New party plans northern tour

"I've been approached by a couple of mayors saying 'I'd love to meet and see what's going on'.

Trevor Holliday, leader of the Northern Ontario Party.

Northern Ontario Party Leader Trevor Holliday is hitting the road to try and spread his message.

Holliday will do a tour of some northern cities and communities.

"I want to make sure that everyone is aware we will be listening to everyone, touching base with people,conducting a membership drive, and gathering information," he told BayToday.

See original story: Northern Ontario Party wants separation from the south

Holliday says there are a lot of misconceptions about the party, the primary one is that it's like the Bloc Quebecois, wanting to separate from Canada and if that happens all funding would be cut.

"I've been approached by a couple of mayors saying 'I'd love to meet and see what's going on', and some are members of different committees that are set up to improve northern Ontario."

Holliday says he will consider the tour a success if there is membership growth, interaction with people and if we give northern Ontario more voice."

He says the Party is already having a positive effect, by forcing Premier Kathleen Wynne to visit the north, making various financial promises.

Holliday claims the Premier's tour was hastily put together to give the impression the government cares about the north.

"She came to North Bay just to congratulate about the rail cars for the Polar Bear Express, but the administration just announced money for various communities for infrastructure.If it was a planned tour they would have made those announcements when they were here, not a few weeks later. She had to throw something together, it was a quick, spur of the moment thing"

Sept. Northern Ontario Party Tour

Saturday Sept. 10th

Kenora