McGuinty Government Invests In Northern Ontario

In This Section

Topics

For Immediate Release
August 14, 2007

Downtown Revitalization Initiative to Foster New Economic Growth

SAULT STE. MARIE - The McGuinty government is investing in an initiative that will enhance and diversify Sault Ste. Marie's downtown, David Orazietti, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie, announced today on behalf of Leona Dombrowsky, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs.

"Our government recognizes the importance of improving Sault Ste. Marie's downtown through attracting new businesses, creating and retaining jobs and strengthening the local economy," said Orazietti. "Successful implementation of this revitalization initiative will help position our community as an attractive tourist destination, as well as a great place to live and do business."

The province will contribute $570,000 to help the Corporation of the City of Sault Ste. Marie and its partner, the Queenstown Association, implement the initiative.

"Thanks to the support of the provincial government, we can now proceed with our three year project of enhancing our downtown," said Mayor John Rowswell, City of Sault Ste. Marie. "Private sector financial incentive programs, building façade improvements, and building restoration are all parts of our community improvement plan to foster new economic growth."

This is just one more example of how, working together, Ontarians have achieved results in northern Ontario. Other examples include:

Improving northern highways by investing more than $1.8 billion over five years in highway expansions and improvements through the Northern Highways Strategy
Investing in northern health care - this year, a $15-million investment will help reduce wait times in the northwest and northeast LHINs and expand and improve hospitals in North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay and Sudbury
Making available more than $1 billion over five years in assistance for the forestry industry.

Today's investment was made through the Rural Economic Development (RED) Program, which invests in community-based projects that support sustainable rural economies in three priority areas: improved access to health care services, revitalized communities and downtowns, and enhanced skills training.

Through the RED Program, the province has invested $33 million in 118 projects, representing a total investment of $204.6 million in rural Ontario, since 2003. The Ontario government and its partners are building strong rural communities that work better for the people who live in them.

- 30 -

Contact:
Kelly Synnott
Minister's Office
416-326-6439

Brent Ross
Communications Branch
416-326-9342

| Return to Index |

| version française disponible |

| Top of Page |

For more information:
Toll Free: 1-877-424-1300
Local: (519) 826-4047
E-mail: ag.info.omafra@ontario.ca