Electric vehicles will drive northern prosperity, Fedeli tells Sudbury chamber

Addressing members of the Greater Sudbury Chamber of Commerce, Nipissing MPP Vic Fedeli said the electric vehicle revolution would help drive economic development in the region for years to come.

Outside of the event Monday, a small group of protesters gathered to let Fedeli know they want the government to do better in health care.

“We need to have full time job, pension, you know, better wages,” said Melissa Wood, vice-president of Mine-Mill Unifor Local 598.

“It is not to be privatized and it is to be for everyone,” said Ontario Health Coalition member Dot Klein.

Fedeli addressed those issues with reporters, saying the government is working to improve the system.

“There are pillars that we’ve opened up that are offering health care solutions here in the north as well as all across Ontario,” he said.

Addressing the chamber audience, Fedeli’s main message was the region is going to grow significantly from an economic standpoint in 2023 because of the developments in the auto and mineral sectors.

“They need our mining expertise, they need our processing expertise, because every battery electric vehicle needs a battery,” Fedeli said.

“Every one of them needs nickel, lithium, cobalt, graphite. Whatever your formula is, we have that here in the north.”

Chamber chair Anthony Davis said it’s important to learn the province’s plan for northern Ontario in the post-pandemic era.

“He did talk about different opportunities that Sudbury has to offer,” Davis said.

“Those types of industries -- battery electric vehicles -- that is a huge input that the government wants to have and they’re here and they’re ready to give, so we’re happy to receive.”

Sudbury Mayor Paul Lefebvre agreed that Sudbury is well-positioned to benefit from global decarbonisation.

“There’s great potential,” Lefebvre said.

“We have the land, we have resources, we have the people to do it. Now we want to work with the province to see where we go with that. There’s some great ideas out there and great potential and that’s why we’re going to further those conversations.”