Candidates Debate the Issues in Kenora

Hydro rates, the economy, the Far North Act and forestry.
Those were just some of the issues discussed in the second all-candidates forum in the Kenora-Rainy River Riding last night in Kenora.
Roughly 80-people attended the debate.
Anthony Leek of the Liberals admits his party’s policies have been under attack, but they aren’t about to change course now.
Leek says he’s ready to work with people to ensure the needs of the North are being met.
He stresses the Liberals have made several strong investments to improve the local economy.
Sarah Campbell took a couple of swipes at the Liberal candidate and says the NDP would definitely do something to bring down our sky-high hydro rates.
Campbell says it doesn’t make sense that we can generate electricity for 2.3-cents a kilowatt hour, yet we pay 7 to 11-cents a kilowatt hour.
Rod McKay for the Conservatives says they believe in opening up the North for development.
McKay says the Government needs to work with First Nations to develop programs and projects that make sense and that includes new hydro projects.
Charmaine Romaniuk from the Northern Ontario Heritage Party says one thing the Province could do to enhance the regional economy is to move the Ministry of Natural Resources and Northern Development and Mines out of Toronto.
Romaniuk says the North has been ignored for too many years.
Jo Jo Holiday of the Green Party says in order to have a healthy economy, we need a healthy population.
Holiday says we need to first get First Nations involved in the process before urban areas can prosper.