Nipissing MPP and Progressive Conservative leadership candidate Vic Fedeli made a campaign stop in Timmins on Friday. Fedeli says he wants to make Ontario No. 1 in mining again.

The MPP for Nipissing and Ontario Progressive Conservative leadership candidate paid a visit to the Timmins Chamber of Commerce on Friday during his campaign tour. He laid out his plan to help small businesses if he gets elected as party leader this coming May. He called it an excellent opportunity to discuss the business climate in Ontario.

He said there are many threats to businesses – such as high energy rates and payroll taxes – so he promised that as party leader he would work to lower hydro and have the government stay out of the way while providing support and less red tape.

His first step to reducing those costs was to stop spending as he believes the province spends more than it takes in. He pointed to the recent fall economic statement that showed a $509 million shortfall.

He said he wants Ontario to be first in everything from health care to mining.

“This isn't about ideology. This is about rolling up our sleeves and doing what's right for all of us,” he said. “You can imagine here in Northern Ontario the mining and forestry sectors that getting permits for a new mine has become almost impossible, it has certainly become impracticable. Moving ahead with the Ring of Fire, the many forestry projects are all hung up in the permitting process. Between one ministry or another, we have tied up the resources of Ontario.

“For the benefit of all Ontario, we should be first in mining. We were. In 2003, we were the No. 1 jurisdiction in the world. Today, we have fallen to 28th.”

Fedeli said he has visited the Ring of Fire site a few times and at that time he saw companies like Noront Resources and Cliffs Natural Resources were spending millions in the area. Since then, things have taken a turn for the worst.

Last month, officials with Cliffs, which owns most of the resources rights, were reported as saying they had little hope that the project would see development anytime soon. The Globe and Mail reported Thursday the company's CEO as saying project is beyond the point of no return despite the Liberal government's commitment of a billion dollars.

Fedeli said Cliffs has every right to be upset.

“They were one of the first in there, they spent $500 million exploring in the Ring of Fire then to have shallow and hollow promises from the province who have never delivered on one thing,” he said. “They talk a big game about the Ring of Fire but they have never, ever put a penny into that. As leader and premier of the province, I would promote the east-west route as a starting point to get the nickel out of the ground.”

He said he would like to see the nickel head to Webequie First Nation, where there would be an all season road towards Pickle Lake while they work to develop a bigger plan that would look at getting the chromite out of the ground via a north-south route, which would be by rail.

Fedeli admitted that his party made mistakes under the leadership of then PC leader Tim Hudak during the June election and said they shot themselves in the foot and came across as mean spirited.

He said his party has to stop giving voters reasons to vote against them and instead give them reasons to support them.