Hoszowski outlines platform

Local PC candidate Cathe Hoszowski aims to address the region’s aging population, migrating youth, and a thinning workforce of skilled labourers if she’s elected in the next provincial vote, she told town council during a presentation at last night’s meeting.
“In five to 10 years, if we don’t get some political leadership that will lead to long-term jobs, where will we be?” she remarked.
“If we don’t get our economic situation stabilized, let alone secure, there’s not going to be any jobs for us, let alone our children,” she stressed.
Hoszowski outlined a 10-point agenda, which included such goals as a premier’s council on the northern economy, a northern youth advisory council, and a regional energy strategy by which Northwestern Ontario would utilize more of the energy it generates.
She also backs fostering partnerships with First Nations, an allweather road network to ensure transportation anywhere in the area at any time of the year, and improved marketing of the region in the United States.
Councillors, meanwhile, used the opportunity to voice a myriad of concerns to Hoszowski. Coun.
Dave Bourgeault inquired about the lack of funding for land ambulance service, and complained the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines has become ineffectual.
Hoszowski responded by saying the province should include land ambulance—and public health care—under its health care umbrella, and that, if elected, she plans to get the MNDM back on track.
“That’s the ministry I’m interested in,” she said. “As good as Jim Wilson is, he’s a southerner. You have to be [here], you have to live [here], to run that ministry.”^Coun. Neil Kabel asked her about the hydro issue. While Hoszowski said she didn’t know if private or public power was the way to go without further investigation and discussion at a committee level, whatever decision is made in the future should be based on “what’s best for the north” and not what the rest of the province decides.
Coun. Kabel also asked Hoszowski to look into why admissions to Rainycrest Home for the Aged here have been suspended while its board of directors, administration, and ministry staff work to reach full compliance with longterm care standards.
Couns. Roy Avis and Deane Cunningham noted municipalities increasingly have been losing control of their finances—being forced by the province to take responsibility for more and more services while having to foot the bill, too.
Hoszowski replied this was a perfect example of the south imposing upon the north policy tailored to an entirely different geography and population.
For instance, she noted tax caps on commercial properties might make sense in Toronto, where the tax base is mostly commercial and it can afford to enforce a cap as an incentive for new businesses to start up, while it doesn’t apply to the north, where the majority of tax revenue is residential.
“And the tax increase referendum [a proposed provincial policy by which municipalities would have to hold referendums in order to raise taxes] is absolutely bizarre for the north,” Hoszowski added, noting the cost of a referendum in a small community would cost as much as the revenue the proposed hike would generate.
Hoszowski noted though the PC party may not “get it right 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year,” the party’s focus on economic growth should be of paramount concern to district voters, adding it never hurts to be linked to southern Ontario.
“And when they don’t do things right, I think I’ll be able to turn around, look them in the eyes, and say, ‘This isn’t right for the north,’” she said.
Local Liberal candidate Geoff McClain had addressed council at its July 28 meeting.
Also at last night’s meeting, council:
•heard an activities report from Geoff Gillon, economic development officer for the Rainy River Future Development Corp., for the period from April to June;
•agreed to proclaim September as “Arthritis Month,” as per the request of Kathy Haukaas; and
•agreed to issue a letter of support for more “blue box” funding from the province, as per the request of the Association of Municipalities of Ontario.