Good to see Thunder Bay resident Michael Gravelle returning to the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines after his stint at Natural Resources.
New Premier Kathleen Wynne has tagged him to take the job vacated by Sudbury’s Rick Bartolucci, who announced last week that he plans to retire from politics and will not run in the next election.
A veteran of the portfolio, Gravelle will need little time to get up to speed on critical issues confronting the ministry.
He knows the revised Mining Act inside-out; is on a first-name basis with many of the key players in Ontario’s mining community; understands the challenges of developing the far northern Ring of Fire mineral zone; and is fully conversant with the aspirations of both First Nations and municipalities across the North.
Even better, he returns to the portfolio with a broader vision of the North gained from his time at Natural Resources, which tends to look at many issues from a different – and some might say skewed – perspective.
No one in the government caucus could be better prepared for the daunting task of making good on the new premier’s Ring of Fire commitment, or in moving Northern Ontario forward to the next stage of its development.
The new minister has experience, passion, integrity, knowledge and strength to draw on as he returns to this demanding, and increasingly important, portfolio.
We wish him the best of luck as he takes on its challenges.