For
Immediate Release
December 1, 2005
Queen’s Park, Toronto
– Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling today re-introduced a private member’s
bill intended to promote economic development in smaller towns and cities in
Eastern Ontario. Opposition Leader
John Tory later questioned the Economic Development and Trade Minister Joseph
Cordiano about whether his government would pass this Bill in order to help
those communities hit by recent job losses.
“Many Eastern Ontario
communities are continuing to suffer as industry, jobs and eventually people
move away. The most recent example
is Domtar’s announcement earlier this week that it is pulling out of Cornwall
putting 500 people in that town out of work. In Smiths Falls in my own riding Hershey will be laying off
50 workers and Coiltech will be moving, laying off another 50,” said Mr.
Sterling. “The situation in these
communities is more urgent than ever. Communities
like Cornwall and Smiths Falls rely on manufacturing and with the manufacturing
sector in decline these towns need help and they need it now.
This Bill is designed to offer that help.”
After describing the situation
in Cornwall Mr. Tory asked Minister Cordiano, “As
a meaningful step and an important symbol to people in Eastern Ontario, would
you consider moving forward quickly with the Eastern Ontario Economic
Development Fund Act reintroduced by the member for Lanark–Carleton today?
Would you consider moving that forward quickly so we might implement that and
provide some help to the communities in eastern Ontario, including Cornwall?” Minister Cordiano responded, as McGuinty cabinet
ministers often do, with snipes about the previous government without ever
answering the question.
“The Ontario government has long recognized the special needs of Northern Ontario but Eastern Ontario’s needs have gone unnoticed,” said Bob Runciman, MPP for Leeds-Grenville. “As recent job losses have proven, Eastern Ontario needs help so I am glad to see Mr. Sterling bring forward a Bill that recognizes the unique and growing challenges facing Eastern Ontario.”
“I know that many of the communities in my riding of Renfrew-Nipissing-Pembroke would very much appreciate being able to apply for funding from a fund dedicated to Eastern Ontario,” said John Yakabuski, MPP. “I will be supporting this Bill on behalf of my constituents.”
Mr. Sterling introduced this
Bill in April and it was debated and received unanimous support upon second
reading on April 28, 2005. “Unfortunately
this Bill, like many other good Private Member’s Bills, died on the Order
Paper when the House Prorogued this summer,” said Sterling.
“I trust that my fellow members of the Legislature will support this
legislation again.”
If passed the Bill would create
an Eastern Ontario Economic Development Fund Corporation, similar to the
Northern Ontario Heritage Fund which invests in communities within Northern
Ontario. The Corporation would
consider such factors as average annual income, municipal tax base and
population growth in determining where to invest.
For the purposes of this
legislation Eastern Ontario will include the cities of Kawartha Lakes and Prince
Edward County, the counties of Peterborough, Haliburton, Northumberland,
Hastings, Renfrew, Lennox and Addington, Frontenac, Leeds & Grenville,
Lanark, Prescott & Russell and Stormont Dundas and Glengarry including all
cities within that area save the city of Ottawa.
According to the 2001 census the median incomes in these areas are on
average almost 15% lower than the median income in Ontario.
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For more information, please call Lanark-Carleton MPP Norm Sterling at: (416) 314-7900
BACKGROUNDER
Eastern
Ontario Economic Development Fund Act