There's an immediate need to start work on an oversized load corridor for Sarnia-Lambton. Mayor Mike Bradley was one of several municipal and industry officials at a meeting in Strathroy Friday morning, where there was consensus to advance the long-planned project as quickly as possible. Bradley says due to the NOVA Chemicals expansion, and other local projects, a significant number of large modules will be coming into the Sarnia area over the next six months to a year.
"We can create immediate jobs, and put in this project which will bring long-term jobs, over two thousand, over the next two to three decades," says Bradley. "And so here's a really good opportunity for this new government to show, that for a small investment of six million, they can create several thousand jobs and assist immediately in making this project work."
Local governments and an industry coalition have committed half of the estimated $12-million needed to make significant hydro and road changes along a dedicated route between Sarnia Harbour and local industry and fabricators. The plan is to get the project started with the local money while the area's two MPPs, including Ontario Infrastructure Minister Monte McNaughton of Lambton-Kent-Middlesex, make it a priority at Queens Park to tap into the Southwest Ontario Development Fund. The federal government, at this point, has refused to commit funds to the corridor.