HIGH-GRADE NI-CU-PT-PD-ZN-CR-AU-V-TI DISCOVERIES IN THE "RING OF FIRE"

NI 43-101 Update (September 2012): 11.1 Mt @ 1.68% Ni, 0.87% Cu, 0.89 gpt Pt and 3.09 gpt Pd and 0.18 gpt Au (Proven & Probable Reserves) / 8.9 Mt @ 1.10% Ni, 1.14% Cu, 1.16 gpt Pt and 3.49 gpt Pd and 0.30 gpt Au (Inferred Resource)

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Message: Transportation, infrastructure and training key to help business, Chamber tells Queen's Park

https://www.saultstar.com/news/local-news/transportation-infrastructure-and-training-key-to-help-business-chamber-tells-queens-park

Transportation, infrastructure and training key to help business, Chamber tells Queen's Park

Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce participated in the 5th annual Advocacy Days at Queen's Park on Monday.

Published on: March 10, 2020 | Last Updated: March 10, 2020 4:56 PM EDT

Queen's Park in downtown Toronto, on Monday July 8, 2019. Stan Behal/Toronto Sun/Postmedia Network Stan Behal / Stan Behal/Toronto Sun

The importance of transportation and infrastructure in Northern Ontario is one of the key elements that the Chamber of Commerce advocated during this year’s Queen’s Park Advocacy Days.

The Sault’s Rory Ring and Carlo Spadafora were in Toronto Monday along with representatives from the chamber of commerce across the province.

Ring said the meetings held with politicians and bureaucrats from all three parties reiterated the need to ensure that business can stay competitive and grow in Ontario.

Most importantly, transportation and infrastructure were key discussion items, he said.

The importance of retaining and investing in rail and the Huron Central Railway is important to the economic viability of a number of industries stretching from Sault Ste. Marie to Sudbury, Ring said.

And just as important is ensuring that road infrastructure is safe for both industry and residents, he said.

Ring said the transportation infrastructure also highlighted the importance of moving ahead with road infrastructure to the Ring of Fire and how that development will  result in a stronger economy in Northern Ontario through the eventual production of the minerals to be mined.

Discussions centred on the same aspects with the Ministry of Energy Northern Development and Mines.

The repeated message of ensuring the importance of keeping energy costs in check for industry was reiterated, Ring said.

“Our industries need to be cost competitive in order to succeed. It’s also important that we embrace the mining industry and that those in southern Ontario understand it,” he said. “That industry is doing a lot to reduce the carbon footprint and that will become more important as the road leading to the Ring of Fire is constructed, and that all of Northern Ontario will benefit.”

Another key message was the importance of promoting Northern Ontario and its unique challenges and position in the province.

Ring said the message was repeated to politicians of all stripes, reminding them that Northern Ontario is unique and is different than municipalities in southern Ontario.

For instance, he said, a message was given to the Ministry of Municipal Affairs that it is time to revisit the municipal property tax system and what it means to business when business is bearing a greater share of the tax bills.

“Commercial businesses face 30 per cent of the tax burden in Sault Ste. Marie but probably only use about 15 per cent of the services” their tax dollars provide, he said.

For years, the Chamber of Commerce has been advocating that a better system must be developed that shares the burden more equally, allowing businesses to reinvest in their business and create more economic opportunities.

The Ontario government’s mantra has been ‘Open for Business’ and Ring said he expects that to continue with the March 25 provincial budget.

Key to business and industry future is the need for skilled workers, a message the chamber has been sending to government for some time.

Ensuring that young people have opportunities for skill development in the required sectors will aid business, but also improve the socio-economic position of communities in general, he said.

“People need the opportunity to get the skills they need to get jobs and move up the ladder,” Ring said.

That can only be done by ensuring education, business and communities, including the Indigenous population, work together to engage in and share economic prosperity through education, skilled trades and training opportunities, he said.

Ring said that the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce will continue to advocate on the issues with its new contacts it has built through the session and report back to its membership.

Advocacy Day at Queen’s Park was the fifth annual forum led by the Ontario Chamber network to share ideas on how to foster a competitive business climate and create prosperous communities.

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