Делегация из Салта встретится с министром финансов Онтарио для обсуждения порта, здравоохранения и рабочих мест

Sault delegation heads to AMO with port, health care and OLG jobs on agenda This will be the first time the Sault delegation meets directly with Finance Minister Peter Bethenfalvy to lobby for the Port of Sault Ste. Marie. Article content Mayor Matthew Shoemaker and a Sault Ste. Marie delegation are heading to the annual Association of Municipality of Ontario conference to lobby for several local priorities. The Port of Sault Ste. Marie, health care and more OLG jobs top the list for Shoemaker and councillors Luke Dufour and Lisa Vezeau-Allen. Recommended Videos Shoemaker told The Sault Star that the group will be meeting with the Minister of Finance Peter Bethenfalvy, the Minister of Economic Development Job Creation and Trade Vic Fedeli and the Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth George Pirie. It will be the first time the city delegation meets with Bethenfalvy to discuss the port, although Shoemaker said a copy of the business case plan had previously been sent to him. “These are all critical pieces of the provincial government’s commitment that are required to advance the project, should the federal government funding come through,” he said. “These are the three ministries we will be making that ask to.” The City of Sault Ste. Marie is hoping the federal government will fund the majority of the roughly $250 million project. The city has committed up to $15 million of costs and it is hoped that the province, HOPA and industry users also inject funding into the project. Shoemaker said the port business plan sent directly to the premier’s office has been disseminated to the other ministries. Based on the feedback received by the city, the delegation request was submitted and the recommendation was made by the premier’s office to ensure the city met with Bethenfalvy “because while the port approvals come from those other ministries, ultimately the money comes from finance,” Shoemaker said. He expects the conversation to build on previous meetings and conversation the city has had during other meetings and conferences. Shoemaker said he’ll stress that the business cases’ economic diversification numbers show a port would be extensively beneficial to the Sault for existing businesses and help attract new businesses to aid with diversification efforts. The commitment by local and regional businesses to use the port is strong, he noted, hoping to garner the province’s attention that it will also reduce truck traffic, the ability to retain and grow local and regional businesses and diversifying the economy and safeguarding local jobs. The delegation will also meet with Health Minister Sylvia Jones to discuss the need for more physicians, assistance with hospital budgets and the need for addiction and mental health support. “We’ve had a very frank discussion with the Minister of Health a couple of years ago and to enhance the need for a HART Hub we brought thousands of letters to her from members of our community who have been affected by addictions and mental health and certainly that went a long way to helping us get not one but two area HART Hubs,” he said. Shoemaker wants to continue that discussion and talk about the key priorities of the need for more physicians as well as the potential to expand the NOSM campus. “That report shows the most direct path to new physicians is through a NOSM campus and that will assist with our physician needs in the long term and frankly, also assist with the mental health and addictions issue” since NOSM and Algoma U have signed a partnership agreement to create a research and training institute, with the hopes of opening a centre in 2027. While it was announced earlier this week that Sault Ste. Marie is receiving 150 additional OLG jobs, Shoemaker said the city had requested a delegation to discuss the issue and the city’s drive to have even more jobs moved to the Sault Ste. Marie Foster Drive location. Shoemaker will also join the Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM) delegation to meet with the Minister of Solicitor General to discuss policing. Shoemaker said the costs of policing, recruitment challenges and WSIB costs will be among the concerns discussed. “We need to work with the province and find a way forward on these issues,” he said. “The community expects community safety and that’s what we’ve been trying to do, but we want the province to share the costs to make sure each of our communities is safe,” he said. The AMO conference runs from Aug. 16-18 in Ottawa.