agency was founded to facilitate the boom in mining and forestry, but times have changed, and Bartolucci says the $100-million annual subsidy, which means each passenger ride on the Northlander train is subsidized by $400, is no longer feasible when the government faces a $15-billion deficit.
 
Bus service will be contracted out so transportation to Toronto remains available, which is important for those who need access to health-care facilities in southern Ontario.

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