Martin Welcomes Agawa Tour Train Money, Questions “Politicizing” of Fednor

SAULT STE. MARIE – Documents released by the government confirm the Conservatives reduced Fednor’s overall project funding and number of projects approved over the past 3 years while money to their two Conservative ridings soared.
 
Sault MP Tony Martin, welcoming today’s $1.2 million announcement for the Agawa Canyon Tour Train, slammed “the politicizing of Fednor by a Minister who has been under a cloud of controversy over supposed G-8 and G-20 related spending on projects such as gazebos, sidewalks and boats that do not float.
 
“The Agawa train money is a real investment unlike the ‘fake lake’ wasteful spending. Our northern communities ravaged by the recession and some hurting even before the recession need the kind of funding that can only come from a stand-alone FedNor agency with increased funding shared fairly by all.”
 
“There is a clear pattern here that, overall, Fednor spending is going down, and with more and more money going to their ridings there is much less for everyone else. This is disturbing to learn a further $380,000 of Fednor money has gone into Parry Sound Muskoka on top of the millions of Summit money already invested when you consider the plight of so many small communities in Northern Ontario.”
 
In reply to a written question from NDP Fednor critic Claude Gravelle (Nickel Belt), Industry Canada acknowledged in 2007-08 FedNor funded 248 projects worth $44.4 million but in 2009-2010 FedNor funded 169 projects worth $34.4 million, a loss of $10 million. In 2009-2010, 37 per cent of total project funding went to the two Conservative ridings, Kenora ($7.5 million) and the Minister’s riding of Parry Sound Muskoka ($5.2 million).
 
Martin made it clear his federal government funding comments applied only to Fednor as he has also tracked other significant spending that he has helped secure.
 
While applications are up, so are rejections. Over the three years, it went from 248 applications and 213 approvals in 2007-08 to 270 applications but only 169 projects approved last year.