Northern growth plan includes multi-modal strategy

NEWS RELEASE DAVID ORAZIETTI, MPP ***************************** Orazietti announces growth plan for a stronger Northern Ontario Province delivers long-term growth strategy developed by Northerners for Northerners SAULT STE.

NEWS RELEASE

DAVID ORAZIETTI, MPP

***************************** Orazietti announces growth plan for a stronger Northern Ontario

Province delivers long-term growth strategy developed by Northerners for Northerners

SAULT STE. MARIE - Today, David Orazietti, MPP announced the province’s long-term growth plan for Northern Ontario, which was developed following extensive public consultations with thousands of northerners who contributed their ideas to a plan that will further strengthen the North’s economy over the next 25 years.

“The growth plan includes the best ideas and the highest aspirations of northerners and our government is committed to implementing a plan that has brought together the collective vision for a stronger Northern Ontario,” said Orazietti. “It will inform and guide decisions on strengthening the economy, further improving health care and education and building infrastructure, to ensure a better quality of life for residents in Sault Ste. Marie and throughout the region.”

The response and interest from northerners in the growth plan for Northern Ontario has been unprecedented.

While thousands of northerners provided input, more than 1,400 northerners participated in the review of the proposed growth plan, which was released in October 2009, through 180 meetings and workshops in a combination of urban, rural and First Nation communities.

In addition, the province read and analyzed nearly 300 written submissions from individuals, businesses, government agencies and First Nations communities.

At least 18 partner ministries are now involved in working on the details of the plan’s implementation, measurement and monitoring.

The growth plan focuses on six key areas of growth that include the economy, people, communities, infrastructure, environment and First Nations.

The first step in implementing the growth plan involves immediately moving forward on three specific initiatives:

- The province will invest $5 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC) to support the development of the Northern Policy Institute, which will be an independent, non-profit entity that will play a key role in implementing and monitoring the growth plan.

- The province will invest $2.2 million to develop a new multi-modal transportation strategy that will focus on developing a more integrated transportation infrastructure system for air, rail, road and water.

- The province will bring together northern community and business leaders at a Regional Economic Planning Summit this spring to discuss regional economic planning, business innovation and entrepreneurship.

“Since 2003, we have made record investments in our community, moved forward on numerous projects that support well-paying jobs and continue to make progress strengthening the economy,” said Orazietti. “However, it is also important that we evaluate our strategy for growth and focus our efforts on the most effective way to build on these achievements. The growth plan for Northern Ontario accomplishes that goal.”

Sault Ste. Marie has also benefited from many other provincial investments and programs including:

- $970 million in combined local energy projects

- $408 million new Sault Area Hospital

- $85 million for construction of four new school projects

- $40 million for new long-term care home

- $25 million for municipal road Improvements

- $15 million for construction of Invasive Species Research Centre

- $9.2 million Ontario Municipal Partnership Fund (OMPF) - 43 percent increase in seven years for city services

- $8 million for a new academic building at Sault College

- $8 million for Biosciences Centre at Algoma University

- $7.8 million for Donald Doucet Youth Centre

- $7.3 million Algoma Public Health building and provincial public health funding increased from 50 percent to 75 percent