The Northern Ontario Party say its setting up a riding constituency for the first time ever in the riding of North Bay, with the hopes of spreading the regional party into other parts of the North as well.
Trevor Holliday, the Northern Ontario Party Leader made the announcement at a small news conference in front of the North Bay Power Plant which announced last week that it will be shutting down and laying off staff.
Atlantic Power Corporation announced it is mothballing natural gas plants in North Bay, Kapuskasing and Nipigon after the premature termination of its provincial power supply agreements.
See that story HERE
“The party has never had a riding constituency here and we will be holding our meeting at the end of this month at the Public Library,” said Holliday.
“Also on the same token we are hitting the riding of Sault Ste. Marie, we are going to be holding meetings there at the same time and in Thunder Bay we are going to be holding three meetings as well. This is for all the membership, questioning of the party, anybody that is interested.”
Holliday has been touring the north trying to spread the Northern Ontario Party word. He claims the party has seen a 23% increase on the parties all time high popularity, which was back in the 1980’s.
“The reason why I called everybody up to this location is because all were made aware by the news and everything that Premier Wynne is on her slashing tour again of Northern Ontario and this is another point to point out that the Northern Ontario Party is all about northern issues and when they announced the three plant closures including Nipigon, Kapuskasing and North Bay it just shows that they do not care about Northern Ontario,” said Holliday.
Holliday believes that closing power plants in the north is a way the province is creating a monopoly for Hydro One.
“They want it all to be electric and you are causing a big monopoly and having Hydro One run everything so you are trying to shut down all the other options, the affordability for everybody in Northern Ontario and for any family, when you get a hydro bill and mine personally is $800 per month, this is crap, when there is natural gas options,” he added.
Holliday hopes to have 11 candidates in all the northern ridings before the next provincial election in 2018. He would also not confirm if he would be the one running in the Nipissing riding yet.
“The Northern Ontario Party is making movements forward by the constituency association meetings, policies and platforms are coming out within the upcoming months and our party is just skyrocketing,” he said.
“Our membership is now at an all-time high, we are almost doubled what we were back in the hay-day of the party and we are right there answering everybody’s questions, being reachable.”
To visit the Northern Ontario Party website click HERE
