Meet Your NOP Nickel Belt Candidate

Welcome voter and thanks for considering the Northern Ontario Party!

My name is Matthew Del Papa and I am the party's candidate for the riding of Nickel Belt. It is an honour to be running in the 2018 campaign and, win or lose, I hope to do myself, my family, and my riding proud.

Here is where, according to all the experts, my biography should go. But I've never been one to do things the easy way. Rather than blather on about me and all the really great things I will for sure, honestly do when elected (because no candidate exaggerates while on campaign, right!) I'd prefer to talk about you, the Nickel Belt.

This riding is my home but I haven't come close to visiting all of it. Like Northern Ontario itself Nickel Belt is both large and diverse. I've lived here my entire life but have barely scratched its surface. There is always more to see and learn in our region—and that doesn't even touch on the people!

Ask an outsider and they'll tell your our community is comprised of English, Francophone, and Indigenous peoples. But Nickel Belt is so much more than that. Residents identify themselves in a thousand different ways. We are more than just language. Race, sexuality, occupations, interests, talents, hobbies, and more define us each.

Pigeonholing the Nickel Belt is impossible. We have mines, sure. But also farms, railroads, manufacturing, technologies…I could spend pages listing the range of industries and businesses spread throughout our numerous diverse communities (including Lively, Onaping, Levack, Dowling, Chelmsford, Naughton, Azilda, Coniston, Wahnapitae, Garson, Val Caron, Val Thérèse, Hanmer and Capreol).

[Check out the maps following this blog to see just how broad our riding is—and we're not even close to the biggest!]

All of which is a roundabout way of saying that representing this riding is difficult. Immensely difficult.

So how would I do it? It's simple: I wouldn't.

No one could possibly satisfy every resident in a riding like Nickel Belt. Attempting to please all the people all the time is foolish. No two voters believe the same things. Even big issues, like Health Care, have divisions. Hallway medicine, unequal access to care, and lengthy waiting times…those are only the tip of the iceberg locally. Funding shortfalls, a lack of specialists, not enough ALC beds. All need addressing in Nickel Belt…and I can't fix a single one of those.

Not on my own anyway. I need your help. I believe the solutions for Ontario's problems can be found in Ontario—specifically in the North.

It's up to the average Ontarian to take charge. Don't let the traditional political parties set the agenda—they're the people who brought us here! Contact me and tell me what concerns you, but don't stop there…offer solutions too. I am more than happy to listen.

My campaign will focus on a handful of concrete improvements that will, hopefully, further our region's interests.

I will discuss my ideas in future blogs. Until then send me your questions or concerns and I'll address them as best I can. Notify me of potential improvements in Nickel Belt and I'll look into them too.

Remember, we're all in this together.

Mat