The mayors and chief administrative officers from northern Ontario’s five largest municipalities met in Greater Sudbury today to discuss a number of key issues affecting the region says a news release issued after the meeting.
Topics of shared interest discussed at the Northern Ontario Large Urban Mayors (NOLUM) meeting, hosted by Greater Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre, included:
- Ongoing housing and homelessness challenges and opportunities across the north, including next steps on the National Housing Accord.
- Advocating to the provincial government to declare intimate partner violence an epidemic in northern Ontario.
- 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.
NOLUM is comprised of the mayors of North Bay, Greater Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie, Thunder Bay and Timmins. The group regularly collaborates to discuss steps to improve the quality of life in northern Ontario and advocate to higher levels of government on key issues.
"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 Mayor Paul Lefebvre, of Greater Sudbury
“Collaboration among northern mayors is key to addressing common issues within all our communities and unlocking the full potential of our region," added Mayor Peter Chirico, North Bay.
