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Ontario’s Premier sees small and rural communities being a part of the government’s plan to grow the economy.
Doug Ford addressed municipal reps attending the Rural Ontario Municipal Association conference on Monday in Toronto.
Ford says that growth comes with a need to address infrastructure.
“We want to make sure that people can continue to enjoy the beauty of…and set down roots in…Ontario’s rural communities. And as our communities grow, we know that our infrastructure needs to keep up. That’s why we’re investing a historic $86.6 billion over ten years to build and expand roads, highways, and transit infrastructure across Ontario,” says Ford.
Ford also outlined the importance of building new homes to offset the province’s housing needs over the next decade.
“With our population expected to grow by over 2 million over the next decade, we need more homes, built faster. That’s why our government is taking bold action to build 1.5-million new homes across Ontario by 2031, including a mix of ownership and rental housing types that meet the needs of all Ontarians.”
Ford says they have also made investments in the province’s Agri-food sector to increase food production by 30 per cent over the next 10 years, and taken steps to make life more affordable for all.
Ford also addressed his government’s interest in the electric vehicle industry.
He says the real opportunity for Ontario is realizing the full value of the electric vehicle supply chain.
“From start to finish…from mining to manufacturing…we’re going to build the cars of the future right here in Ontario, across Ontario.”
Ford noted the importance of a new critical minerals strategy launched last year in Thunder Bay.
“A five-year roadmap to better connect the industries, resources and workers in our province’s north to our manufacturers in the south. We’re also strengthening the manufacturing sectors in eastern and southwestern Ontario.”
This includes Canada’s first-ever electric vehicle battery plant and General Motors opening a full-scale electric vehicle plant in Ingersoll.