NEMI – A provincial minister has indicated that the province will work with staff of the town of Northeastern Manitoulin and the Islands (NEMI) at a plan for the possible return of a Service Ontario outlet in the town.
“Todd McCarthy, Minister of Public and Business Service Delivery, indicated he will have his staff work with our CAO and see if they can come up with a plan to have a Service Ontario centre located in NEMI,” said NEMI Mayor Al MacNiven, after the Rural Ontario Municipal Association (ROMA) conference last week.
“We are hoping to get one here. We used to have a Service Ontario location in the tourist centre, and then at another location in Little Current,” said Mayor MacNiven. “Currently our residents have to go to Manitowaning, Mindemoya or Gore Bay for Service Ontario services, and we have heard a lot of complaints about this from local residents.”
The province had indicated previously that the three Service Ontario outlets on Manitoulin are adequate for providing the services to local residents. At the ROMA conference last week, “we met with Todd McCarthy, the minister of Public and Business Service Delivery,” said Mayor MacNiven. “We brought forward the request for a Service Ontario location in NEMI, and the minister said his staff will talk with NEMI staff and investigate the possibility. He understands the distances between the communities and there being no public transportation on Manitoulin,” said Mayor MacNiven.
“He is looking to the municipality to be a partner, and it would be nice to work with a small business to take on the operation of the Service Ontario centre in the business,” said Mayor MacNiven.
