Sault Ste. Marie by-election candidates debate Ring of Fire, OLG jobs

Liberal candidate Debbie Amaroso made one of the first concrete promises of the Sault Ste. Marie by-election campaign during a debate on CBC radio's Morning North.

She said that her party will move Ontario and Lottery Gaming jobs back to Sault Ste. Marie from Toronto.

The crown corporation's "head office" has been in the Sault since the 1990s with about 300 employees, but many of those jobs have been slowly moving south.

Amaroso says she has the assurances of Premier Kathleen Wynneto reverse that trend and to work to develop a gaming industry in the Sault.

"For whatever reason I can't fathom right now, then hold me accountable, because that is my promise," said Amaroso.

But Progressive Conservative candidate Ross Romano wondered why this wasn't done when the Sault was represented by Liberal MPP and cabinet minister David Orazietti.

"I'm not sure how this candidate is going to be able to do this in 6 to 12 months, when he wasn't able to do it in 13 years," Romano said.

Hear the whole debate here:

Much of the discussion centered around the development of the Ring of Fire and the chromite smelter that Noront Resources is considering building in one of four northern Ontario cities, including the Sault.

"The smelter reduction process should go right here in Sault Ste. Marie," said New Democrat candidate Joe Krmpotich.

But none of the parties have picked which northern city they'd like to see get the smelter.

"The Ring of Fire we all know it's an amazing opportunity for northern Ontario, regardless of where a smelter ends up," says Romano.

Before getting down to business, the three candidates got a little personal with some ice-breaker questions.

What TV show is Krmpotich embarrassed to say he likes? What subject was Amarosobad at in school? What's Romano's favourite OHL team?

Have a listen: