QUEEN’S PARK - Official Opposition NDP Leader Marit Stiles spent this past week travelling Northern Ontario, making stops in Thunder Bay, Terrace Bay, Nipigon and Schreiber advocating for safer roads, talking about solutions to prevent gender-based violence and meeting with laid-off mill workers and community leaders.
On Tuesday, Stiles, alongside MPP Lise Vaugeois, held a press conference at a MTO Truck Inspection Station with the founder of Truckers for Safer Highways, Travis McDougall. They stressed the urgent need to improve highway safety in Northern Ontario following a staggering number of deaths:
"Thunder Bay is a community desperate for a government that listens to their concerns and takes action," said Stiles. “I've met with families affected by these terrible road conditions—families forever changed by the loss of a loved one, all due to government inaction. This is not a time for political games—it's a time for action and genuine concern for the well-being of this great community. The Ontario NDP will make this a reality."
Stiles concluded her trip in Terrace Bay alongside Vaugeois, mainstreeting and meeting with the local mayor, councillors, Chief and councillors from Pays Plat First Nations, and union representatives from the AV Terrace Bay Mill. More than 400 workers were laid off—approximately one-quarter of the whole town—when the mill idled.
"I've met with small businesses, retirees, and workers from the local mill to understand the impact of this closure," said Stiles. "The Conservatives need to roll up their sleeves and work with the people of this beautiful region to preserve its culture and economic stability. The longer this mill remains idle, the harder it becomes to bring it back. Workers may leave, and the wood supply may dwindle if we don't act now. Ontario's economy will be hit hard if decisive action is not taken. I cannot stress this enough."
Marit Stiles and her team of Ontario NDP MPPs are committed to undoing the wrongs of Doug Ford's Conservatives and past Liberal governments. She pledges to bring the fight to Queen's Park, ensuring that the concerns and well-being of Northern Ontarians are not only acknowledged but prioritized. Stiles wants Ontarians to expect more from their government and is determined to deliver on that promise.