Speaker, I thank the minister for his response. It’s great to see all that enthusiasm working on behalf of the people of northern Ontario.

It’s so encouraging to hear that our government is correcting the mistakes that were made by the previous Liberal government when it comes to supporting our park system. Under their leadership, Mississagi park was one of the parks that was slated for closure. This park remains open today thanks to the leadership and the advocacy of our strong municipal partners and Indigenous communities.

As a government, we must continue to support and respect our northern community partners and protect our northern park system and environment.

Can the minister please elaborate on how this new agreement will ensure that Mississagi park continues to thrive for many, many more years to come?

Under the previous Liberal government, the concerns of the people of the north were ignored when it came to jobs, the economy and our environment and park system. The Liberal government focused on the concerns of the big cities, while northern families felt ignored in their own province.

As part of Liberal budget cuts, many of our northern provincial parks faced staff, service and program reductions. These decisions led to job losses, program cancellations and the removal of overnight camping services. These actions were disrespectful to all people of the north and diminished the value of our parks system.

Speaker, can the Minister of the Environment, Conservation and Parks please explain how our government will protect and strengthen our northern park system?