https://www.timminspress.com/news/local-news/amo-offers-opportunity-for-city-officials-to-meet-with-new-pc-cabinet-ministers

AMO offers opportunity for city officials to meet with new PC cabinet ministers

Ron Grech
More from Ron Grech

Published on: August 24, 2018 | Last Updated: August 24, 2018 8:02 AM EDT

The Association of Municipalities Ontario conference in Ottawa this week provided an opportunity for Timmins officials to meet with some of the new cabinet members of Premier Doug Ford’s newly elected Progressive Conservative government.

“This conference was obviously a little different since it was the first conference we’ve had where we’ve had the opportunity to meet with the new provincial government,” said Timmins Mayor Steve Black. “So it was kind of two-fold:  Reaching out and seeing where their priorities are lining up, and to update on them on what projects are going on in our region, and inquire about possible funding streams or priorities they may have that line up with that.

“I think you’re going to see a different approach to government, for sure. They’re definitely very focused on their audit of the provincial books right now and trying to find areas where they can find efficiencies. But they also appear to be very committed to communities and services on the front-line as well, based on our discussions.”

Some of the ministers they met with included Greg Rickford, Minister of Energy, Northern Development and Mines, and Minister of Indigenous Affairs, and John Yakabuski, Minister of Transportation.

“We met with the Minister of Transportation, and there were some staff there from the previous government that are very familiar with our projects and how big it is. And they appear to have briefed the minister quite well.”

He said the minister was aware Timmins has one of the largest connecting link highways in the province and is currently in the midst of a major reconstruction of that major thoroughfare.

“It was a good discussion and he agreed to further that discussion at another meeting in the future and hopefully get up to Timmins at some point in time in the not too distant future. So we remain positive,” said Black

In his meeting with Rickford, Black said they discussed the Ring of Fire and Development about “getting the infrastructure in place to move that project ahead as well as how important energy rates are for that project if it’s going to move forward with its processing facility.”

He said, “We also had a discussion about the (proposed) aquatic centre and recreational funding and there was a positive reaction on his part in terms of what recreational infrastructure means in Northern Ontario. We shared some of our views that it is a key aspect of the quality of life in Northern Ontario and if we want to attract people to this region, we have to have the recreation infrastructure in place as well.”