Schreiner & Richter announce Green Plan for Parry Sound–Muskoka

May 25, 2022

TORONTO — This morning, Leader Mike Schreiner and candidate for Parry Sound-Muskoka Matt Richter announced the Green Plan for Parry Sound-Muskoka to make life more caring, affordable and connected for residents in the riding.

“Ontario Greens have new solutions to the old problems facing the people of Parry Sound–Muskoka,” Schreiner said at the announcement in Huntsville.

“We have the leadership to build the Parry Sound–Muskoka you want,” Richter said. “We hear your concerns and we have a real plan to tackle them head-on.”

The Green Plan for Parry Sound–Muskoka includes seven key priorities:

1. Expand healthcare options

• Create three new nurse practitioner-led clinics in Parry Sound–Muskoka
• Rebalance the healthcare funding formula to ensure better access in rural areas
• Recruit 230 doctors to northern communities including in Parry Sound–Muskoka
• Immediately repeal Bill 124 and hire more nurses and PSWs in the region

2. Tackle the housing affordability crisis

• Build 1,000 affordable rental homes in Parry Sound–Muskoka
• Increase housing supply by offering zero-interest loans of $25K for homeowners to add affordable rental units, such as secondary suites, onto their primary residence

3. Help local small businesses thrive with a Main Street Strategy

• Create and enforce rent control guidelines for year-over-year increases that apply to all commercial tenants, including new tenants
• Expand the Digital Main Street program to provide fulfilment platforms that better enable small, local businesses to compete with large online companies
• Change the regulations to allow boutique wine, craft beer and artisan spirit retail outlets to open legally, including independent, off-site stores opened by craft producers
• Expand programs to help Black, Indigenous and other racialized entrepreneurs start or grow their business

4. Make transit more affordable, convenient & reliable to connect Parry Sound–Muskoka

• Immediately restore and improve the Northlander passenger rail service
• Expand and improve inter-community Northland bus service
• Immediately cut all Northland transit fares in half for at least 3 months to address the soaring cost of transportation

5. Bring down the cost of utility bills

• Focus hydro bill relief programs for people in rural or remote areas, and those with low-incomes
• Help homeowners save money by saving energy with grants of up to $15,000 to $20,000 to cover retrofits to improve energy efficiency

6. Protect Parry Sound–Muskoka communities from expensive flooding

• End clearcutting of forests for development projects
• Work with Indigenous communities to conserve and protect at least 25% of Ontario by 2025, and 30% by 2030
• Restore and expand wetlands and green infrastructure to clean stormwater and reduce flooding

7. Improve rural education & address student mental health

• Rebalance the education funding formula to take into account the unique needs of rural schools
• Increase funding for children’s mental health to reduce wait times to less than 30 days and ensure students can easily connect to community mental health professionals at or near primary and secondary schools
• Create a Youth Wellness Hub in each major Parry Sound–Muskoka community
• Eliminate EQAO standardised testing to save money and reduce unnecessary stress on students

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