NDP Celebrates Rural and Northern Ontario at International Plowing Match

Horwath says broadband is an “essential service"

VERNER — NDP Leader Andrea Horwath and NDP MPPs celebrated rural and Northern Ontario at the annual International Plowing Match (IPM) and Rural Expo in Verner, West Nipissing on Tuesday, where Horwath called for broadband internet to be considered an essential service in her ongoing fight for investment.

Horwath, joined by most of the NDP caucus, said she was pleased the IPM was held in Northern Ontario to showcase the contributions of northerners to agriculture.

“Northern farm families deserve our thanks for the enormous contributions they are making to Northern Ontario’s economy,” said Horwath. “We are proud to have John Vanthof as our deputy leader, a Northern Ontario farmer from Timiskaming who works every day to put Northern and rural Ontario first at Queen’s Park.”

In Northern Ontario, the agriculture, aquaculture, and food processing sector provides more than 4,000 people with good, stable jobs, and drives the regional economy with $200 million in revenue from the primary agriculture and aquaculture sectors alone.

Horwath said New Democrats are going to continue to fight for investments to help the agri-business and agri-food sector grow, including more infrastructure and public services for rural communities — now ramping up the NDP’s ongoing campaign for a $1 billion investment into rural and Northern broadband by defining broadband as an essential service.

The NDP Leader also said New Democrats will continue working to stop Doug Ford’s cuts to the public services that rural communities depend on, including cuts to infrastructure spending and a $225 million cut to Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs in the 2019-20 budget.

Horwath said the agricultural industries in Ontario deserve more support — not less.

“You build our economy. You put food on millions of tables. You employ more than 800,000 people. When Ontario’s growers and agri-businesses succeed, Ontario succeeds. As your Official Opposition, it’s our job to be your partner,” said Horwath.