MPP Holland’s June 2025 Newsletter

July 17, 2025

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Featured News

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Announcements & Investments in the Riding

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Cardiac Care Unit Groundbreaking

This announcement marks a transformational milestone for healthcare in Northwestern Ontario as we celebrate the groundbreaking of the new Cardiovascular Surgery Unit at the Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre .

This long-awaited project means that residents across our region will soon have access to life-saving cardiovascular care right here in Thunder Bay, eliminating the need to travel to Toronto and ensuring the best possible care, closer to home.

I want to sincerely thank the entire team at TBRHSC for your tireless efforts and continued collaboration. A heartfelt thank you as well to the Peter Munk Cardiac Centre, Research at UHN , and the Our Hearts at Home campaign for your partnership and dedication in making this vision a reality.

Congratulations to all involved. Together, we are building a healthier, stronger Northwestern Ontario.

Lakehead University Vet School Ground Blessing

I’m very proud to stand with Minister Trevor Jones today, along with Lakehead University and the University of Guelph, to officially announce the start of construction on Northern Ontario’s first veterinary school right here at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay.

This is a major milestone for veterinary education and animal care in Northwestern Ontario, and a win for our agriculture sector, pet owners, and rural communities. With 20 seats reserved specifically for students from Northwestern Ontario, we’re fostering growth in the North by ensuring local students can train and practice close to home.

Minister Jones also announced an additional $2 million in NOHFC funding on behalf of Minister George Pirie to support this important project. A great day for Thunder Bay and all of Northwestern Ontario!

50 New Nursing Seats at Confederation College

I was proud to announce on behalf of Minister Sylvia Jones that our government is investing over $1.2 million to bring 50 additional seats to Confederation College’s nursing program.

These additional seats will give more local students the opportunity to pursue a rewarding career in healthcare while supporting our regional hospitals and long-term care homes in addressing urgent staffing needs.

I want to extend my sincere thanks St. Joseph’s Care Group , Thunder Bay Regional Health Sciences Centre , and Southbridge Care Homes for joining us for this announcement. Their input clearly illustrated how these new seats will help reduce staffing shortages and ease pressures on frontline workers, particularly by combating burnout and improving care delivery for patients and residents.

Thank you as well to Confederation College for their continued commitment to training the next generation of healthcare professionals. Your dedication helps keep our communities healthy and strong.

News Release: https://kevinhollandmpp.ca/ontario-continues-to-expand…/

Strengthening 7 Local Emergency Preparedness Projects

Our government is investing $296,149 in 7 local projects to strengthen emergency response and preparedness across our region through the Community Emergency Preparedness Grant.

These investments will help:

• Install backup generators

• Upgrade communications and rescue equipment

• Improve flood response tools

• Deliver emergency training & education

I’m pleased to see these vital resources going to our communities, ensuring they have the tools they need to respond when emergencies arise.

NR: https://kevinhollandmpp.ca/ontario-boosting-local…/

Community Spotlight

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Thunder Bay Art Gallery’s New Exhibition

Thank you to the Thunder Bay Art Gallery for inviting me to tour their new summer exhibitions and for the behind-the-scenes look at the gallery’s impressive permanent collection.

It was also great to meet Erin Szturm, the gallery’s Education and Community Engagement Intern, and Katherine Couzelis, Development Lead. Both of these roles are proudly supported by NOHFC.

Thank you to the gallery and its amazing team for the great work you do in our community!

Liuna Local 607 Giving Back to the Community

It’s great to see Liuna Local 607 providing real-world training opportunities that support local organizations. By replacing the sidewalk at the Kakabeka Legion, these trainees are not only gaining valuable hands-on experience, but also giving back to the community in a meaningful way. This project marks an important first accomplishment they can be proud of.

I’m encouraged to see such innovative initiatives happening right here in our riding, and I look forward to seeing more projects like this that strengthen training and benefit our communities.

Thank you to LiUNA for having me at the site and for introducing me to the dedicated workers involved. Keep up the great work!

Local Regional Science Fair Winners

I would like to congratulate our local Regional Science Fair winners: Abigayle Nelson, Chloe Nordstrom, Celeste Marcon, and Lakelan MacKenzie!

These bright young minds stopped by my office to share the innovative projects they submitted for the fair, and I was truly impressed by their creativity, passion, and dedication to their work.

Also, a big shout out to Rebecca Cross for her outstanding work in supporting these students. Your dedication to encouraging youth in STEM is making a real difference in our community.

Thunder Oak Cheese Farm Tour

I had the pleasure of stopping by Thunder Oak Cheese Farm with Minister Trevor Jones to tour their store and speak with the Schep family about their incredible local business.

Thank you to the Schep family for welcoming us and for letting us sample some of your delicious cheese! We’re proud to support Ontario-made products and the hardworking families behind them.

Slate River Dairy Tour

I had the pleasure of joining Minister Trevor Jones for a visit to Slate River Dairy to tour their operations and hear firsthand how their business is doing and how our government can continue to support and strengthen agriculture in the North.

Thank you again for welcoming us! Everything we sampled was delicious—especially the cheesecake!

DeBruin’s Greenhouse Tour

Thank you to DeBruin’s Greenhouses for the tour of your impressive operations. The conversations we had were incredibly insightful and showcased the dedication and innovation driving our local agricultural economy.

It was great to hear about the strong connections you’ve built within the community and to meet the hardworking team that helps bring fresh, local products to our businesses and markets.

Proud to support Ontario’s growers!

Reidridge Family Farm

Thank you to the Reid family for welcoming us to Reidridge farm and taking the time to discuss opportunities for growth and innovation in Northwestern Ontario’s agriculture sector!

Bolt’s Family Farm

I joined Minister Trevor Jones at the Bolts Family Farm to check out their impressive automated dairy operation!

It’s inspiring to see how family-run farms like the Bolts are combining tradition with innovation to support our local food supply and strengthen rural communities

People’s Choice Award Winner

Congratulations to Mackenzie Shawanamash-Wiese for winning the People’s Choice Award at the Regional Secondary School Exhibition!

She created a great piece of artwork that has clearly connected with so many people. It’s always great to see young artists in our community being recognized for their creativity.

Way to go, Mackenzie!

Ogden Public School Tour

As part of Take Your MPP to School Day, I had the opportunity of visiting the students at Ogden Community Public School!

Thank you to all the students for the warm welcome and for asking such thoughtful questions. It’s always inspiring to speak with our future leaders about the many ways they can contribute to our communities.

Proud to continue working with our local school boards to continue working to improve education.

Trans-West Process Solutions Showcase Trailer

I stopped by Trans-West Process Solutions to tour their incredible demo/showcase trailer. This mobile unit is a fantastic example of innovation, designed to be interchanged on the fly to help teach essential skills in both mining and forestry.

Thank you to the team at Trans-West for taking the time to walk me through their impressive setup. It’s initiatives like this that help ensure Ontario continues to lead in resource sector training and workforce development.

Volunteer Award Ceremony

I’d like to extend my thanks to all the incredible volunteers recognized at the Volunteer Awards Ceremony. I had the pleasure of presenting awards to many dedicated individuals who generously give their time and energy to our communities.

A special congratulations to Prashant Jani and Susan Raynak, who were honoured with the June Callwood Award for Outstanding Achievement—a well-deserved recognition of their exceptional contributions.

Thank you to all of our volunteers for going above and beyond to help others in Thunder Bay–Atikokan. Your commitment and compassion make our community a better place to live.

News Release: https://kevinhollandmpp.ca/ontario-recognizing…/

Ministry News

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CHAR and BMI Tour

We have kicked off our Southwestern tour and our first stop was to Thorold to see the CHAR and BMI facilities! It’s always amazing to see the potential of wood residuals and how they are being used to power the future!

Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan Announcement

I was joined by fellow members, mayors and industry leaders as we announced the Advanced Wood Construction Action Plan. This is another way we are protecting Ontario- by boosting the use of made- in- Ontario wood products and modular building. We will deliver more homes faster, strengthen forestry and create local jobs!

See News Release Here: https://kevinhollandmpp.ca/ontario-launches-advanced…/

Townsend Lumber Tour

We toured Townsend Lumber’s facilities and got the opportunity to learn about the types of value added products they make! We are continuing to build the forest sector and Protect Ontario for future generations to come!

Element 5 Tour

We had a great time visiting the Element 5 facilities in St Thomas! We were able to tour their facilities and learn more about the work being done as we contribute to advance the sector with new technologies.

Kitchener Forestry Roundtable

I was joined by Minister Harris during our tour and we had very productive conversations during our round table in Kitchener!

We will continue to work with stakeholders and Industry leaders across Ontario to ensure our forest sector remains a global leader as we advance and innovate news uses for wood products.

Provincial Initiatives

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Strengthening Ontario’s Marine Sector

As our NATO allies meet this week, Ontario is stepping up to build the ships that will protect Ontario and Canada.

We’re investing $215M in the marine sector, including $15M to launch the Ontario Shipbuilding Grant Program to help provincial shipbuilders meet Canada’s defense needs.

More: https://news.ontario.ca/…/ontario-investing-215-million…

Supporting Jobs and Economic Growth in Rural Communities

The Ontario government is investing $20 million to help protect workers and support economic growth in rural communities.

The first intake of applications for the new Rural Ontario Development (ROD) program is now open!

Learn more: https://news.ontario.ca/…/ontario-protecting-workers…

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