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City looks to new MPs to bring infrastructure, social issues to Ottawa

THUNDER BAY -- The city's looking for the region's new MPs to bring social and infrastructure issues to Ottawa.

THUNDER BAY -- The city's looking for the region's new MPs to bring social and infrastructure issues to Ottawa.

Minister of the Status of Women Patty Hajdu and MP Don Rusnak met with the city Friday afternoon to see what the city's looking for from the federal government. Intergovernmental affairs committee chair Coun. Joe Virdiramo said the list is nothing that hasn't been discussed before. He left the meeting feeling optimistic.

"We talked about issues that pertained to Thunder Bay in relation to poverty, homelessness, infrastructure, event centre and capital projects that we're looking at," he said.

"All those things that we've been working on with the provincial government, we're going to be working on with the federal government."
Hajdu said she's no stranger to what the city is asking for, particularly with one of their main concerns being a lack of affordable housing, which leads to other social issues.

"I think it will probably be part of a national strategy. As much as it seems very urgent for our community, there is no denying that it is, it’s equally urgent across the country. Wherever you go you see there are people sleeping on the street that are not able to access shelter. You see a growing state of crisis around affordable housing in our country," she said.

"I see this as something that we have to coordinate across the country because it’s not just pockets that are affected. It’s truly a national crisis."

On infrastructure, like the event centre and conservatory, the city asked whether there would be any federal support on the way.

"It’s very difficult to make commitments of federal funding until we actually see how the infrastructure will be unfolding and I’m looking forward to hearing from our minister of infrastructure to really understand how we can apply that in the North," Hajdu said.

"We did reassure them we know what the priorities are and we’re there for them to make sure we’re voicing the needs of the north."
Virdiramo said he's hoping the meetings take place every few months.


 





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