by Expositor staff
QUEEN’S PARK—A surprise announcement at Queen’s Park today will have a significant impact on Manitoulin Island and Northern Ontario. During a morning update to the legislature, Ministry of Municipal Affairs and Housing Assistant Deputy Minister Andrea Wallingford announced that, in relation to government funding allocations, Manitoulin Island will soon become part of Southern Ontario.
Provincial backgrounders accompanying the press release indicate that in addition to the changes to Manitoulin’s designation as part of the North, provincial representations to the provincial Electoral Boundaries Commission (EBC) will seek to have the Grey-Bruce electoral district boundaries be changed to include Manitoulin Island in the next provincial election. The Expositor has reached out to the EBC, but no response had been received as of press time. This story will be updated as new information becomes available.
Reports from the provincial finance committee indicate that reallocation of Manitoulin resources to the rest of Northern Ontario could have a major impact on the remaining underfunded regions, while the small population of Manitoulin Island would have little to no appreciable impact on the funding envelops slated for Southern Ontario.
“I’m not sure what they are smoking down there but I’ll bet it’s expensive,” said Northeast Town Mayor Al MacNevin when approached for comment on the news. “You know, as with most things from the provincial and federal governments, the devil is in the details. I’ll wait until I see the fine print, but right now the whole idea strikes me as pretty foolish. What are they going to do? Tow the Island down to Toronto harbour?”
Legal departments across provincial government ministries have assessed that the move will not likely engender any significant legal challenges. “We have consulted with all relevant stakeholders in both regions and taken their concerns into account,” said John Powers, of Bleu, Redd and O’Range LLP, the legal firm hired by the province as outside consultants on the proposed changes.
Final comments are being accepted on the Environmental Bill of Rights (EBR) website and can be entered into the EBR database by searching NORP-116189126151512.
“Thank goodness,” wrote one commentor responding to the news. “Now we won’t always be overlooked by the south. Maybe the weather will get warmer too.”
On the other side of the coin the reception to the idea was quite a bit cooler. “What are they thinking? You can’t just move a border with the stroke of a pen in some fancy office in Toronto.”
Ontario’s internal demarcations between North and South have long been a matter of hot debate, with the inclusion in Northern Ontario of the Muskoka region, along with Parry Sound, raising hackles among the more remote Northern communities.
Luckily, the die is not yet fully cast on the change in Northern status for Manitoulin Island. Many Southern Ontario municipalities have voiced concerns over the inclusion of Manitoulin in their region, raising concerns over the sharing of scarce resources. “What do we have in common with those folks?” asked John Gonerby, who currently makes his home under Toronto’s Jane Street Bridge. “We are already struggling to look after our own. Now they are trying to bring in a bunch of Northerners to take away our best spots.”
Sources close to the federal government have indicated no plans to change its designation of Manitoulin or the federal boundaries. One federal official when approached on the question of the Manitoulin issue (who requested to remain nameless as they are not authorized to speak on the matter) responded with “where?” And then added, “April Fool’s!”
