WHEREAS the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) pilot program was introduced to help Northern Ontario municipalities address infrastructure pressures resulting from natural resource sector activities;
AND WHEREAS the funding provided through the NORDS pilot was very well received by the municipal sector, as it delivered timely and much-needed financial support to many communities across the North;
AND WHEREAS the program has allowed municipalities, such as the City of North Bay, to strategically stack multi-year allocations in order to support large-scale infrastructure initiatives critical to community development and economic growth;
AND WHEREAS the NORDS pilot program has clearly demonstrated its value and effectiveness in helping Northern municipalities address the infrastructure challenges tied to resource development and extraction;
AND WHEREAS rural and northern municipalities are also facing infrastructure degradation resulting from the increasing size and frequency of agricultural machinery and activity, which is currently outside the scope of the pilot;
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT the Council of the Municipality of East Ferris strongly urges the Government of Ontario to make the Northern Ontario Resource Development Support (NORDS) program a permanent fixture of its support to Northern municipalities;
AND FURTHER THAT the Province consider expanding program eligibility to recognize the significant impact that agricultural equipment and operations have on municipal infrastructure, particularly in rural communities;
AND FURTHER THAT municipalities be encouraged to continue utilizing the ability to stack NORDS allocations over multiple years to support the planning and delivery of major infrastructure projects;
AND FURTHER THAT a copy of this resolution be forwarded to the Minister of Northern Economic Development and Growth, the Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, the Minister of Infrastructure, the Minister of Natural Resources ,and local MPP.