Bisson comments on 'charged up' 2015

Queen’s Park had an electric feel around it in 2015.

From the sale of 60 per cent of Hydro One to skyrocketing rates, Timmins-James Bay MPP Gilles Bisson says it’s been an up-and-down year overall.

He says the saga of Hydro One will continue to be a big story in 2016, as the opposition continues to try and convince the Liberals to stop the fire sale.

“Everybody’s saying it’s a bad idea but the government’s persisting forward,” Bisson said.

On top of the sale, the increasing electricity rates has been just as much of a concern.

“How do we get this government to understand that we cannot keep paying the rate that we’re paying?” he asked. adding the rates are “making it unaffordable for residents and making it unaffordable for businesses.”

Meantime, he says a couple positives came out of the year.  One being the saving of the hospital in Smooth Rock Falls.

Bisson says the hospital was in a dire situation financially, but with help from the Minister of Health they were able to stave off the closure.  Now, they are working on a long-term plan.

The other is work on roads in the region.  The biggest change was seen between Kapuskasing and Hearst on Highway 11 with much-needed work done.

“It was probably some of the worst conditions of highways in our riding for provincial highways” he said.

“It was a major expenditure this year in upgrading a lot of the road fixing that had to be done.”