Vic, Ross and Patrick hang out on the waterfront (4 photos)

Over 20 Progressive Conservative MPPs, most of them dressed in Tory blue shirts, gathered on the Sault Ste. Marie waterfront Tuesday afternoon to address the media.

Most of the 28-member PC caucus, led by their recently elected new leader Patrick Brown, are gathered at the Delta Sault Ste. Marie Waterfront Hotel for the party's annual caucus retreat.

This is Brown's first visit to the Sault as PC leader, though he visited the city several times during his party leadership campaign.

Brown did not offer a clear platform for the Sault and the Northern Ontario economy, but in broad strokes, said red tape and energy prices must be brought under control.

"There have been job losses in the Sault…(and) when I visit different towns and cities in Ontario there tend to be common concerns and those relate to red tape, transportation corridors, having energy prices that are simply not competitive and the common concerns we're hearing around the ORPP (Ontario Retirement Pension Plan, considered by critics to be a job killer for employers) and this new (proposed) cap and trade tax."

"The energy policies of this Liberal government have been the most damaging of their policies…whether it's the gas plant scandal, the smart meters, and now the fire sale of Hydro One," Brown said.

"You can't retain jobs in Ontario unless you have competitive energy prices."

Brown told reporters the fact the PCs chose to hold their annual caucus retreat in Sault Ste. Marie indicates the party's interest in capturing the Sault riding, and Northern Ontario, in the next provincial election scheduled for 2018.

Elected by the Tories as new Progressive Conservative party leader in May, Brown has yet to win a seat in the Ontario Legislature.

Garfield Dunlop, MPP for Simcoe North, has announced his resignation effective August 1, the Tories anticipating Brown to win a by-election in that riding and thereby take a seat in the Legislature, but Brown criticized Premier Kathleen Wynne at Tuesday's media event for stalling a by-election call. 

"I'm disappointed she's playing political games…what does the premier have to hide?"

"I want to be in the Legislature to ask the premier about energy prices, why there seems to be a complete disinterest in Northern Ontario by this government."

Brown told reporters he is confident of the party's fortunes in the next election, both provincially and in the Sault riding.

"We're feeling encouraged, obviously there was disappointment before (with the party's showing both provincially and in the Sault riding in the past several provincial election campaigns) but the party's on the right track."

"A year ago we had 10,000 party members, we have 80,000 today."

"It was great to have one of the alumni from the Sault Greyhounds, Wayne Gretzky, being one of the latest additions to our party," said an enthusiastic Brown.

"We've seen the membership in this riding increase tenfold…I'm optimistic for the party in Northern Ontario." 

Brown credited Ross Romano, Ward 6 city councillor and PC party member, who was on hand for Tuesday's media event, for being a part of the local membership drive.

"Patrick and I went to law school together…we had our 10-year law school reunion in 2014 and we certainly share a lot of common views," Romano told SooToday.

"I was very happy to support him (in his leadership bid), I do know him personally and I know the commitment he has to Northern Ontario and it was important for me to support not only a friend but a party that is moving in the right direction for us in the North."

It would seem appearances in the North matter more to politicians in recent years.

Prior to the PC caucus retreat being held in the Sault, Premier Kathleen Wynne held a cabinet retreat in the Sault in March 2013, a month after becoming premier, and has visited the Sault several times since.

"The North cannot be ignored…we have the resources, we have to explore them, and how else are we going to move forward if we don't have the support of our leaders in southern Ontario?"  Romano said.

The PC MPPs arrived in the Sault Tuesday morning and participated in caucus meetings at the Delta before Tuesday afternoon's media event.

The group was scheduled to take a tour of Tenaris Algoma Tubes afterward, to be followed by a local riding association meeting and fundraiser at the Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre Tuesday evening before heading back to Toronto Wednesday.

(PHOTO L-R: MPP Vic Fedeli, city councillor Ross Romano and Ontario PC leader Patrick Brown speak immediately after a photo op for the PC caucus meeting in Sault Ste. Marie. Kenneth Armstrong/SooToday)