'More jobs' a popular promise for municipal candidates in northern Ontario

Rory Ring's campaign slogan is "more jobs, lower taxes" and he thinks the two go together.

"Because if you take taxes out of their pockets it doesn't allow them to invest in expanding their markets or expanding their production," says the Sault Ste. Marie mayoral candidate.

In particular, Ring feels the city's commercial and industrial rates are holding back local businesses and keeping new ones from moving to Sault Ste. Marie, which has been hit hard in recent years by cuts in the steel industry.

"Stop talking and take action and really try to get this community moving ahead," says Ring, who took a leave of absence from being the CEO of the Sault Ste. Marie Chamber of Commerce, to run for mayor against incumbent Christian Provenzano.

Sheldon Forgette is also promising new "meaningful" jobs as he attempts to bump off incumbent Mayor Al McDonald in North Bay.

Forgette says in his last four years on city council, he's pushed his colleagues to go out and sell North Bay to the private sector.

"They need to be seeking out the industries, the employers, the investors," he adds. 

Michael Shea was sworn in as mayor of Iroquois Falls in 2014, four days before the town's paper mill announced it was shutting down.

He is now seeking re-election and is facing four challengers for the mayor's job.

"My approach has always been: we're open for business, we're open for progress, we're open for new ideas," Shea says.

"I've always had a good attitude and a good opinion about my town, and that sends a lot of good messages to the town."

Despite the loss of the town's top employer, Shea says enrolment in Iroquois Falls schools are up and the housing market remains strong.

Shea says some voters do still focus on bringing back a major industry, perhaps another paper mill, to Iroquois Falls, but he feels smaller businesses will keep the town alive in the future. 

"The reality is it's probably not coming back and we have to evolve in a different form," Shea says.

Sadequal Islam, the chair of the economics department at Laurentian University, warns voters to be wary of candidates promising to get them a new job.

"The mayor doesn't really have the economic power to create jobs," he says.

Islam adds politicians should focus on developing a long-term vision for the economy of their city, but says it won't mean much if they don't see eye-to-eye-to-eye with the provincial and federal governments.