Provincial committee hears pitches for funding at Sudbury event

A provincial committee in Sudbury for pre-budget consultations heard from a representative from Laurentian University seeking $25M for pool repairs.

It was a full schedule for the province’s Standing Committee on Finance and Economic Affairs, which was in Sudbury this week to hear from 18 groups on the final day of pre-budget consultations.

“It’s a budget for the whole province, not for different areas. So how can we put that all together to adhere (to) the challenges that the people in Ontario are facing,” said committee chair and Oxford MPP Ernie Hardeman.

The multi-party committee has visited 11 cities in the past few months. Sudbury MPP Jamie West, Nickel Belt MPP France Gelinas and Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Bill Rosenberg were at the Sudbury session.

Hardeman said they’re gathering input on what the public wants see addressed in the 2026 Ontario budget.

“There are not that many differences in what we’re hearing around the province, except the uniqueness of the area we’re in,” he said.

Challenges in the north

“We hear challenges in the north that are different than the south. So how they solve the problem has got to be addressed, but the problem is the same.”

The committee heard from Brian Ramakko, a member of Laurentian University’s Board of Governors, who asked for $25 million to fix and upgrade the Jeno Tihanyi Pool.

The only Olympic-sized swimming facility in the region has been closed since March 2020 -- first because of the COVID-19 pandemic and then due to a leak.

“The pool was fully utilized, but not by Laurentian, by the general community,” Ramakko said.

“We have the stats and numbers. It’s kind of a no-brainer.”

The first to present was the president and CEO of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Marie Litalien.

Litalien asked the committee to consider finishing four-laning Highway 69, and she used the committee members’ recent travel issues to drive home her message.

“While I’m speaking on behalf of the business community here today, I think everybody in this city has experiences with delayed or cancelled flights or highway closures that affect their lives every day,” she said.

“So, it’s very important to sort of reiterate that point.”

Provincial strategy

Litalien also asked the committee to consider a provincial strategy to ensure social service outreach teams to support marginalized individuals. It’s a directive the Ontario Chamber and other community chambers have advocated for as well.

Other presenters included the Medical Laboratory Professionals’ Association of Ontario, the Ontario Federation of Labour, the Ontario Catholic School Trustees’ Association, the City of Elliot Lake, and the Canadian Mental Health Association - Sudbury and Manitoulin.

Hardeman said the details presented throughout the consultations will be compiled in a report for Finance Minister Peter Bethlanfalvy.

The provincial budget is expected to be presented at the end of March.