Good news for local industry and MPP
Premier Dalton McGuinty was in Northumberland to announce a $700,000 grant for a new plastics technology research and development centre at G.E. Plastics, a major employer based in Cobourg on Thursday.
This is good news on many fronts. For the company, it adds to its prestige and ability to market its products globally. It will also provide an opportunity for academics and industry experts to develop new processes and products. One of the undoubted beneficiaries will be the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, located just down the road in Oshawa.
The money will go to building a new research lab at the plant located in the industrial park in the east-end of Cobourg.
For the region, this signals a very important long-term commitment to jobs. With the announcement only one week ago about the loss of the Minute Rice line at Kraft-General Foods across town, this type of investment counterbalances fears that Cobourg has nearly lost its industrial base.
For Northumberland MPP Lou Rinaldi, the news is a dream come true. While there have been some announcements of government grants to the county, Cobourg has not received anything major for quite some time. Brighton and Port Hope were given money for medical centres. And, there has been a succession of smaller offerings. Mainly, Rinaldi has faced hostile municipal politicians who regularly complain about a slew of policies they find punitive. This will quiet down the criticism. And, it will be on every piece of campaign literature come next fall when the provincial election is on.
The Tories are hoping to unseat Rinaldi, who defeated PC incumbent Doug Galt in the last election as part of a Liberal sweep across Ontario. Hopes are high within Conservative circles and Rinaldi is seen as weak in a riding that is known to swing back and forth.
For municipal politicians, this announcement is a blessing. Mayor Peter Delanty will be taking as much credit as he can, since his economic development record is weak at best. While there are some good news stories over the past term, many lie in the growth of the retail sector, who often provide part-time jobs without benefits. He has not been successful in getting industry to relocate here. In fact, it is mostly closings or reductions in workforce. These kinds of jobs, generated through this announcement, are high paying manufacturing jobs. And, while it is research, it brings academics and expertise into the community. There is both prestige and economic benefit. Again, look for this announcement to be profiled high in the campaign literature of incumbent councillors hungry to stave off the influx of contenders.
This is good news on many fronts. For the company, it adds to its prestige and ability to market its products globally. It will also provide an opportunity for academics and industry experts to develop new processes and products. One of the undoubted beneficiaries will be the University of Ontario Institute of Technology, located just down the road in Oshawa.
The money will go to building a new research lab at the plant located in the industrial park in the east-end of Cobourg.
For the region, this signals a very important long-term commitment to jobs. With the announcement only one week ago about the loss of the Minute Rice line at Kraft-General Foods across town, this type of investment counterbalances fears that Cobourg has nearly lost its industrial base.
For Northumberland MPP Lou Rinaldi, the news is a dream come true. While there have been some announcements of government grants to the county, Cobourg has not received anything major for quite some time. Brighton and Port Hope were given money for medical centres. And, there has been a succession of smaller offerings. Mainly, Rinaldi has faced hostile municipal politicians who regularly complain about a slew of policies they find punitive. This will quiet down the criticism. And, it will be on every piece of campaign literature come next fall when the provincial election is on.
The Tories are hoping to unseat Rinaldi, who defeated PC incumbent Doug Galt in the last election as part of a Liberal sweep across Ontario. Hopes are high within Conservative circles and Rinaldi is seen as weak in a riding that is known to swing back and forth.
For municipal politicians, this announcement is a blessing. Mayor Peter Delanty will be taking as much credit as he can, since his economic development record is weak at best. While there are some good news stories over the past term, many lie in the growth of the retail sector, who often provide part-time jobs without benefits. He has not been successful in getting industry to relocate here. In fact, it is mostly closings or reductions in workforce. These kinds of jobs, generated through this announcement, are high paying manufacturing jobs. And, while it is research, it brings academics and expertise into the community. There is both prestige and economic benefit. Again, look for this announcement to be profiled high in the campaign literature of incumbent councillors hungry to stave off the influx of contenders.
posted by Robert Washburn at
7:04 AM
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