Economy, health, housing on horizon for Clark

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Economic health and physical health – as in medical recruitment – are among the priorities for local MPP Steve Clark as a new year begins.

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In a year-end interview, the Progressive Conservative MPP for Leeds-Grenville-Thousand Islands and Rideau Lakes reflected on a whirlwind 12-month span that saw him returned to provincial government with another Tory majority, followed by the painful twists and turns of an ongoing trade war with the United States.

Once known as Canada’s youngest mayor, Clark has been the area’s representative at Queen’s Park since 2010, and in late February he easily secured his sixth provincial election victory.

Clark again thanked voters for their trust in him, saying the government of Premier Doug Ford has been working since that victory “to protect Ontarians” caught up in the tariff war initiated by U.S. President Donald Trump.

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He cited in particular the looming closure of Invista Canada’s Maitland plant, news of which is arguably the most severe economic blow the region suffered in the past year.

“It’s close to my family, as my brother works at Invista,” said Clark.

The MPP has been working with officials at Augusta Township and the United Counties of Leeds and Grenville to attract a future industrial employer to the chemical site.

“That’s going to be a priority for me in 2026,” said Clark.

He cited funds the province has in place that can help communities affected by the economic ravages of the trade dispute, and expressed confidence in locals’ ability to work together.

Still, there were also good-news economic stories in 2025, said the MPP, who pointed to the groundbreaking in August of Canarm’s warehouse expansion project; he added HFI Pyrotechnics in Prescott is poised to expand.

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Other provincial government highlights in the region over the past year include the start of work on the Wellington Manor redevelopment in Prescott, approval of a new, $26.5-million French Catholic school in Kemptville, and the opening of the new tri-county Homelessness and Addiction Recovery Treatment (HART) Hub in Smiths Falls.

“The work is not done yet,” added Clark.

In particular, he would like to see more housing dollars flow to the area.

Health-care recruitment remains a pressing need in the region, with communities continuing with efforts to recruit doctors and other medical professionals. Clark is encouraged by the Regional Economic Development through Immigration (REDI) pilot program, which has added to the workforce of the new G. Tackaberry and Family Home in Athens, calling the program a good start.

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He also praised the recruitment efforts of Health Workforce Innovations Inc., made up of former Liberal health minister George Smitherman and local health administrator Sherri Fournier Hudson.

“It’s been encouraging to see some of the vacancies that have been filled by Ms. Hudson and Mr. Smitherman,” said Clark.

Looking to 2026, he is hopeful about two other initiatives now under consideration at the provincial level that would address the local need for more access to primary care.

Earlier this year, the Ford government issued another call for proposals to create and expand some 75 primary care teams, a measure meant to connect 500,000 more Ontarians to a primary care clinician.

Provincial officials say the investment of more than $250 million is part of the province’s $2.1-billion Primary Care Action Plan, aiming to connecting everyone in Ontario to convenient primary care by 2029.

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They added the new and expanded health teams will prioritize patients without a family doctor, including people on the Health Care Connect wait-list.

The province expects to announce the successful teams in the spring, and promises “additional opportunities to apply through subsequent rounds of funding.”

Locally, Clark has provided letters of support for two applications: one in Brockville by the Lanark, Leeds and Grenville Ontario Health Team (OHT), and the other in Kemptville through the Ottawa West Four Rivers OHT.

The plan, he said, is to have two nurse-practitioner-led “primary care hubs,” with the Brockville facility operating at the former Commonwealth Public School next to Brockville General Hospital, and the other one located across from Kemptville District Hospital.

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“They would be real game-changers in both North Grenville and Brockville to deal with unattached patients,” said Clark, who expressed confidence that, by this time next year, the region will have two new primary care facilities funded by the province.

Other positive developments the MPP hopes to see in the new year include further progress on the new Brockville Jail, and the continuation of efforts to upgrade the region’s power grid.

Clark often prides himself on the number of provincial cabinet ministers he brings to the riding for local announcements.

He noted that in the past year the region has been visited by 25 ministers, including the premier, who was here in November to announce a nearly billion-dollar investment into a battery energy storage facility northeast of Spencerville, touted as the largest facility of its kind in the country.

“Those visits matter,” said Clark, who promises to push for more such investment in the new year.

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