[LINK] "Petition calls for Northern Ontario's separation"

[rfmcdonald]

The Sudbury Star's Sarah Moore reports on the resurgence of separatism in northern Ontario, aiming at making that territory a new province.

A grassroots movement to make Northern Ontario an independent province is gathering steam.

An online petition launched this month has collected more than 670 names.

Trevor Holliday, who launched the petition, said his goal is similar to that of the 1970s' Northern Ontario Heritage Party and other Northern Ontario separatist movements: To divide the province in two and treat Northern and southern Ontario as separate entities.

"I would want Northern Ontario to become its own province. That way it can be run by the people of the North for the people of the North, so that all the money from the North isn't taken and given to the south and then we're just left to whittle away."

The petition was posted online at change.org on Jan. 1.

Jarvis Peever, from Iroquois Falls, commented online that, "Northern Ontario doesn't get enough funding for infrastructure and our resources. With hydro stations in our backyards, why should we pay hundreds in delivery fees?"

Two individuals from Cochrane commented that Highway 11 needs to be made a priority and have appealed to politicians to examine the numerous fatalities that have taken place on that stretch of road and to do something about it.