Managing the pandemic was the key focus for 2021.
That from Vic Fedeli, MPP for Nipissing, who’s reflecting on the year that was and looking ahead to 2022.
“Making sure that families and seniors were staying healthy, I think that was the key focus,” he says.
Highlights locally include several developments with long-term care projects.
Fedeli says that includes planning and architectural work underway on a 96 unit project in Trout Creek, Waters Edge building a new $55 million home in North Bay and announcing the provincial guarantee with the Cassellholme redevelopment.
“Put it all together and we’re getting hundreds upon hundreds of new long-term care beds being built in the riding, as a result of this year,” he says. “I think that has to be one of the biggest moves forward this year.”
Challenges include COVID-19 and economic issues, but Fedeli says municipalities have never received this much money before and it should help ease financial pressures.
With mental health and addictions, he says several groups received money from a $3.8 billion provincial fund, while homelessness funding increased with 100 beds being built, which he says will be ready in the spring.
Fedeli says 2022 promises to be a good year for Ontario Northland and passenger rail, noting the pandemic really slowed down the process.
“Nobody’s attention was on anything but healthcare, but, even in the midst of this wave we need to be planning the economic recovery and our government feels Ontario Northland will be a big part of the economic recovery,” he says.
Another opportunity is the auto sector and electric vehicles, with the needed minerals for the batteries coming from the north.
“North Bay is so well poised with companies like Redpath and Cementation to do the design, all of the mining and manufacturing companies, we are just at the perfect spot in time to be able to capitalize on all of that,” he says.
2022 is also a provincial election year and Fedeli says he actually hasn’t spent a lot of time thinking about it because of the pandemic.
He says he’s disappointed that people try to politicize the pandemic and criticize the government.
“I think our government’s response has been measured and non-political,” Fedeli says.
He also says Nipissing has received a lot of funding through the pandemic.
“Having me sitting at the head of the cabinet table has been a big help to this region in hitting 200 million extra dollars last year and almost 200 million extra dollars this year,” Fedeli says.
He says money has gone to families, seniors, hospitals, the business community, Legions and more.
