OFFICE OFTHE CITY Cl.ERK The Corporation of the CORPORATE SERVICES DIVISION City of North Say Direct line: (05)'474-0626, ext 2510 200 McintyreSt. East Fax Line: ('705) 495·4353 PO Box360 North Bay. E-mail: [email protected]!.Ca Canada P1B 8H8 Tel: (705) 474-0400

27 March 2012 TOWN OF HUNTSVILLE MAR 2. 9 2012

Premier Dalton McGuinty Legislative Building Queen's Parks Toronto, ON M7A 1A1

DearS!r:

This is Resolution No. 2012..214 which was passed unanimously at a Special Meeting of Council held Monday. March 26, 2012.

Resolutionl!Q:.~Q.1.2,:214:

WHEREAS onFriday, March 23,2012, Minister ofNorthern DeVelopment and Mines Rick Bartolucci shocked residents of , employeesof.theOntario Northland Transportation Commission (the "ONTO") .and business and community leaders by announcing theGovernmentof Ontario's plans to divest theassetsoftheONTc;

AND WHEREAS a Growth Plan for Northern Ontario 2011 which was co..authored bythe Provincial Ministry of Infr<;lstrUl~ture an~. thYJProvincial. MinistryOfNo~hernDevel(jpment, Mine$3nd Forestryacl

ANOWHEREA$ the. Growth Plan specifically recognizes that thetransportation system within Northern Ontario 'n'iUbe plCinned and mana~ed with'an emp~a~ison opportunities to Iinl< major markets.ressurce develqpment areas?cmdeconomica.nd .service hUb~, meettne needsofthe existing and emerging priority economic sectors, and enhance connectivity among transportation modes including rail, road,marineahd air;

AND WHEREAS Ontarians living in the North have a right to the same services astheir southern counterparts, including safe, dependable and accessible transportation;

AND WHEREAS the ONTe has provided access to and from remote communities, First Nations lands and municipalities in order that their residents may attendrnedical appointments and postsecondary education;

AND WHEREAS the ONTe has been the principal economic development vehicle in Northeastern Ontario for over onehundred years, thereby opening the regions natural wealth to development and billions in revenue to tbe Province of Ontario;

.../2 AND WHEREAS the divestment of this Northern jewel would have an immediate catastrophic impact on many small Northern communities akin to the disasterfaced by small southwestern communities with the collapse of the auto industry, as well as irreparable damage to future development opportunities;

AND VVHEREAS the ONTe has been under the control of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines, being a Ministry with expertise in natural resources not transportation and telecommunication;

AND WHEREAS the ONTe would assuredly thrive under a Ministry that understood transportation and telecommunlcation being the Ministry of Transportation;

AND WHEREAS in a letter dated March 23, 2012, to Regional Mayors, Minister Bartolucci stated that": appreciate that this announcement will impact many people in Northeastern Ontario ! want to assure all communities, ONTG employees and those Northerners who use ONTe services, that our govemment will be fair, open and transparent as we proceed with this transition;"

AND WHEREAS Minister Bartoluccl pUblicly .stated that governrnent was looking at privatizing the ONTe a few months before the release of the Drummond Report in February 2012;

AND WHEREAS the City of North Bay fails to understand how zero consultation with any affected First Nation, municipality, business customers, or employee groups constitutes a falrcpen or transparent process;

AND WHEREAS poth Minister Bartolucci and Premier Dalton McGuinty have strongly supported the ONTC as an essential piece of strategic infrastructure in Northeastern Ontario;

AND WHEREAS Premier McGuinty had previously signed a pledge stating that "I will guarantee the people of Nipissing that my government wiH not approve or allow the privatization of the ONTC,";" , ,

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Mayor and Council of the City of North Bay call on Premier McGuinty to honour his pledge and immediately suspend this ill conceived action in order to permit affected stakeholders in the form ofa Corm:nunilyTask Force,time to devisea more thoughtful business case that will keep the ONTC whole while respecting the stated goals of the Northern Growth Plan;

AND BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED that the Province of Ontario starts to immediately transition responsibility for the ONTC from the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines to the Ministry of Transportation;

AND FURTHER that a copy of this resolution be sent to the Honourable Premier Dalton Mc(3uinty; the Honourable Rick Bartolucci, Minister of Northern Development and Mines; the Honourable , Minister of Infrastructure and Minister of Transportation; the Honourable , Minister of Finance; the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission-Admlnlstration and Unions; the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities;

. ..13 all municipalities in the ONTC catchment area; all affected First Nation communities in Northeastern Ontario; Victor Fedeli MPP; Jay Aspin MP; Tim Hudak, Leader of the Progressive Conservative Party of Ontario; Andrea Horwath, Leader of the Ontario New Democratic Party; andto the North Bayand District Chamber of Commerce stating that"THE ONTC IS NOT FOR SALE".

Yourstruly, t .CtJtrCtd Catherine Conrad City Clerk

CC/eR ce. Honourable Rick Bartolucci Honourable Bob Chiarelli Honourable Dwight Duncan ONTC Administration '- Paul Goulet ONTO Union - Brian Kelly Federation ofNorthern Ontario Municipalities AllMunicipalities intheONTO Catchment Area First Nations - Northern Ontario Victor Fedeli, MPP Jay Asp!n, MP Tim Hudak -leader of theProgressive Conservative Party of Ontario Andrea HOlWath - Leader ofthe Ontario New Democratic Party North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce

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