Make Sudbury mining centre: Robinson – by Staff (Sudbury Star – January 24, 2015)

The Sudbury Star is the City of Greater Sudbury’s daily newspaper.

Green Party candidate David Robinson says Sudbury is strategically positioned to reap the benefits of developing northwestern Ontario’s Ring of Fire, as long as every effort is made to turn Sudbury into a global centre for mining excellence.

Local leadership in developing meaningful partnerships with business, industry, the education sector and higher orders of government are key to Robinson’s plan. “My plan for Northern Ontario puts Sudbury front and centre on a global stage, and will make Sudbury the staging area for developing the Ring of Fire,” Robinson said in a release.

“My plan starts with giving Northern communities the incentive and the tools that they need to seize control of their own destinies. For too long, Sudbury and other Northern communities have had to go cap in hand to Toronto, rather than being able to quickly seize local ideas and initiatives.”

Robinson said Sudbury’s local potential can be unlocked by building partnerships with job-creators like Laurentian University and Sudbury’s vigorous mining supply sector. Vacant land in the city’s downtown is strategically located to host new mining supply startups ready to capitalize on developing the Ring of Fire.

“Revitalizing the downtown, growing our innovative technology sector and investing in developing the North – it’s all connected,” Robinson said. “I want to make Sudbury and Northern Ontario more livable, and better equipped to seize opportunities to transform our City into a global leader in mining and supply. Local ideas, initiatives and partnerships are key.

“Candidates from the other parties are afraid to talk about the Ring of Fire, because they don’t have any idea how to make Sudbury benefit. I have a solid plan, and as Sudbury’s MPP, I’ll make sure the province comes to the table – not as a decision maker, but rather as a partner.”

Robinson supports the Downtown Master Plan, adopted by the city in 2012, which calls for the development of a high-technology business campus known as Inno Tech Park on vacant lands primarily in municipal ownership. Currently, these lands are largely occupied by parking lots. Robinson will push the province to support this plan.

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