Sault Ste. Marie Mayor Debbie Amaroso.

Mayor Debbie Amaroso was joining her Northern Urban counterparts Thursday to meet with Ontario cabinet ministers with the hopes of advancing issues specific to the North.

Earlier this year, the mayors presented a paper, titled Northern Priorities Document, to the Ontario government at the annual Association of Municipalities of Ontario conference.

They also requested that the province meet with the Northern mayors to discuss and advance the five issues in the paper.

The paper, penned by the mayors of Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, North Bay, Timmins and Thunder Bay, identifies items the mayors believe Northern Ontario needs in order to improve the region's economy thrive.

It focuses on common issues like infrastructure, aging population, skill develloment, affordable energy and money for research and resource sharing.

It also discusses the need to develop new relationships between municipalities and all government ministries.

Amaroso said she's hoping to have one-on-one conversations with a few of the ministers at Thursday night's meeting, prior to the organized forum scheduled for Friday.

Amaroso said the common goal of the group Friday is to look at what progress has been made in connection with the priority paper submitted to the government and determine what next steps can be taken to move forward.

“We have the meeting and that's step one,” she said in a telephone interview before leaving for Timmins.

Amaroso said transportation infrastructure development is a key piece for Sault Ste. Marie and something she's hoping to advance at the meetings.

“All the priorities we've outlined in our paper are important to all of our communities and we believe, will help Northern Ontario grow and thrive,” she said.

Amaroso is also hoping to have a discussion with Finance Minister Charles Sousa to again, reiterate the city's position about the importance of an OLG head office here.

She also wants to meet with Northern Development Minster Michael Gravelle to push for various applications filed for funding to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp.

“I will make every effort to have a little chit chat with him and show him what our community is doing,” she said. “As we cluster these activities, it enhances everything.”

Amaroso said she is also pleased that Premier Kathleen Wynne will be at the event.

A media advisory from her office states that she, along with a number of cabinet ministers, will meet with Northern municipal, Aboriginal and community leaders to identify opportunities to advance the objectives of the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario.

Amaroso had previously said that she believes regular meetings with the provincial government caucus will give the municipalities a face-to-face chance to identify concerns that are bopth common to all the Northern Ontario municipalities and those that are specific to a municipality.

http://www.saultstar.com/2013/12/05/mayors-set-to-meet-in-timmins