Provincial parks closings brings groundswell of grassroots pushback in Northern Ontario

A grassroots movement in Northern Ontario after the provincial government, without any consultation, closed provincial parks, including Ivanhoe and Shoals near Chapleau, may be getting a positive result, after the issue united citizens like none other in many years.

Hundreds of letters as well as petitions are arriving daily at the office of Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle.

Prior to meeting with Natural Resources  Minister Gravelle at Queen's Park on Oct 18, Kapuskasing mayor Al Spacek had said: "In my time in politics, I have not seen the groundswell of pushback, coming from the grassroots.."

Mr. Spacek is also president of the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM)

After meeting with the minister, Q92Timmins radio station was reporting that Mr. Spacek and Timmins mayor Tom Laughren returned with a "positive outlook."

According to the radio station, they presented the minister with 15 suggestions.

Mr. Laughren said the minister "was enthusiastic and receptive" and a decision is expected within a few weeks.

Meanwhile, it has been reported from Queen's Park that Timmins-James Bay NDP MPP Gilles Bisson, along with NDP MPP’s John Vanthof and France Gelinas, have continued direct dialogue with MNR Minister Michael Gravelle over the issue of park closures. 

“I have spoken with the Minister on a number of occasions this past week. I encouraged him to look at other options as a way of raising revenue," said Mr. Bisson.

Mr. Bisson says he understands fully the need for MNR to reduce expenditures, but says there are other ways to do that. As a result of the public meetings held in Timmins, Kapuskasing and Foleyet, he says a number of suggestions were made.

“We discussed increasing the number of spots available for seasonal camping as a possibility of raising more revenue. Also there’s the possibility of extending the season a week or 2. Staff restructuring and how we better utilize staff is another issue that should be looked at.”

“We now look forward to hearing back from the Minister on this important northern industry issue.

Although I have not lived in Northern Ontario for more than 20 years, I do not recall a single issue that so united its citizens as the parks decision has done. In the interests of full disclosure, I was a member of the FONOM executive in the 1970s when I was reeve of Chapleau. 

I  also covered Northern Ontario news as a reporter at the Daily Press in Timmins in the 1960s, and then was a sports columnist and general interest columnist with that newspaper in the 1980s. I also worked for the Toronto Star as a Northern Ontario correspondent. Interestingly, the Star, the largest daily newspaper in Canada took an interest in this story as did major television networks --- and they usually stop their coverage at the north end of Toronto.

Grassroots democracy is alive and well at least in Northern Ontario --- witness the letters, photos and comments posted on the Friends of Ivanhoe Provincial  Park Facebook page. HERE IS LINK http://www.facebook.com/groups/436063029763593/

NORTHERN ONTARIO HIT AGAIN: RELATED STORY http://michaeljmorrisreports.blogspot.ca/2012/10/plus-ca-change-plus-cest-la-meme-chose.html

Thanks to David Winchester, who has camped at Ivanhoe for 37 years for making photos of the park available.