KENORA – This week, 200 delegates and guests are attending the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association Annual General Meeting and Conference in Kenora to engage in discussion and policy development on a variety of issues of concern to Northwestern Ontario communities.
Premier Dalton McGuinty, for the second time did not make the trip north to attend the NOMA event.
At the resolution session, NOMA members approved 23 resolutions including policies that call on the Ontario Government to:
- provide payments in lieu of municipal land tax at fair market value;
- ensure that the long term energy plan provides solutions for identified deficiencies; to fund any projects defined as ‘public good’ through general revenues rather than on a business case model;
- that energy produced in the Northwest be first used to create additional wealth and employment in the Northwest;
- examine legislative changes to more effectively address illicit drug trafficking and put in place adequate resources for drug prevention and treatment programs in Northwestern Ontario;
- to reverse their decision to close these Travel Information Centres in order to ensure that the Fort Frances, Rainy River and Kenora Travel Centres will be open throughout summer 2012.
- 2012-01 Request Province to immediately upload the full cost of court security (adopted)
- 2012-02 Long Term Housing Strategy – Seniors (adopted)
- 2012-03 Payment in lieu of municipal land taxes (adopted)
- 2012-04 Encourage retailers to ban use of single use plastic shopping bags (adopted)
- 2012-05 Revision to the long-term care funding formula for homes for the aged (adopted with authorization to Board to modify language for technical correctness)
- 2012-06 Low Frequency Noise (referred to Board for further work)
- 2012-07 Special fund to assist with staff training costs (adopted)
- 2012-08 Trails and canoe routes (adopted)
- 2012-09 Snowmobile tourism (adopted)
- 2012-10 Support for ferrochrome processor (adopted with amendment to delete “suitable site in Northwestern Ontario” and insert “Exton in the municipality of Greenstone”)
- 2012-11 Energy Policy (adopted)
- 2012-12 Ontario Summer Student Programs (adopted)
- 2012-13 Debt Retirement Charges (adopted)
- 2012-14 Physician and Health Care Professional Shortages (adopted)
- 2012-15 Farm Tax, Management Forest Tax Incentive, and Conservation Land Tax Incentive Programs (adopted)
- 2012-16 Province to pay for MPAC services (adopted)
- 2012-17 Action on abuse of prescription drugs (adopted)
- 2012-18 Drinking Water Quality Management System Compliance (adopted)
- 2012-19 Disposition of Crown Lands in Ontario (adopted)
- 2012-20 Closure of Travel Information Centres (adopted)
- 2012-21 Forest Tenure (adopted)
- 2012-22 Heads and Beds (adopted)
- 2012-23 Reinstate Katimavik Program (adopted)
NOMA members also approved a resolution in support of construction and operation of a ferrochrome facility in Exton in the Municipality of Greenstone.
Here is a list of the resolutions that were debated:
Complete information regarding all resolutions debated is available at www.noma.on.ca
