Northern Ontario Heritage Fund will be safe in 2019 budget, PC minister says

A northern Ontario provincial cabinet minister says a dedicated fund for economic development across the region will be safe in the Progressive Conservatives' upcoming budget but didn't provide specific details in the legislature this week.

Greg Rickford, who is the provincial minister for energy, northern development and mines, as well as Indigenous affairs, was responding to a question from Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Michael Gravelle at Queen's Park on Monday. Gravelle asked whether the annual funding allotment to the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC) would remain as is.

The fund currently gets $100 million annually; it is under the purview of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines.

In asking his question, Gravelle said "the NOHFC is truly one of the key drivers of the northern economy and a vital part of future development in the north."

In response, Rickford, who is also the MPP for Kenora-Rainy River, said that "the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund will continue to be a key driver for creating economic opportunities across northern Ontario."

Rickford didn't commit to a figure during question period, instead saying that the details will be in the upcoming provincial budget.

"Just ten more sleeps, the member (Gravelle) will have some of the information that he might need," Rickford said, referring to the scheduled April 11 budget date.

The provincial Liberals, under Kathleen Wynne, had campaigned in 2018 on raising the funding for the heritage fund from $100 million to $150 million.