When Premier Kathleen Wynne showed up at a recent meeting, mayor Keith Hobbs knew the city was off to a good start at the Good Roads conference.
City officials returned from the Ontario Good Roads Association conference, one of the largest municipal gatherings in Ontario, Wednesday. They met with more than a dozen provincial ministers to discuss everything from infrastructure to ReGen Med.
“It told us something loud and clear right off the bat,” Hobbs said of Wynne attending a Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association meeting at the Toronto conference.
The city met with municipal affairs and housing minister Linda Jeffrey to try and recoup some of the $9 million spent on last year’s flood. That conversation went well.
“We should be fine I hope,” Hobbs said.
He also spoke with infrastructure minister Glen Murray about upgrades to the Junot/Golf Links corridor along with the proposed events centre. Murray is happy with both of those projects. But with the province’s deficit, Hobbs said there were no financial commitments discussed.
“He’s happy with where it’s going,” Hobbs said.
Coun. Brian McKinnon said health minister Deb Matthews committed to funding ReGen Med for at least the next three years, allowing the city to be paid back for the money it has put into the non-profit.
“They’ve guaranteed that that will be here and sooner than later,” he said.
Long term care beds and non-emergent transfer for paramedics were also discussed McKinnon said.
In a meeting with new Aboriginal affairs minister David Zimmer Coun. Aldo Ruberto said the city was heralded as a leading example of Aboriginal issues in the province. Ruberto said it’s frustrating that national media has given the city a black eye when relations have never been better.
“Obviously the people that did the interview had an agenda in mind and it was to make Thunder Bay look bad because our relationship with First Nations is probably the best it’s ever been,” Ruberto said.
