Algoma-Manitoulin MPP Rosenberg named to two parliamentary assistant postings

Agriculture and Food and Treasury

QUEEN’S PARK—It has been a whirlwind few weeks since Thessalon’s Bill Rosenberg was elected to represent Algoma-Manitoulin in the legislature, but the newly minted MPP is just about settled into his constituency offices and getting a handle on his appointed role of parliamentary assistant to the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness Trevor Jones, a role he shares with fellow MPP Paul Vickers. Mr. Rosenberg has also been appointed as the Parliamentary Assistant to the President of the Treasury Caroline Mulroney.

The Expositor caught up with Mr. Rosenberg while he was on his way to an announcement with Minister Jones in Guelph and another meeting soon after with the Treasury Board. The Algoma-Manitoulin MPP said he was looking forward to working with Mr. Vickers and the minister to support and strengthen Ontario’s farming and food sector—while safeguarding the province’s capacity to produce food, fibre, fuel and flowers locally.

In the meantime, the former mayor of Thessalon is preparing to serve his constituents. To that end, he has been touring the riding to learn more about the issues that are top of mind for his constituents. “Everyone has been very welcoming,” he said of his reception in those communities he has visited.

“The constituency office is almost there,” he said. “We have the phones installed and the internet is being set up, staff is hired, everything is lining up.” The new MPP has also sourced a place to live in Toronto and is settling in.

Asked about the issue that is high on the minds of most Manitoulin residents, the replacement of the venerable swing bridge at Little Current—the oldest structure in the provincial highway system inventory—Mr. Rosenberg said he was “well aware” of how important the swing bridge is to the area.

“There are 10 bridges, 10 schools and 10 hospitals in the riding,” he noted, pointing out that the riding is immense, extending from Manitouwadge to Manitoulin. 

Mr. Rosenberg said that he intends to be himself a bridge between Northern Ontario communities and those in the south.

But job one for the newly minted MPP is the same as that of the other legislators at Queen’s Park. “We have to join Premier (Doug) Ford to fight these (US) tariffs and try to protect our jobs. It’s the number one priority right now,” said Mr. Rosenberg, pointing to the impact those tariffs will have on jobs in the North, from steel in Sault Ste. Marie, to sawmills in Blind River and the minerals being mined throughout the region. “The jobs are going to be gone if the tariffs come in,” he said.

But things are far from being doom and gloom, he said, noting that one of the great pleasures he has had the opportunity to take part in since being elected to Queen’s Park was being part of a meeting with BMI Group, the company that has offered to purchase the idled former Domtar paper mill in Espanola. “That was pretty exciting news,” he said. “This will be good for the whole area.”