Bud and Tony receive awards, Andrea excited about Tom (2 photos)

Former Sault Ste. Marie MPP/MP Tony Martin, and former Algoma riding MPP Bud Wildman, both long-serving New Democrats, were honoured by United Steelworkers members Wednesday.

Approximately 400 members of USW District 6 (Ontario/Atlantic Canada) have gathered in Sault Ste. Marie at Quattro Suites & Conference Centre for the organization's 2015 conference which began Monday and wraps up Thursday.

"He stayed true to his roots," said Marty Warren, USW District 6 director, referring to Martin.

"At Queen's Park and Parliament Hill he fought for the vulnerable and stood up for working people because he always believed every citizen has a right to a decent living, a good education, food on the table and a roof over their heads," Warren said.

Martin suffered a stroke in February 2014, but was in good spirits at Wednesday's event, accompanied by his wife Anna. 

Martin served as Sault MPP from 1990 to 2003, and later as Sault MP from 2004 to 2011.

Wildman represented the former Algoma riding (now Algoma-Manitoulin -Kapuskasing) from 1975 to 1999 as MPP, and, during the NDP's time in government in Ontario, served as Minister of Natural Resources and Minister Responsible for Native Affairs.

He later served as Minister of the Environment and Energy, while still keeping the Native Affairs portfolio.

Both Martin and Wildman were awarded with lifetime memberships to USW District 6 Wednesday.

Ontario NDP leader Andrea Horwath was the keynote speaker at the USW District 6 conference Wednesday afternoon.

Horwath's visit followed a speech by USW president Leo Gerard Wednesday morning.

In her speech, Horwath said "the link between a strong middle class and strong workers rights has been shown again and again and again…Liberals and Conservatives ignore these facts and stand in the way of real economic recovery."

"That's why this federal election is such an important opportunity," Horwath said, urging USW members to support NDP candidates in their respective ridings.

Horwath also jabbed at Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne's Liberal government for the loss of thousands of manufacturing jobs, longer wait times for long term care homes, job cuts in the healthcare sector and the rising cost of electricity.

"If we sell off Hydro One, our rates will only get worse…that hurts families, businesses and industry and that's why New Democrats are working hard to stop the sell off of Hydro One," Horwath said.

"I'm very excited about (federal NDP leader) Tom Mulcair's plan for change for Canada," Horwath told reporters after her speech.

"He has got a plan that talks about the things families are concerned about (such as) childcare, a 15 dollars an hour minimum wage, making sure we can keep good jobs and bring more good jobs to this country, with breaks for small and medium size businesses."

Horwath was scheduled to take a tour of Mill Square and Mill Market before attending a USW community barbecue at Roberta Bondar Pavilion.

(PHOTO: Former Algoma MPP Bud Wildman and former Sault Ste. Marie MPP/MP Tony Martin received lifetime memberships from USW District 6 during the group's conference at Quattro Suites & Conference Centre, August 19, 2015. Darren Taylor/SooToday)