Ontario needs to commit to converting the city’s power plant to natural gas.
That was one of the messages Ontario New Democratic Party leader Andrea Horwath delivered during her Thursday visit to Thunder Bay. Horwath also accused the Liberal government of using the generating station as a political football.
"When there's an election looming, they make the commitment that the plant is going to be transformed," Horwath said at city hall after a meeting with mayor Keith Hobbs.
"After they win the seats there's no hide nor hair of that commitment and they start backing away from it... That's happened twice."
Coincidentally the Liberals issued a statement Thursday afternoon that an announcement on the region's energy supply will be made by MPPs Bill Mauro (Lib., Thunder Bay - Atikokan) and Michael Gravelle (Lib., Thunder Bay - Superior North) Friday morning, which has led to speculation from some regional leaders that it may be about the plant.
With mines looking to be developed or reopened Horwath said that plant needs to be a part of the region's energy needs.
"Those investments won't come if we don't have secure and immediate energy sources," she said.
Horwath accused the province of fumbling economic opportunity in the North especially with the Ring of Fire.
"There has been a serious failure in Ontario thus far, years have gone by. We've seen the mining industry walking away frankly in some situations," she said.
She and Hobbs also spoke about mill reassessments in Northern from the Municipal Property Assessment Corporation that is taking millions of dollars out of municipal tax bases.
"The government seems to be happy with letting things fall apart," she said. "It's very very worrisome."
