Ontario Labour Minister sends signal that "Northern Ontario is Open for Business"

Laurie Scott, Minister of Labour, has concluded a successful visit to Sudbury where she announced a government investment of almost $2.6 million for a new, rope-testing machine for underground mines, as well as a $2.7 million, five-year funding commitment for the Centre for Research in Occupational Safety and Health at Laurentian University. The Minister also met with mine workers and the first-ever all-women mine rescue team “Diamonds in the Rough”, and was the keynote speaker at a mining health and safety conference.

“Our government is investing in the North by bringing good jobs and investment to people and communities,” Minister Scott told the conference at the Holiday Inn. “We are sending a signal to the world that Northern Ontario is open for business.”

The government’s investment in the rope-testing machine is in addition to investments since June 2018 of more than $59 million by the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation in 349 projects, creating or retaining more than 600 jobs. During the Minister’s visit to Sudbury, she also met police at headquarters of Greater Sudbury Police to speak about human sex trafficking initiatives, and toured Ministry of Labour offices to meet with staff.

Minister Scott said the government is committed to keeping mine workers safe on the job. The Ministry of Labour regularly sends inspectors to visit mines to ensure safe work practices, as well as recently-concluded consultations on regulatory changes to increase flexibility and reduce regulatory burdens while maintaining strong health and safety protections. The ministry is currently reviewing feedback received from mining stakeholders during the consultations.

“We will continue to focus on keeping our promises to the people,” said Minister Scott. “We are putting Ontario back on a path to balance so that we can protect the core services that matter most – like health care and education – while restoring fiscal sustainability to the people of Ontario.”

• The government’s investment in a new, rope-testing machine, the only one of its kind in Canada, will put Ontario on the leading edge for the next 25 years by ensuring accurate, timely testing of wire ropes used for hoisting miners and ore. The machine will modernize how the province delivers service to mine employers while improving worker safety. It will be installed at the Ministry of Labour’s Materials Testing Laboratory in 2020.
• Ontario Mine Rescue was created in 1929 following a Hollinger Mine fire that claimed the lives of 39 miners in Timmins in 1928. It was recommended by a royal commission that investigated the fire.
• Ontario has about 40 underground mines, with about 25,000 workers. Most of these mines are in Northern Ontario. A wide variety of minerals are extracted from Ontario’s underground mines, including copper, nickel, gold and other precious metals, diamonds, salt and gypsum.