Ontario Construction News staff writer
The mayors and city managers from northern Ontario’s five largest municipalities met in Greater Sudbury on Nov. 6 to discuss the housing crisis and other key issues affecting the region including:
- Advocating to the provincial government to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic in northern Ontario.
- Ongoing housing and homelessness challenges and opportunities across the north, including next steps on the National Housing Accord.
- Continued advocacy to the provincial government for the funding of consumption and treatment services.
- The desire for the federal Rural and Northern Immigration Pilot (RNIP) program to become permanent once the pilot ends in February.
- Funding options for the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM) University to ensure its ongoing viability.
- Advocating to the federal government to consider the unintended consequences associated with air passenger protection regulations that can impair economic development efforts and the sustainability of small regional airports.
“I thank my colleagues for coming to Greater Sudbury for this important meeting. While every northern community deals with its own challenges, we share common ground on a number of issues that affect our entire region, particularly when it comes to community safety, housing, health care and economic development,” said Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre.
The Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM) includes mayors of Greater Sudbury, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Timmins.
“The opportunity to share solutions and ideas with our colleagues across the north is invaluable. We are able to highlight the common issues each community is facing, and the work we need to do, together, to advocate for support and change,” said Timmins Mayor Michelle Boileau.
