First Nations leader Charles Fox nominated as Liberal candidate in Algoma-Manitoulin
ESPANOLA—Long-time First Nations leader and advocate for Northern communities Charles Fox was nominated on Wednesday, May 9 as the Ontario Liberal Party candidate in the riding of Algoma—Manitoulin.
“I have spent my life fighting to create more opportunities for our communities and building bridges between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people,” said Mr. Fox. “I’m determined to stand up for decades of hard work and real progress. Only Ontario Liberals will respect our right to self-government and keep essential services that Northerners rely on.”
For over 35 years, Mr. Fox has been a leader in bringing together governments, businesses, community groups and First Nations. Mr. Fox is a member of Bearskin First Nation and from 2000 to 2005, served as Ontario Regional Chief for the Chiefs of Ontario, a political forum and secretariat for collective decision-making, action and advocacy for the 133 First Nations communities located within the boundaries of the province of Ontario. Between 1994 and 2000, Mr. Fox was grand chief of Nishnawbe Aski Nation, representing 49 Northern First Nations. “Kathleen Wynne is the greatest champion of First Nations we have ever had in the premier’s office,” Mr. Fox added. “She has put Ontario on a path to reconciliation and taken real steps to get us there, like resource revenue sharing and big investments in First Nations health care. She has made real progress on the Ring of Fire by respecting Indigenous partners. As our MPP I will make sure we continue down the path to reconciliation and create real opportunities right here in Algoma—Manitoulin.”
The Liberal plan includes building a stronger, healthier Ontario through historic new investments in health care, including publicly funded medications for everyone under 25 through OHIP+ and a commitment to expand publicly funded medication to everyone over 65 next year. The plan is providing public funding to cover the cost of postsecondary education for over 235,000 students and helping 100,000 kids access quality, licensed child care, including a commitment to publicly funded preschool child care for every child from two-and-a-half to kindergarten. The Conservatives will cut the $15 minimum wage. They have given up the fight against climate change and will not make big polluters pay and are threatening billions of dollars in cuts to critical public services. While the Ontario Liberal Party’s focus is on investing in the services and infrastructure people rely on, the Conservatives will gut health care and education, denying working people a decent paycheque, and threatening much-needed northern infrastructure projects.
Charles Fox is a residential school-survivor, an avid hunter, fisherman and trapper. Since 2012, Mr. Fox and his wife Meladina have been the owners and operators of Penasi Group Homes, providing traditional land-based programming for First Nations youth.
