The province’s Cap and Trade program is slated to start on January 1st, but the North Bay and District Chamber of Commerce, along with several others in Ontario, are calling on the province to defer it for at least one year.

Executive Director Patti Carr says there has already been an impact with high energy costs, and this will just add to it.

“We have lost different investment in Ontario to other jurisdictions because of high energy costs, but now you’re layering another tax on top of that, which could make more jobs leave the province,” she said.

There’s also a lack of sector by sector economic impact and a change in policy south of the border, too.

Carr says that’s a big concern, “especially with the U.S. and the new government coming in, we’re competing with northern states for business and they don’t have the same regulations that our businesses do.”

Natural gas, gasoline and diesel fuel prices will be impacted by the Cap and Trade program.

In fact, the Ontario Energy Board says natural gas prices for Union Gas customers will be between $4.65 and $13.54 more a month, depending on where they live.

 

(With files from The Canadian Press)