The zone would offer lower personal and corporate income taxes, faster project approvals and higher per-capita investment in public services. Its boundaries and the details would be developed with northern communities.
“The north makes a unique economic contribution to our province, and that contribution isn’t always captured by the policy agenda of Queen’s Park.”
Marando said that consultation would include municipal leaders and representatives from the public and private sectors. He suggested communities north of the French River as one possible basis for the zone, rather than a settled boundary.
Northern highways
Marando would seek to twin as much of Highways 69, 11 and 17 as possible, while considering a 2+1 design where engineering challenges, costs or community concerns make twinning less practical.
He did not specify which stretches of Highways 11 and 17 would take priority or when construction would begin.
He said highway expansion would improve safety, access to services and the movement of goods. To help pay for it, he would redirect resources from Highway 413 and the proposed tunnel beneath Highway 401, neither of which he would pursue.
He also said major southern highway investments would wait until meaningful progress had been made on twinning the major northern routes.
“I’d rather start with twinning, twin as much as we can and then have 2+1 as the backup rather than the default.”
Marando acknowledged some communities may favour 2+1 as a faster or more affordable option and said he would be open to that approach where it meets local needs.
Health care and treatment
Marando said northern hospitals and other health care facilities need funding formulas that account for the higher cost of delivering services in northern and rural communities.
He would pair increased funding with provincial support for recruitment incentives and more opportunities to train health care workers through northern colleges and universities.
“Hospitals and other health care facilities in the north should expect an increase in funding.”
He said the workforce challenge extends beyond doctors and nurses to personal support workers, custodial and kitchen staff, clerical workers and other health professionals.
Asked about reliance on agency nurses and other temporary staff, Marando said the Ford government’s staffing and funding approach is hurting hospitals’ ability to recruit and sustain services. He did not outline a specific plan to replace agency staffing.
Marando also opposed the expansion of privately delivered, publicly funded health care and said he wants private, for-profit providers out of long-term care and seniors care.
“I would treat universality and public financing of our health care system as absolute bedrocks.”
According to the province, Ontario’s community surgical and diagnostic centres deliver OHIP-insured services outside hospitals and cannot charge patients for insured services. They may also offer uninsured services.
Marando’s platform calls for publicly funded psychotherapy, counselling, addiction treatment and other evidence-based mental health services under the Ontario Health Insurance Plan.
When asked whether he would support a dedicated treatment centre in Northwestern Ontario, he replied, “The short answer is absolutely.”
He said recruitment incentives and expanded northern training opportunities would help staff a centre, although he did not identify a location, opening date, or budget.
His addiction proposals also include banning online gambling, rather than only its advertising.
Housing and community safety
Marando said addressing homelessness requires more supportive, co-operative, non-profit and public housing, alongside mental health care and addiction treatment.
He would give Ontario municipalities revenue equivalent to one percentage point of the HST, describing it as permanent, predictable funding that would strengthen their ability to respond to local needs.
“There isn’t a neat and tidy answer to the challenge of homelessness.”
Asked about reducing crime beyond expanding jail capacity, Marando said his approach would focus on the opportunities available to young people, including keeping them in school, improving graduation rates and helping them move into post-secondary education and employment.
“Gangs don’t compete with other gangs. Gangs compete with our schools.”
He criticized government advertising promoting expanded jail capacity and said the province should work toward reducing the need for prisons.
Development and affordability
Asked to assess Greg Rickford’s performance as minister of Indigenous affairs and First Nations economic reconciliation, Marando declined to discuss his individual record. He instead criticized the Ford government’s focus on the Ring of Fire and its approach to consultation.
Marando said the province should pursue economic opportunities across the north and allow more time for Ring of Fire development if that is needed to build partnerships with First Nations.
The Ontario government says it has partnership agreements with Aroland, Webequie and Marten Falls First Nations as part of its Ring of Fire infrastructure plans, and describes First Nations as partners in northern development.
Marando said his proposal to speed up approvals would require more resources for consultation and regulatory review, not less.
“The speed that I’m talking about isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about devoting more resources to the consultative process and the regulatory approval process so that we can arrive at genuine partnership faster.”
On affordability, Marando proposes provincial income tax relief for Ontarians under 35 earning under $50,000. Asked what he would offer older residents, he pointed to extending rent controls to all buildings and sales tax relief on necessities such as internet and cellphone service.
He also proposed eliminating provincial corporate income tax for small businesses during their first five years of operation, saying he hopes they would pass some savings on to consumers.
Marando did not provide an overall cost or financing plan for his proposals during the interview. He identified cancelled southern highway projects as a source of funding for northern highway expansion.
The Ontario Liberal Party is scheduled to announce its next leader Nov. 21.
Copyright 2026, Kenora Miner & News. All rights reserved.
Pam Fedack, Local Journalism Initiative Reporter, Kenora Miner & News.
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