Now that the House isn’t sitting things seem to have quieted down around Queen’s Park -there are not receptions or the bustle of the media, and many policians are away in the constituency. The staff however is still around, and in my case, even busier than ever preparing for when the House resumes sitting in February. I’ve had a chance now to work on larger research projects and I’ve really been enjoying the diversity of the work. In the past I’ve focussed more on people-centric portfolio areas, like health and education, but now I’ve become immersed in research on natural resources, energy and mining. Having meetings and phone calls with stakeholders in these areas has given me a much deeper understanding of issues than I gathered from the initial review from the media. For example, understanding the changes that the Ring of Fire development will bring to the north of the province goes far beyond the for the mining sector. I’ve gained perspective of the human and capital investments into extraction and export and learned more about the communities along the James Bay Coast that are entering into negotiations with companies. It’s difficult to determine all of the positive and negative benefits that the Ring of Fire; but I am certain it will bring both challenges and new opportunities for the North.
OLIP Unplugged 