NORTH BAY — Ontario’s four major party leaders took to the stage in North Bay Friday afternoon to debate and promote their parties’ platforms on issues key to northern Ontario.
The Northwest got few specific mentions during the roughly 90-minute session. A question on investing in the forestry industry had the leaders sparring over the indefinite idling of the mill in Terrace Bay just over a year ago; Thunder Bay was cited as a city with one of the highest opioid usage rates in the country; and the decision by the Ontario government to award a multi-billion dollar light rail contract to a non-Canadian builder instead of Thunder Bay’s Alstom plant in 2022 plant was criticized.
The debate was organized by the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM), an organization that advocates on behalf of municipalities in northeastern Ontario. It featured Progressive Conservative leader Doug Ford, Liberal leader Bonnie Crombie, NDP leader Marit Stiles and the Green Party leader Mike Schreiner. CBC Sudbury journalist Markus Schwabe moderated the discussion, posing five questions developed by FONOM, with an opportunity for follow-up debate.
Here’s where the leaders stood on the five questions, based on their answers to FONOM’s questions.
On what each party would do to ensure municipalities get their fair share of provincial funding:
Marit Stiles said an NDP government would have the province take back the cost and responsibility of various services that had been previously downloaded onto municipalities like mental health services, affordable housing and inter-community road maintenance.
Doug Ford of the PCs highlighted the provincial transfers his government has passed to municipalities and argued that developing the ring of fire is key to delivering revenue to northern cities and towns.
The Green Party’s Mike Schreiner pledged $28 billion dollars in dedicated funding over four years for affordable housing and road and bridge work so those costs aren’t being covered by municipal taxes.
Bonnie Crombie of the Liberals also pledged provincial money to municipalities for things like roadwork, supportive housing with needed services and some uploading of social services.
On what each party would do about uploading social housing back to the province:
Ford defended his government’s record on “cutting red tape” to get housing projects underway, and highlighted the $1.4 billion he said the PCs have spent on anti-homelessness initiatives and the elimination of the provincial HST on new rental developments.
Schreiner said his party would upload social housing off municipalities and said they have a costed plan to do so. He added that they would scrap development charges and other fees for first-time home-buyers and strengthen protections for renters.
Crombie also pledged cutting of development charges to lower the cost of building as well as the land transfer tax, and establishing a “better communities fund” dedicated to municipalities.
Stiles said her party would build 1.5 million “permanently affordable homes” throughout Ontario over 10 years, and would include 60,000 supportive housing units. She added that Ontario lumber would be used.
On how each party would invest in the forest industry:
Schreiner said the Greens would establish a task force to discuss modernizing the sector. He added that building projects should be done as timber builds using Ontario wood and establishing a biomass strategy and promoting it as part of thermal heating.
Crombie, likewise, promoted the idea of the forestry industry as being key in achieving climate and green energy goals. She also pledged diversifying markets for Ontario wood, either for in-province builds, interprovincial trade or export.
Stiles said her party would back a “buy Ontario, build Ontario campaign,” to promote Ontario softwood lumber and pulp to other international markets.
Ford highlighted the $400 million in new money he said his government has spent in the forestry sector since 2018. He promoted biomass usage in areas like natural gas, 3D printing and mass timber products. He, likewise, promoted using Ontario wood for timber construction.
On whether each party would open the Mental Health Act and the Controlled Drugs and Substances Act to recognize addiction as a substance use disorder:
Crombie said her party would. She added the province should be coordinating and funding supports for these issues.
Stiles didn’t directly answer the question, but pledged support for mental health and addictions, including a northern Ontario “command centre.”
Ford didn’t directly answer the question. He promoted his government “cleaning up the streets” and the incoming HART Hub model.
Schreiner didn’t directly answer the question. He said what he won’t do “is throw people in jail.” He pledged 60,000 “permanent supportive homes.”
On improving northern highway safety:
Stiles said her party would bring winter highway maintenance back in-house and not have it done by private contractors. She pledged money for continued widening of Highways 11 and 17.
Ford defended the work he said his government has done on upgrading Highways 11 and 17. He highlighted 18 new rest stops for truck drivers and the pledged reinstatement of The Northlander train.
Schreiner said his party supports divided highways throughout northern Ontario and interim solutions while they get built.
Crombie said her party would provide sustainable funding to municipalities for things like road construction and snow-clearing.
The entire debate can be viewed online here.
