Sault Ste. Marie Mayor John Rowswell wants federal Finance Minister Jim Flaherty to give Northern Ontario a separate share of Ontario's equalization payments.
In his Nov. 11 letter to Flaherty, Rowswell writes since Northern Ontario is a "poor cousin" of Ontario, the likelihood that the North will receive a fair share of the federal money earmarked for Ontario is "limited."
"If Northern Ontario could receive comparable equalization payments as Quebec, this would mean $728 million for the North; if similar to Manitoba, the North's support from the federal government would be $1.2 billion."
Rowswell said the money would assist places like the Sault with its medical service demands and build up transportation infrastructure to allow the North to participate in global trade.
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