Faced with rising discontent over provincial government inaction in Northern Ontario, a new political party has risen from the ashes of an old one.
It's called the Northern Ontario Party, with the tag line "Government, of the people, by the people, for the people, working together to make things better for us all."
"Our goal is to have all 11 Northern Ontario candidates elected into the Ontario legislature in the next election, while maintaining honesty and integrity. We need your vote to do that.. that vote is in your hands," says party leader Trevor Holliday.
See the party's website here http://northernontarioparty.simdif.com/
The ultimate goal is to create a separate province. A petition was created and presently has 4,170 signatures with a goal of 5,000.
Vote in the BayToday poll : Do you think you might vote for the Northern Ontario Party in the next provincial election two years from now?
Holliday told BayToday that he's had overwhelming support so far.
"The majority of it has been outstanding. People are coming out of every possible nook and cranny and saying 'It's about time'. They haven't had a party they could vote for but now they feel they have one that will listen to what they want."
Holliday says one thing has come through loud and clear.
"Government not listening to them."
It's basically a renamed version of the old Northern Ontario Heritage Party and the former leader and founder Ed Deibel is the new party president. Deibel is also a former North Bay city councillor.
Holliday is confident the new party can succeed where the old one failed.
"The best way to put it is the old party was just trying to make something happen instead of bringing everybody together and doing it as a team for all of Northern Ontario, not just certain regions, and actually getting out there and spreading the word. Back when they first started the party Ed got great reviews and had a great following but it just dwindled off as Ed got older."
The new version was registered as the Northern Ontario Party with Elections Ontario on July 28.
The Heritage Party was formed in 1977 to campaign for provincial status for Northern Ontario. No member was ever elected to the Legislative Assembly of Ontario. The party disbanded in 1985, and remained inactive until being revived and re-registered by Elections Ontario in 2010.
Deibel travelled Northern Ontario in the late 1960s and early 1970s to promote the idea of creating a separate province, and to sign up supporters for the party says the party website.
The party later dropped the idea of a separate province from its platform, and continued to promote Northern Ontario's interests within Ontario.
The petition expresses 13 views.
1. Expansion of provinces to create Northern Ontario
2. Restructure government organizations to eliminate waste and repetitive spending or extensive spending
3. Reduce costs i.e. Hydro
4. Improve transportation and travel of Northern Ontario
5. Implement a policy on natural resources
6. Career creation with actual Green Energy laws and Green building to eliminate emissions but also increase self sustainability. Investing in industry to refine and finish resources locally.
7. Investing in northern Ontarians before we help others
8. End sell off to outside countries and not always go to lowest bidder as that takes away from the local economy
9. Indigenous are Northern Ontarians and are part of the government not just in meetings but are a part of the process
10. The working people trades are supported and not just the whole give and take, but a fair negotiation and a unity of workers, union and government.
11. Investing and spending for the future not just today and tomorrow.
12. Will say what you have thought or thinking about and not sugar coat or make false promises to win your vote.
13. Implement strict regulations and standard for PSWs and all support workers to ensure healthier seniors whether in seniors homes or living at home.
