Southwestern Ontario is top of mind for Ontario's finance minister. Charles Sousa recently made a stop in Windsor for a pre-budget consultation.
He says the province needs to continue to stimulate growth in communities like Windsor. "We know for that to happen we need to partner more effectively, some of them have asked for us to partner even more closely with the federal government in certain initiatives," says Sousa. "Ontario is still a net contributor to the federation. We still contribute about $11-billion more than we take in."
Sousa says despite the deficit, it's critical to continue to make investments in local communities. "The easy answer is don't spend on those infrastructure investments, don't spend on skills and training for our youth," says Sousa. "That is exactly (what's) going to enable us to grow our economy and prepare ourselves for the future."
Sousa is expected to table Ontario's 2015 budget in the spring.
