Ignorance of the North continues.

• Author: Wray, Chris
• Position: NEWS

I was recently forwarded an article written by Christopher Hume, the urban affairs critic for the Toronto Star.

The article published August 23, 2007 was entitled "Invitation to a party that counts". I had to read the article three times because I could not believe what I was reading.

Essentially, and in the words of a friend, the article was both "elitist and cynical" as it related to the current "political landscape". In short, the basis of the article is such that the "red hot" economies of the urban areas of our province, more specifically southern Ontario, would benefit both the rural and northern communities. It is suggested that this would be executed through the establishment of an Urban Party who would run candidates in the urban areas only. This would result in a radical shift of power at Queen's Park that would enable the urban agenda to be heard and executed. I say, "what a load of tripe."

We all know that the provincial governments of the mid 1990s, to the early part of this decade (yes Mr. Harris and Mr. Eves) greatly benefited from the recovering economy, which saw fantastic growth in the southern part of this great province. Much of this growth can be attributed to the demand and growth in the United States and the declining Canadian dollar for these are factors for which we have become accustomed. So just what was going on with the Northern economy. Let's see; populations declined, programs of provincial responsibility will be paid for through a declining property tax base, school boards and municipalities were forced to amalgamate (at a loss of service and in most cases, resulting in increased costs), budgets of key provincial ministries to the North were stripped and provincial public sector jobs were moved to Toronto. So Mr. Hume just how will thriving economies in the south benefit the North again--Wake up!

During the same 1995-2003 period; yes the same period of economic bounty in the southern urban areas, the North was politically and financially ignored. There were no government members and the few seats were represented by Northern candidates...