Provincial cabinet ministers were on hand Wednesday in North Bay for the final day of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities conference. For the last three days, FONOM has included numerous talks and panels for hundreds of municipal leaders and dignitaries to take back to their towns and cities. On Wednesday morning, six ministers in Premier Doug Ford’s cabinet converted on the conference, which took place at the Best Western on Lakeshore Drive. They were on hand to listen to municipal leaders about the issues they’re facing – and to bring those concerns back to Queen’s Park. Tariffs dominated the talks Wednesday. The trickle-down impact will be felt in northern Ontario cities and towns that rely on exporting goods south of the border. “Forestry has a huge impact on our local economy,” Temiskaming Shores Mayor Jeff Laferriere told reporters. “When you hear about mining and continuing to maybe remove some of the red tape, the mining supply companies are critical. Farming and agriculture is another huge part.” Laferriere said tariffs “drive a lot of fear.” Canada and the U.S. have locked horns in a trade war that’s affecting a wide range of goods, from groceries to auto parts. U.S. President Donald Trump has repeatedly said the United States doesn’t need Canada’s cars, energy or lumber. Vic Fedeli, Ontario’s Minister of Economic Development, Job Creation and Trade, said he is trying to spread the message that working with Canada benefits everyone on both sides of the border. “If you fired up all your aluminum factories in the United States and they work 24/7 at full capacity, you’d only make 16 per cent of all the aluminum you use,” Fedeli pointed out. “When we do these things together and we build these things together -- whether it’s film or auto -- we’re both stronger for it. That’s how we grow both nations.” Fedeli told delegates the province is leading the way by removing exceptions to the Canada Free Trade Act “to add $200 billion to business.” Not a reliable partner “The U.S. is no longer a reliable partner. That is gone. That’s been broken,” Fedeli said. “We are doing a couple of things here. First of all, interprovincial trade.” Ford has promised to “unleash the economic potential of the Ring of Fire and Ontario’s critical minerals” by designating regions where multiple critical mineral deposits are present or likely to be present, including the Ring of Fire, as regions of strategic importance for Ontario’s economy and security to support the needs of North American supply chains. “So, the precious metals industry is largely isolated from the effects of tariffs,” said George Pirie, Ontario Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth. “There are effects that because of the price, there’s a cushion.” Other topics of discussion for mayors and councillors included provincial-municipal relations and projects, and talks around community safety and well-being. “This was our opportunity to be able to bring the conference topics to our region,” said Maggie Horsfield, North Bay’s deputy mayor. “But also, to make sure that the topics were even more relevant to what we’re experiencing in northern Ontario.” Laferriere said he has lots of confidence in the provincial government. “They’re listening and I think there is a lot of opportunity for us to continue to grow,” he added. “We have received some recent funding to help us with our infrastructure for water and sewer and building a new subdivision. So, we just want to continue to work with them.”
