FORT FRANCES—As part of the NDP’s “Stand Up for Northern Ontario” campaign, Sault Ste. Marie MP Tony Martin dropped by Fort Frances last Wednesday to gather input on his private member’s bill which aims to boost FedNor’s powers.
“I’ve tabled a private member’s bill [Bill C-451] last year in the House of Commons that asks that FedNor be bumped up to a regional economic development agency like the others across the country, like the Atlantic agency, the Western Canada agency and, just recently, the Quebec agency, with more money, more resources, more people, and a variety of professionals, like economists, that could be brought to the fore if the community wanted to do a study of some sort or do a strategic plan,” explained Martin, who also is the NDP’s critic for federal economic development in Northern Ontario.
“If you look at the numbers, Northern Ontario, population-wise, is certainly bigger than P.E.I., and equal in population to places like New Brunswick, Newfoundland, and Saskatchewan,” he added.
“And geographically, there’s only three jurisdictions in Canada that are bigger—our own province, B.C., and Quebec.”
Martin said we have to make sure Northern Ontario maintains its viability.
“It presents us with unique challenges in terms of distance, isolation, geography, weather, that kind of thing,” he noted. “But it also presents, I think, some wonderfully unique and exciting opportunities.”
Most Northern Ontario communities have developed the natural resource-based economy over the years. And while the forest industry, for instance, is facing tough times, Martin said leaders can’t turn their backs on it.
He feels it’s time to “be a bit more creative” in making the economy “more sustainable in the long haul.”
“I think Northern Ontario continues to have a very exciting future, and has tremendous potential to contribute to the overall Ontario and Canadian economy the way it has,” he remarked.
“But those of us who live in the north, and are leaders in the north, have to generate the resources to turn this thing around.”
That’s where Martin’s proposed augmented version of FedNor comes in.
“FedNor is the vehicle that the federal government has put in place. It’s a good vehicle as far as it goes, it just doesn’t have enough money,” he said.
“And it doesn’t have the same status and flexibility that a full-fledged regional development agency has, when you look at the others. I’m saying that we should do that.”
One aspect of Bill C-451 that’s proven controversial, however, is the redefining of what is considered Northern Ontario under FedNor.
“If we’re going to have a regional development agency targeted at a particular region, we have to clarify where the region is,” explained Martin.
“The current FedNor services an area that includes, for example, Parry Sound-Muskoka,” he noted. “Anybody who’s lived in the north knows that historically and traditionally, Northern Ontario starts at the French River.”
Martin said back in the late 1990s, Ernie Eves, then the finance minister under the Mike Harris Conservative government, managed to get his riding (Parry Sound-Muskoka) access to provincial programs such as the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund—meant to benefit northern communities.
“I’ve used the analogy a couple of times that he grew an extra teat on that udder to get some of that milk,” charged Martin. “There was no consultation with the rest of Northern Ontario. We just woke up one morning and Parry Sound-Muskoka could now apply to this limited pot of money.”
After that, Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Andy North, then secretary of state for FedNor, followed suit and extended FedNor’s boundaries to include his riding.
This hasn’t changed since current Parry Sound-Muskoka MP Tony Clement, the federal minister of health who also is responsible for FedNor, came to power in 2006.
“I’m saying, let’s at the very least have a discussion about it,” said Martin. “Let’s find out first of all what the rest of Northern Ontario thinks about that new boundary change and where they think that boundary should be.”
He added the private member’s bill has sparked numerous letters, phone calls, and e-mails sent to him from the Parry Sound-Muskoka area.
As well, Clement allegedly has been putting together a petition with more than 10,000 names on it in protest of Bill C-451’s proposed boundary change.
“It’s an interesting twist. The federal minister of health coming to me, a backbencher in the fourth party,” said Martin.
He hopes this attention could lead to talks where, ideally, Clement could help make the enhanced regional development agency a reality in return for having some—but certainly not all—of the disputed area being included within the bolstered agency’s geographic boundary after all.
Martin said Bill C-451 has gone through first reading. And while it now clearly indicates where the FedNor boundary should be, when it comes before the House for a second reading, there will be debate—and he’ll be willing to entertain amendments “as long as everyone’s working the same direction.”
Martin anticipates Bill-451 to see second reading sometime in the next six months, “so there’s still time to do some work” and “re-polish some parts of it.”
“Hopefully we’ll get it done before we get into another election because once we have another election happen, we’ll be back in the lottery again,” he said.
“And so far, in the two Parliaments I’ve sat in, I haven’t been lucky. I don’t buy lottery tickets, either.”
Last Wednesday, Martin toured Kenora, Emo, and Fort Frances—specifically the Fort Frances Museum, which was renovated last year thanks to a share of money from FedNor.
“This is an example of the kind of investments FedNor can make, and should be making, and should continue to make if we’re going to provide some support to viable communities in the north to maintain their economies, stabilize them, and give them some potential for the future,” Martin said as he toured the museum here.
“I’ve seen communities across the north that have lost their mill or major employer—it would be really sad to see their people just walk away,” added Martin.
“In some communities, the story is told of people walking in with credit cards and picking up houses. It’s just that desperate.
“Certainly, that’s not the way it is in Fort Frances,” he stressed. “You’ve been able to find a way to readjust, and certain things like this [the museum] add to the critical mass of important economic infrastructure.”
Martin went on to Atikokan on Wednesday, then wrapped up his Northwestern Ontario tour in Thunder Bay last Thursday.
The tour will continue elsewhere in Northern Ontario in coming months.
(Fort Frances Times)
Fort Frances Times
Local News from Across the Rainy River District
