Thursday it became official, Gilles Bisson will be seeking re-election in 2018 in the new provincial electoral district of Timmins.

The current Timmins-James Bay MPP made the announcement at the United Steel Workers Union in Kapuskasing around noon.

Bisson says the decision was an extremely difficult one for him, having spent so many years serving the people of Highway 11 and the James Bay coast.

He says a major factor in his choice came down to family, considering he resides in Timmins.

Bisson says another major factor was who will replace him and continue on with the work he and the NDP have done.

He also says he is more than happy to know Queen’s Park will be gaining two new voices representing Northern Ontario, and he looks forward to representing the people of Timmins once again.