Leader of the Northern Ontario Party, Trevor Holliday, admires the mining heritage display in Hollinger Park during his visit to the city on Wednesday afternoon.

The Northern Ontario Party says a lack of infrastructure investment by the provincial government and unfordable hydro rates are among the reasons the population in this part of the province is shrinking.

The party issued a release in response to the latest census data showing declining populations in communities across Northern Ontario, suggesting the provincial Liberal's stalling of Ring of Fire Chromite mining project and the discontinued plan for a Trans Polar airport in Sault Ste. Marie have contributed to the decline.

The party also points to the “extreme cost of power in this region,” suggesting many potential companies have been “frightened away” from setting up business here.

“This nearsightedness by Ontario government has caused the North to miss its opportunity to reboot its economy,” states the release. “This has left many of our youth with no choice but to leave the North to pursue jobs in Southern Ontario.”

Party leader Trevor Holliday states in the release the Northern residents are “being starved and robbed from every time the three establishment-based parties are voted in.”

“We say enough with the smoke and mirrors. When you keep treating us like a colony, then many of our people will be forced to move to find the jobs,” he said. “Resource manufacturing needs to be here. Hydro needs to be at cost. Healthcare and education need to be maximized.”

Statistics Canada released data Wednesday from the 2016 national census that showed the city’s population has dropped 3.9 per cent from 2011, to 51,553 from 53,651.

The census data showed that Northeastern Ontario in general has seen a decrease in population. Only one major municipality, Sudbury, posted an increase, of about one per cent.

Sudbury’s population now stands at 164,689.

But Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Kirkland Lake and Temiskaming Shores all posted decreases in population.

In the North Bay region, only three communities posted increases. South River saw its population rise to 1,114 from 1,049, a 6.2 per cent increase, while Powassan climbed to 3,455 from 3,378, a 2.3 per cent increase, and West Nipissing was up to 14,364 from 14,149, a 1.5 per cent increase.