YOUR VIEWS MATTER

To achieve change that will protect our health and the environment requires us to actively discuss issues with those we elect.  Policies, regulations and laws are formed by the people we elect and we accept the responsibility we have given them to protect our future.  Your vote will help determine which politicians become the Ministers responsible for protecting your health and the environment.

Currently, action and commitment to resolve environmental concerns by local leaders in Sault Ste. Marie is lacking.  Despite concerns, The city never publicly released their Ferrochrome Processing Facility (FPF) proposal or discussed the issues they found related to potential health and environmental impacts.  It is the role of our leaders to consider these important aspects before engaging in commitments to consider locating these types of operation within our community.  

Anyone who considers your health and the environment essential, will take the time to acknowledge you concerns.  Local leadership will argue they don't regulate environmental laws or health guidelines, but they are your voice to the people and agencies that do.  Our politicians are responsible to communicate with our local agencies like Algoma Public Health (APH) to determine how they are actively working to determine any potential local environmental health impacts.

It has become common not to receive an acknowledgement or response from those we elect.  If it is an issue that matters, change starts with responsible leadership.  As our chosen elected representative, Federal Liberal M.P. Terry Sheehan has never acknowledged or replied to concerns about ASI not reporting to the city by law of spills to river in 2019.  M.P. Sheehan has strongly emphasized his party's commitment to significant funding of $420 million dollars to Algoma Steel but is reluctant to address health and environmental concerns resulting from their operations.  The government should be accountable and transparent regarding the conditions and terms of large amounts of tax dollars provided as grants, incentives and loans to private corporations. These corporations must be accountable and transparent about the impacts of their operations while fulfilling any terms and conditions including abiding by all environmental laws and regulations.

“If a company is going to have its hand out, then the public has a reasonable expectation that it should behave in the public interest.” 

– Gord Miller (Former Ontario Environmental Commissioner) (Toronto Star, 2017)

Source: https://projects.thestar.com/dirty-dollars-pollution/

The political leadership locally and for the future of this province requires people and party policies that are committed to protecting the people and our environment first. Reducing greenhouse gas emissions is essential to fight our climate crisis but it is also vital we focus on the protection of our local air, water and land by those who pollute it.  We need jobs and a viable economy but more importantly we need good health and a healthy environment.