NDP, Steve Mantis
Establish a Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs office in Thunder Bay to assist and facilitate the ever-growing needs of Aboriginal people in the City and Region.
Yes, we would establish an office of the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs in Thunder Bay.
Develop Provincial energy policies that provide competitive pricing and energy sufficient to meet the supply needs anticipated for industrial and residential growth in the North.
While we consolidate hydro agencies in a careful and prudent manner, we are proposing to lower the threshold for eligibility in the existing Global Adjustment program (i.e. heavy user industrial hydro rate) to all companies with interval meters in energy intensive sectors province-wide.
Sectors for which the threshold will be lowered include Mining and forest product industries – sectors central to the Northern Ontario economy. This means all Northern Ontario saw mills would be eligible for the lower industrial rate.
We will extend the Northern Industrial Electrical program (NIER) passed its expiry date of March 31, 2013.
The NIER program is presently scheduled to expire on March 31, 2013. Unlike the Liberals, we have included $100 million in our Northern plan to continue this vital program that contributes so much to the industrial competiveness of Northern industry.
These measures will create jobs and contribute to the industrial competitiveness of Northern Ontario. Groups such as the OFIA and OMA are supportive of these two NDP hydro initiatives.
We will also invest in the Northern grid - two examples of grid expansion we would support include:
- East-West Tie: Nipigon by Wawa - There is significant interest in renewable generation in the Northwest and the existing transmission system provides limited capability to transfer power from such new sources to load in southern Ontario. This new line would help alleviate this bottleneck issue.
- North-South Tie/Barrie by GTA: There is significant renewable generation potential in northern Ontario but there is limited ability to transfer it to high demand centres. The North-South Tie and the Barrie to GTA lines will provide a significant increase in the ability to transfer generation to the large GTA market.
Commit to the principles of the Northern Ontario Growth Plan and support its implementation including devolution of decision-making authority to Northerners.
While the NDP supports the principles of Northern Ontario Growth Plan, the NDP was quite frankly shocked at the lack of specifics in the Plan. We have announced numerous specific policies to encourage Northern growth including the 2-part industrial hydro rate program described above; a real, job creating forest tenure modernization program; a complete overhaul of the Far North Act; and an incentive for capital investment that would be particularly valuable to Northern industries such as the mining industry. Visit our Respect for the North site for more details. (www.respectforthenorth.ca)
Support enhanced dedicated municipal infrastructure funding that addresses the many challenges of public infrastructure in Ontario.
We would fund a 3-year, $35 billion infrastructure program which contains many priorities in the North. We would also add a $210 million roads and bridges infrastructure fund for small towns and rural areas that would greatly benefit the North.
Provide basic community services in Thunder Bay for users who require culturally sensitive services such as;
1. Withdrawal management and crisis housing for people dealing with serious substance use issues.
2. Regional Transitional Housing for people visiting the region who require support and services not offered in their home communities.
We would take a close look at funding additional withdrawal management and crisis housing for people dealing with serious substance use issues as well as regional transitional issues.
Provide alternate Non-Emergent Transportation for residents of Thunder Bay and the District served by Superior North Emergency Medical Service (EMS).
Ontario’s New Democrats recognize that a lack of access to health care services continues to be a problem for many of those living in the North. Non-emergency transportation—and the reimbursement of these medically necessary trips – is a central concern. For too long, it has been clear that the Northern Health Travel Grant is outdated, inflexible, and bureaucratic. Patients, physicians, and health care experts have all called for an overhaul of the program so it actually meets the needs of Northerners.
That is why New Democrats will revamp the program. We will create an online application, in addition to the paper application. Although reimbursements under this program are supposed to take 8-10 weeks, many people are waiting four months, or longer, to be reimbursed. For Northerners who must make multiple trips for medical care, the long delay in being reimbursed is forcing them to cancel appointments because they cannot afford to keep putting money upfront. We will ensure that claims are processed within 30 days and if that deadline is missed patients will receive interest on the money they were forced to wait for.
Adopt an Ontario Crime Prevention Strategy that provides core funding for crime prevention initiatives to municipal crime prevention councils.
Yes, we would provide core funding for crime prevention initiatives to municipal crime prevention councils.
Support in principle the development of a new Thunder Bay Event Centre subject to completion of the detailed Phase 2 Feasibility Study.
Yes.
