By Parry Sound-Muskoka MPP Graydon Smith
As we enter 2023, I thought it would be an appropriate time to reflect on the year that was and the steps we’ve taken as a government to make our communities here in Parry Sound-Muskoka stronger and more resilient.
Much progress was made over the course of 2022 on issues that have long been prevalent in our communities. From healthcare and housing to transportation and daycare, 2022 saw a great deal of new investment into our area that will improve quality of life for current and future generations.
Accessibility to high-quality and timely healthcare is something we all care about deeply. For too long, the residents of Parry Sound-Muskoka have been forced to travel long distances to access critical services. Our hospital was chronically underfunded on an annual basis by the previous government. Under these circumstances, one could not be blamed for feeling as though small-town Ontario was an afterthought to the government of the day in Toronto.
Fortunately, the funding situation was dealt with by this government and the announcement by Premier Ford last spring that both hospital sites – Bracebridge and Huntsville – will be redeveloped, ensures our local healthcare system will remain strong for the entire region, including East Parry Sound. On December 19th, I was thrilled to announce that Muskoka Algonquin Healthcare has been approved for $800,000 in yearly operational funding for an MRI machine, which will be operated out of the hospital site in Huntsville. These are game-changing investments into our communities which will pay benefits for generations.
Alongside access to healthcare, housing affordability is an issue I hear about frequently. Like Ontario and the rest of Canada, our region is growing in population. The supply of housing, however, has not kept pace resulting in a supply-demand imbalance that has driven the cost of home ownership sharply higher. The government recognized that to address the housing crunch, bold action was necessary. As a result, we introduced and passed The More Homes Built Faster Act.
I appreciate that this piece of legislation was controversial for some, and I welcome the feedback I have received from constituents – both in opposition to and in support of, the Bill. Ultimately, the Bill will allow for much-needed homes to be built in our riding and throughout Ontario. Homes for families, for students, for seniors, for newcomers to our country…for everyone.
While there are legislative and regulatory changes being made to allow for this to happen, there is still an important focus on keeping our natural environment safe and healthy. Areas with conservation authorities will see those organizations continue to play an important role in keeping people and property safe. Species at risk legislation is still in place. Wetlands will continue to be evaluated for their ecological significance. We can have both more homes and a strong environment in Ontario.
Along with an increased demand for housing, the growth we are experiencing across Parry Sound-Muskoka has meant parents are finding it difficult to find affordable childcare services. For many families, it’s crucial that both parents work. This is why I was so pleased to recently announce that the provincial government is investing $3.9 billion in provincial and federal funding into Ontario’s licensed childcare sector. This investment will create 438 new, affordable and high-quality spaces across the riding. In total, our plan will see 86,000 cumulative new spaces created across Ontario by 2026. What’s more, childcare costs will have been reduced in cost by 50% compared to 2020 by year’s end.
Lastly, I want to briefly touch on the recent announcement concerning the re-establishment of the Northlander passenger rail service. The provincial government has purchased three new passenger train sets at a cost of approximately $140 million to make this a reality. The government is keeping its promise to central and northern Ontario by bringing back an important service that was taken away a decade ago. This investment is another example of the government’s commitment to small, rural and northern Ontario.
As I conclude, I want to thank the residents of Parry Sound-Muskoka for putting their confidence in me. I know that serving as your MPP is a great privilege and I’m truly honoured to have this opportunity. I want you to know that every day I’m advocating as strongly as I can for the residents of our area and fighting to bring meaningful investment and important services to Parry Sound-Muskoka.
I wish you all a healthy and joyous New Year.
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Brenda Begg says
Mr. Graydon: It is wonderful and welcome news that our hospital is slated to get an MRI machine. Is there anyone on staff qualified to operate one? And, if someone needs to be hired, where will they find affordable and safe housing in Huntsville/nearby surrounding area?
(Staffing, everywhere, is problematic. Thank you, Doug Ford).
Linda Mathers says
Minister Smith
I take great offense to your New Years letter to your constituents. Each paragraph misrepresents what your government is actually doing.
You say, “the funding situation {in healthcare} was dealt with by this government.”
Your government has seriously underfunded health care driving dedicated, caring professionals to leave in droves. You froze nurses’ wages for years with Bill 124 and now spend millions of taxpayer dollars to replace them with more expensive private agency workers. It would appear your government is creating a health care crisis in order to privatize our public health care system.
You say, “the Bill {Bill 23, More Homes Built Faster Act} will allow for much needed homes to be built.”
Bill 23 has been reviewed by scientists, including the Muskoka Watershed Council, housing experts, municipal leaders, climate and environmental organizations, and land use planners across the province. Unequivocally they have widely and vehemently criticized this bill as harmful to our communities and to our future. Your government ignored the 29,200 submissions to the Environmental Registry urging its withdrawal.
A handful of wealthy developers (PC party donors) paid millions to purchase never-to-be-developed Greenbelt lands, some as late as this past September, just before Bill 23 was presented. As your leader says, Ontario is indeed “open for business”. An inquiry has been requested to look into this situation.
You say, “the Bill will allow for much-needed homes to be built in our riding … for families, for students, for seniors, for newcomers to our country…for everyone.”
The bill re-defines affordable housing as a residential unit for which rent is 80% or less of the average market rent, or 80% or less of the average purchase price. Rather than creating housing that the people you name above can ‘afford’ to rent or buy, Bill 23 will result in more McMansions and urban sprawl, locking in decades of climate heating fossil fuel emissions.
This is the antithesis of the direction municipalities across the world are going. Ontario is becoming a dead-beat on the climate front completely missing the economic benefits of climate-focused housing solutions for our future.
You say, “there will continue to be an important focus on keeping our natural environment safe and healthy.”
On the eve of the Christmas holiday, your Ministry redefined sensitive wetland areas and privatized oversight, leaving most wetlands vulnerable to development
Wetlands are important carbon sinks; they protect us from extremes of climate such as flooding; they serve as critical habitats ensuring the biodiversity of species essential to our survival.
The 438 childcare spaces you promise by 2026 will not benefit the families who need them today. Like the childcare spots, the train you promise for 2026 will arrive just in time for the next provincial election!
If you truly wish to advocate for your constituents you will listen to the experts in your own community and take their message to Queen’s Park.
Linda Mathers
Port Carling
Paul Johnston says
Just want to add a comment to Brenda’s input. It is my understanding that the province is offer only investment not capital. It is the citizens responsibility to raise the capital to acguire the MRI equipment. Secondly Brenda’s commenton staffing is absolutely correct. We cannot get nurses so where and when will the MRI staff come from. While any step forward is needed, our healthcare is a real mess and we do not need these baby steps but need a comprehensive plan detailing corrective action. This government fights the little fires and igmores the real overall issue
es. So Graydon before you pat yourself on the back you better make sure the true problems are being addressed.
Peter Zychowski says
The number of people who are seemingly completely unaware that every hospital foundation in Ontario is required to raise capital funds for things like machinery is alarming. They moan and groan as if we’re being shortchanged. It’s this way across the province and country. Wake up, folks. News of the MRI funding is tremendously positive and a major accomplishment for our MPP.
Despite what the Ford Derangement Syndrome folks on here think, much of the great news we’ve received in this riding is because we elected MPP Smith. You can bet dollars to donuts that virtually none of it would have happened if we chose to elect the Green candidate. Again, moan and groan about what you feel you’re entitled too but dems the brakes; the facts of life. Graydon gets results. Why? Because he’s capable and hardworking AND he’s a member of the government. That’s the reality.
The malcontents on this forum will evidently never be happy and will always demand more because as we’ve been told repeatedly “healthcare is free in Canada”. It ain’t. It’s super expensive.
Take a look around folks. Every province in this country is experiencing healthcare challenges. I know it’s easy to point the finger at straw men and blame politicians you don’t like, but the system is the issue. Are BC’s health care problems the fault of their NDP premier? It’s systemic. And until we recognize that our system is weak due to our refusal to accept any type of sensible market-based reforms (the type seen all over the Western world, including in the socialist utopias (France, Sweden, Norway, etc.) that only exist in the minds of the frequent commenters on here) the system will continue to crumble.
We’re under the mistaken impression that there’s only two options: Canadian healthcare or US-style healthcare, and we pretend there’s no in-between. But there is a massive middle ground. France has a 50/50 public-private healthcare system and it’s widely ranked and considered the best in the world. It’s sad that the pearl clutchers here in Canada and particularly in the far left-wing community that’s emerged on the Doppler would consider this “US-style healthcare.”
Anyway, kudos to Graydon and the government for delivering the MRI funding. I trust that this community will raise the funds for the machine….just like every other community and hospital foundation does across Ontario.
John Earl says
Peter Zychowski,
Excellent comments, good to see some positive comment instead of whining and bashing from those who seem to dwell on negative and pessimistic views. We still live in a democratic country so let all present their views, I’ll still read them .
Brenda Begg says
To Linda Mathers: Your comment is well articulated. You’ve hit the nail on its head, in my opinion and experience.
To John Earl: In my experience, respectfully presenting our views/opinions is neither whining nor bashing nor dwelling on negative and pessimistic views; we are voicing our concerns and presenting our views. Let us not forget; we learn from reading others’ viewpoints – irrespective of whether they align with ours.
John Earl says
Brenda Begg and Everyone,
First of all Brenda just for the record I am not a card carrying Conservative, secondly I did Not vote for Graydon Smith in the recent provincial election.
Whether its the Mayor, MP, MPP, Premier or Prime Minister or for that matter anyone duly elected to hold the position of any office to represent its citizens they deserve a decent measure of respect. If anyone is not able to find in themselves to give the respect those elected that they deserve then in our Democracy we have the choice to vote them out of office the next time around. If anyone truly believes in making any matter of concern to themselves or to our Country, then in my mind they should try to work with our elected leaders . Granted many voters in Muskoka didn’t support Graydon, but the fact of the matter is , in our democratic process He won and is going to hopefully serve Muskoka Parry Sound to the best of his ability.
Anna-Lise Kear says
My opinions on the Provincial Conservative government’s handling of healthcare, the environment, and public education are well known. Equally well known are my views on the poor performance by for-profit long term care, both in facilities and community.
While acknowledging that health care funding is not just a provincial issue, nevertheless healthcare remains primarily a provincial responsibility. I re-iterate. there has been frivolous mis-spending of taxpayer dollars while health care is further and shamefully neglected. If we can’t shine a light on those with primary responsibility, then who/whom?
Thank you Linda Mathers for continuing to bring such issues forward. You have my deepest gratitude.
I suggest it is equally important to shine a light on ODB (Ontario Disabilities Benefits) as well. All other parties, except the Conservatives, stood on the campaign platform of the need to double these benefits to help those to cope with rising costs- e.g. deciding to pay rent or eat. Ford’s answer = 5%.
Allen Markle says
Guess I’m a bit of a Missourian in as much as I need you to “Show Me”.
The “More homes built Faster Act” (Lord they don’t employ a poet, do they?) is this government declaring the sky is falling. They will rip up and pave over protected land, and land we do, and will need for food production!!! to satisfy the greed of a few developers.
Most of our MPP’s comments are just a rehash of what we have already been made aware of.
Full service hospitals a few years down the road.
Additional day care spaces a few years down the road.
More nurses and health care workers, somewhere down the road.
Affordable housing in our area (!), somewhere down the road.
Maybe even a few new revelations, but you know where they will be, eh!
There is no optimism in the assurance that legislation concerning wetland , species at risk, conservation authorities and areas of ecological significance will remain in place. No suggestion that they will be adhered to; likely just worked around or swept aside as inconvenient.
I can only wait for the next announcement that there is something wonderful…..
Down the road.
Peter Zychowski says
Mr Markle wants his two brand spanking new hospitals, new MRI machine, new daycare spaces, new Northlander and new infrastructure projects and he wants them right now!
I suppose some governments have wands they can wave and new buildings and programs suddenly appear and become operational; no need for planning, procurement or construction….they simply rise out of the earth at Mr. Markle’s command.
Allen Markle says
Peter Zychowski: Mine was a comment and nowhere near a command. If the present government had only been elected as recently as Oct. 2022, I would certainly have been denying it any lead time to prepare programs. However, the party was elected in 2018, and in that space of 4years and a bit, has done nothing but alienate a lot of working people. Drop kicked 4 and a half years and accomplished little.
In that period was the pandemic, which would have been an ugly job for any government, and we will never know if anyone could have dealt with it better. In my opinion, they could hardly have done worse.
My ‘down the road’ comment is in reference to that pet peeve of mine; where governments are always making plans for times outside their mandate; four years from now, six years from now, even ten or twelve years. Elect us forever, or some of this may never come to be.
I really do like the idea of the wand though. Without one, most of these promises will never come to pass. And this premier would likely just hit someone with it.
Next election, I hope we have a better selection of candidates from all parties.
Again. Just an opinion.
Peter Zychowski says
The problem with Mr. Markle’s assertions regarding the supposed alienation of working people is that they’re categorically false and separated from reality.
I doubt Mr. Markle has taken the time to review the results, but I have. Both demographically and riding-by-riding. The current government dominated amongst “working people” in the last election. Quite frankly, the PCs ate the NDP and Liberals’ lunch amongst lower income workers. Nowhere is this more true than in ethnic minority populations in the GTA.
Timmins, Hamilton East-Stoney Creek, every riding in Brampton, every riding in Mississauga, 4 of 6 ridings in Scarborough, Thunder Bay-Aitikokan, Winsor-Tecumseh, and on and on. These are all ridings with heavy working-class and immigrant populations. All dominated by the PCs.
The NDP and Liberals, on the other hand, are the parties of rich, urban elites. Look at the map. It’s clear as day. If you make $500K/year, live in Rosedale, Rockcliffe Park or the Beaches, you’re considerably more likely to vote Liberal or NDP….hardly “working class” by any definition.
Moreover, the support Mr. Ford received from numerous private sector unions across this province also calls Mr. Markle’s spurious assertions into question.
It’s clear the Ford Derangement Syndrome folks won’t let facts get in the way of their partisanship and ideologically driven comments.
Paul Whillans says
Mr Zychowski:
I am not sure what you consider an adequate review of the results but it has lead you to faulty conclusions.
In fact the key feature of low income citizens is that they do not vote as reliably as affluent voters (see Elections Canada, Correlates of Not Voting). And as you will know the most recent Ontario Election had the lowest turnout of any election in Canadian history.
While it will take some time to get the actual breakdown, with such a low turnout it would be reasonable to assume that particularly absent would be the youngest voters and the lowest income voters. As such it is very safe to assume that the young and the lowest income DID NOT vote PC.
In fact all of the ridings you have listed as proof are all well below the province wide average of a 43% turnout (Brampton across its 4 ridings was striking below 38%).
As such I find your “analysis” partisan and misleading (if not false). Timmins is an interesting case in point. First Timmins average income is above the Canadian and Ontario averages (indeed $8,000 per year higher than Parry Sound Muskoka). Interestingly more than 1/3 of households in Timmins make over $150,000 per year. So first you have mischaracterized Timmins as a “working class town”. Next while a win is a win….Gilles Bisson the 30 year NDP incumbent, suffered a heart attack in late April 2022 and had 3 by-pass surgery. The PC candidate was shameful enough to actively campaign on whether Bisson could physically do the job (dirty politics at its worst). Bisson ended up receiving 40% fewer votes than he had in any of his previous 9 elections……In short, Northeast Ontario has been an NDP stronghold all my life. A bit of dirty politics and low indigenous and low income turnout gave the PC a remarkable victory…..but tells us nothing about who the PCs represent.
All in all, I find your comment nothing more than a partisan rant supported by very superficial observations….Next time do a fuller analysis or wait for Environic Analytics to do their deep look at the election where the true facts are presented….Of note their review of the 2018 Ontario Election disproves everything you have claimed about demographic affiliation the the various parties …..and there is no reason to believe anything has changed
Peter Zychowski says
Mr. Whillans,
Thank you for providing a hearty chuckle on this bright January afternoon.
Your deftness in mental gymnastics is impressive. As my nephew would say, “You tied yourself into a mental pretzel” in an effort to make your point. Because – to be frank – your point necessitates making several assumptions that are either illogical, semantical or downright inaccurate.
You assume that higher voter turnout unquestionably benefits the party you support. This is typical of the losing side but, of course, it’s inaccurate and faulty logic.
Higher turnout may very well have resulted in an even larger PC victory. Lazily assuming that “if only turnout was higher we would have done better” is, well, lazy and wrong. All quantitative signs point to the likelihood that the PCs would have benefitted the most from higher turnout. The leader and party brand consistently polled considerably higher than the other leaders and parties. Amongst “undecideds”, the PC’s dominated, especially late in the campaign. Many of the polled “undecideds” that broke towards the Tories, however, didn’t vote. If they did, well, 83 seats may have been 90+ seats.
Moreover, the decision not to vote is inherently an implicit endorsement of the status quo. I know the NDP/Greens want to fantasize that all of the voters that stayed home would have been theirs, but this is a delusional fallacy. People stay home for lots of reasons, one of them being that they’re happy with the direction of the province, otherwise – ya know – they would vote to change it.
Pointing to low turnout to justify a poor result is so amateur. The “turnout” excuse is the ultimate example of straw man reasoning. The NDP and Liberals have only themselves to blame for not motivating more people to vote for them.
With respect to Timmins. Really? You’re going to argue with a straight face that Timmins is an upper-class town? You’re telling me that Timmins isn’t “working class”? Have you ever been there? I assume you have, which means, you know full well that the reason salaries are higher is because of the nature of the work. People in Timmins work in mines, which is dangerous work that commands higher salaries. Arguing these folks aren’t blue collar, working class people, is disingenuous and nonsensical.
Gilles Bisson lost because of two reasons: the NDP vote across Ontario collapsed by 10%; and, he’d been mailing it in for far too long, which the people of Timmins were well aware of. The cockamamie explanation you provided is just silly. Bisson lost largely due to the same reason that the NDP lost 8 other seats. Their “working class” voters abandoned them.
I think what’s become clear is that the majority of the Ford-haters on this forum draw a deep ideological distinction between public and private employees, with their favour, partiality and concern going exclusively to the former. That’s fine, but at the end of the day, the private sector pays for all of those public sector salaries, pensions and benefits. And, as we know, Mr. Ford secured the endorsement of numerous large, private sector unions who represent thousands of working class people across all walks of life.
Mr Whillans, your final paragraph is so chock full of erroneous and ideologically driven assertions it’s barely worth acknowledging, so I’ll simply reiterate the facts: the PCs dominated amongst lower income people across the province (virtually all public polling confirms this); the Premier was and is the most popular choice amongst lower income, and particularly, lower income ethnic-minority voters; the NDP and Liberals have become are the parties of rich, urban elites.
These are the facts. If you doubt me, look at an electoral map. I count 83 seats, which includes the vast majority of lower-income, ethnic ridings in this province.
Paul Whillans says
Mr Zychowski:
Let’s start with Timmins because that is the easiest to deal with. Your knowledge of Timmins is clearly out of date. Currently, there are more citizens working for government than in the mines, in spite of the fact the mines are going full tilt. In fact there are more employees at the Timmins District Hospital than any of the 5 largest mines.
As for the Bisson situation, you clearly have never lived in Timmins or known anything about it. Bisson is revered in Timmins (as is Charlie Angus), even in defeat. You can make up your southern Ontario spin about Timmins. But it would be better if you just admit that you know nothing about Timmins or indeed the north.
As for all the rest, your issues are not with me. I direct you to Environic Analytics 2018 Study “Who Really Votes” (May 2018, Parts 1 and 2). EA used the PRIZM Segmentation programme on the Election Ontario Results.
All the claims I made are simply quoting the results of the segmentation as reported by EA.
No twisting in pretzel necessary
But apparently you are so bent on just another hater “conspiracy”, you would rather exhibit your “biting cleverness” than even consider that the true facts from the professionals do not support your lazy analysis
Peter Zychowski says
So you’re saying unionized government workers in Timmins voted PC rather than NDP? Ok, gotcha.
Even the bureaucrats in Timmins abandoned the NDP. So now the PCs have the support of private sector miners and public sector bureaucrats in Timmins. Quite the electoral coalition.
You’re all over the place in your logical reasoning, Mr. Phillans.
These pretzels are making me thirsty.