FONOM Board meets with Ministers at AMO

Written by Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities on 05 September 2013

The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) met with representatives from seven Provincial Ministries including five Ministers during the recent Association of Municipalities of Ontario held in Ottawa.

Alan Spacek, Mayor of Kapuskasing, and President of (FONOM), said that “FONOM was very appreciative of the new working relationship with the Provincial Government. The Provincial Government is more sensitive to the needs of the North and certainly have been very accessible.”

President Spacek expressed his satisfaction with a high level meeting held with Municipal Affairs and Housing Minister Jeffrey, Northern Development and Mines Minister Gravelle, Finance Minister Sousa, Health Minister Matthews, Natural Resources Minister Orazietti, Energy Deputy Minister Imbrogno and PA to Minister of Infrastructure Flynn at the Association of Municipalities of Ontario Annual Meeting held in Ottawa. President Spacek, along with FONOM Board members met with the Cabinet members for over an hour. Mayor Spacek said the meetings were collaborative and cordial.

Topics discussed at the meeting included the pilot projects at the three provincial parks, a request to increase by $75 to the Northern Community Grant to help municipalities provide infrastructure and services; Connecting Link and Infrastructure Renewal; transmission capacity and competitive pricing; Non-Emergent and Non-Urgent medical transfers; and fairness in the application of land tax reform and territories without Municipal organization.

“All these topics are of significant importance to Northern Ontario Communities and FONOM considers it vital that there be consultation and commitment by the Province to address these major issues”, said President Spacek. “We were pleased with the advent of a new working relationship and that the Provincial Government is working with FONOM. We need to build on the strengths of the North and by building upon those strength together we can seek and establish appropriate programming in order that Northern Ontario remain a sustainable contributor to the Province`s economic well-being.`