For immediate release:
October 29, 2007

Patience, Persistence...and Petitions pay off with new Caledonia MTO office

Caledonia—MPP Toby Barrett is crediting Caledonians for their perseverance in making their voices heard to force a government about-face on the closure of the Caledonia MTO office.

Barrett commented following the grand opening of the new Caledonia Licencing office some nine months after the McGuinty government decision to close the doors forced residents to petition for reconsideration.

"In addition to going door-to-door to gather close to 1,000 names demanding this office be re-opened, I have also contacted the Minister's office through phone and correspondence, and met with the Minister to communicate the need for licencing offices in this -and other- areas of rural Ontario," Barrett explained. “I think we got the Minister’s attention when I emailed her phone number to over 400 people, and encouraged them to phone in support of a new office.”

This morning, Barrett attended a grand opening at the new 322 Argyle Street South location along with new owner Doug Pettit, Manager J.D. Pettit, Mayor Marie Trainer, and Councillor Craig Grice - who was also key in circulating petitions to re-open the licencing office.

“When a community is in crisis - as Caledonia has been due to McGuinty inaction on the local land dispute - it’s no time for government to pack up and leave town, and that’s exactly what they tried to do when they chose not to re-open the MTO office," Barrett concluded. “The bottom line is this is a start -  Caledonia has its MTO office again. We are also pressuring government - including using petitions - to back track on its decision to leave Delhi without its license bureau.”

In the final months of the legislative session, MPP Barrett read in petitions at Queens Park that stated:

WHEREAS, Caledonia has had an MTO office for over 50 years,

WHEREAS, the McGuinty government has already abandoned the community of Caledonia throughout the ongoing land occupation,

WHEREAS, the Ministry of Transportation indicated it would open an interim MTO office until a permanent arrangement can be made with Service Ontario,

WE THE UNDERSIGNED, demand the McGuinty government commit to ensuring permanent licence renewal services to the community of Caledonia

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For more information, please contact MPP Toby Barrett at
(519) 428-0446 or 1-800-903-8629