Saturday, 4 July 2015

Northern mayors to co-operate as they compete for Moving Ontario Forward dollars

THUNDER BAY — While they may be in competition, mayors in Northern Ontario are working together to make sure their regions are represented when new provincial funding starts to flow.

The Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors, a group representing Northern Ontario’s five largest municipalities, met in Thunder Bay Friday to discuss a number of topics including the province’s Moving Ontario Forward, a plan that would see $15 billion spent on infrastructure outside of Toronto and Hamilton over the next decade.

“We’re trying to figure out how best we can get the best regional benefits,” Sudbury mayor Brian Bigger said.

North May mayor Al McDonald said critical infrastructure needs could be met with greater success if the mayors have a united voice when speaking to Queen’s Park.

“We’ve learned very quickly that yes we are in competition with each other but there are broader, bigger issues that we should all be aligned on so we can all benefit,” he said.

That falls into two categories of critical infrastructure and infrastructure for economic development Sault Ste. Marie mayor Christian Povenzano said. Making sure the funding formula is fair to Northern Ontario will also be a priority for the mayors.

Timmins mayor Steve Black said. Black points out that there are still a lot of question with the plan, including who gets how much money and for what. He points out that transit funding for Southern Ontario was rolled out quickly.

“Those are still questions we’re looking forward to having answered,” he said.

It’s the second time the mayors have met since the last municipal election.

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