January 14th, 2016

Northern Ontario families deserve a government that shares their priorities

Families in Northern Ontario need a government that considers their needs and priorities like jobs, health care, winter highway maintenance and affordable hydro all year-round, not just at an one-off cabinet meeting, said France Gélinas, MPP for Nickel Belt. 

“The Liberal government cut health care, cut the ONTC, cut winter highway maintenance, continues to sell-off Hydro One while bills sky-rocket for families in the North,” said Gélinas. “And now businesses and families have been left reeling after the damage to the Nipigon River Bridge has left a transport lifeline for Northern communities and commerce severely damaged.”

The Liberal cabinet meeting in Thunder Bay comes days after the $106 million bridge, open for less than two months, failed in its first encounter with a northern Ontario winter.  

Gélinas said Northerners are still waiting for answers about when the Nipigon River Bridge will be fully operational.

While the Liberal government continues with its hydro sell-off, New Democrats are listening to Northerners and fighting to stop the sell-off that will result in even higher bills for Ontario families.

“If the Liberal government wants to show they’re listening to the North, they should listen to the majority of Northerners who say that the government needs to put an end to the hydro sell-off immediately,” said Gélinas.