http://www.saultstar.com/2017/01/26/steel-hub-important-to-ontario-wynne-tells-mayor

Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne and Mayor Christian Provenzano chat about the economy, energy and Essar Steel during the Premier's visit to Sault Ste. Marie on Jan. 26,2017.

Sault Ste. Marie is an important gateway to the North American market and will continue to be an economic hub for Ontario and beyond, said Ontario Premier Kathleen Wynne.

Wynne said this historical geographic location of Sault Ste. Marie at the hub of the Great Lakes continues to be as important to the Ontario economy as it has for thousands of years.

“Sault Ste. Marie is an important gateway to the North American market. It is an important gate in the historical sense and it's my belief there will always be an important role for Sault Ste. Marie in the hub and in this province and the country and in the North American context,” she told reporters.

Wynne, while touring the province to discuss the new Ontario Student Assistance Program, met with Mayor Christian Provenzano Thursday where discussion centred on the economy and economic wellbeing of the community.

Wynne says former MPP David Orazietti has laid the groundwork for a good partnership between Sault Ste. Marie and Queen's Park and has ensured there is a very good understanding about the community and the North.

She said the province is being kept abreast of progress on the restructuring of Essar Steel Algoma and will remain involved in that process as it unfolds.

Wynne said that she believes steel is important to Ontario and to the North American economy.

“We need to make sure we have a robust steel economy in Canada, in the United States and in the global context right now that is a challenge,” she said, stressing the importance of open communication with the the United States.

“We at Queen's Park are doing everything to support that,” she said.

Wynne told reporters that she wants to see the steel industry thrive in Ontario, and in Sault Ste. Marie.

The province has been working to facilitate the restructuring process without “overstepping its bounds.”

She would not say what, if anything, the province will do to help the Sault steelmaker emerge from CCAA protection.

Several years ago, prior to Essar Steel Algoma seeking CCAA protection, the provincial and federal government provided Essar Steel Algoma with money to modernize its plant. The province offered a $30-million grant while the then Conservative federal government offered a $30-million loan.

Wynne said she wouldn't preempt the restructuring process and say whether that money – or any other assistance – will be available to the steelmaker.

“We want the steel industry in Ontario be strong and we will do everything we can to facilitate that,” she said in an interview with The Sault Star.

But she also believes that the city is on the right track by developing a community plan and examining its diversification options.

“I hope the mayor will travel on an international mission with me,” she said, to examine potential diversification opportunities that rely on the transportation network.

The Northern Ontario Growth Plan, designed to be a blueprint for economic development in the North for 25 years, is moving forward and Wynne said she firmly believes Sault Ste. Marie will reap some economic benefit.

Wynne also said that it's important that as Ontario and Canada enter into a new relationship with the United States, it's important to stress to the American counterparts how significant the economic integration is between the two countries.

Many people in Canada have raised concerns about protectionism because the two economies are so integrated, she said.

“Places like Sault Ste. Marie really reinforce that. You travel back and forth across the border and it heightens the importance around the Sault Ste. Marie economy and the economy around the North,” she said.

The Port of Algoma could also play a significant role with the Ring of Fire development in the future.

For Ontario's part, Wynne said she'll continue to reach out with her governor colleagues and continue good working relationships with them. She will also support the Prime Minister in his efforts to establish good working relationships with Washington.

Closer to Ontarians, Wynne said she knows that electricity prices are still a large concern for residents.

While the eight per cent elimination from the HST officially took effect Jan. 1, Wynne said her government realizes that that reduction is not enough.

“We are working on that,” she said. “We know that's a challenge across the province. We know what we've done is not enough.”

She said more assistance will come prior to the spring budget.