The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) president, Dave Plourde and Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) president, Rick Dumas, are in Ottawa this week to bring a clear message to the federal government that Northern Ontario is not peripheral and is essential to Canada’s economic strength, national security, and future prosperity.
The two are urging the federal government to take immediate co-ordinated action on Northern Ontario’s most pressing national issues, which include transportation, labour shortages, housing, community safety and regulatory barriers that slow down major natural resource projects.
Plourde said the challenges facing the North today require national leadership and investment, in what he called a true Team Canada approach.
“The choices we make today will determine whether Canada builds a stronger future or risks falling behind,” Plourde told The Chronicle-Journal. “Northern Ontario can lead Canada’s next century — but only with strong federal and provincial partners.”
He added, “When we build up Northern Ontario, we build up all of Ontario, and we build up Canada.”
Dumas says that FONOM and NOMA believe Northern Ontario is ready to lead and build the highways, mines, mills, energy systems, homes and communities that Canada needs.
“NOMA and FONOM are united,” said Dumas. “If we want a more resilient economy, safer communities, and a competitive nation, the North must be part of the plan and not an afterthought.”
He called the North a national asset.
“With the right partnership, we can deliver generational prosperity, stability, and opportunity for the whole country.”
While advocating for the north, Plourde and Dumas presented several priorities to the Carney government. Among them, they say the Northern Ontario stretch of the Trans-Canada Highway (Highways 11 and 17) must be modernized and treated as core national infrastructure equal to ports, railways and airports.
Dumas and Plourde also want a fully funded, permanent Rural Community Immigration Pilot (RCIP) to bolster workforce growth. They say the government’s investments in housing and infrastructure will fail without workers to build them.
