Community leaders from across northeastern Ontario brought their issues and concerns to the attention of the provincial cabinet ministers and bureaucrats at the annual Rural Ontario Municipal Association/Ontario Good Roads Association combined conference in Toronto.
A news release from the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) indicated among the range of issues discussed included opportunities for the utilization of Crown land for economic development, protecting Northern industries by amending the Protection of Public Participation Act, development of a long-term plan to four-lane highways across Northern Ontario, and to increase the number of residency program positions within the Northern Ontario School of Medicine.
“The multi-minister delegation provided an excellent opportunity for FONOM to meet with several senior government officials to discuss issues affecting the north,” said Kapuskasing Mayor and FONOM president Alan Spacek in a Feb. 24 statement. “We are thrilled that we are being heard across several ministries.”
The event was attended by reps from Northern Development and Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry, Municipal Affairs and Housing, Economic Development, Employment and Infrastructure, Health and Long-Term Care, Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, Government and Consumer Services, Transportation, Community Safety and Correctional Services, Municipal Affairs and Housing, Energy and Finance.
