Staff
After releasing a proposed Growth Plan for Northern Ontario last month, the province now is asking northern residents for further input, with the deadline to receive comments set for Feb. 1, 2010.
While a videoconference held Monday evening at the Contact North site here attracted only a couple of attendees, the session was an opportunity for Lisa Zanetti of the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry to provide an overview of the plan.
She also was available to answer questions from those participating in the videoconference here as well as in Atikokan, Geraldton, Elliot Lake, Wawa, Kapuskasing, Dryden, Parry Sound, and Kirkland Lake.
The proposed growth plan establishes a strategic framework, and sets out policies and action for how the Ontario government will engage, support, and work with northern communities, businesses, aboriginal communities, and public-sector partners over the next 25 years, Zanetti explained.
After years of population decline, it’s expected the north’s population will stabilize between now and 2036.
There are important shifts occurring:
•the aboriginal youth population is growing, and aboriginal peoples will constitute about 25 percent of the region’s workforce in the next generation;
•more northerners will live and work in urban areas; and
•the international economy is experiencing rapid and far-reaching structural change, driving traditional resource-based industries, such as forestry and mining, to seek more value-added business opportunities, which is a catalyst for the emergence of new sectors such as health, bioeconomy, and “green” energy.
For Northern Ontario, there will be opportunities because of this global economic change, Zanetti said.
The growth plan proposes short-, medium-, and long-term policies, and calls on government and diverse partners to focus their combined efforts on six key principles:
•creating a highly-productive region, with a diverse, globally-competitive economy that offers a range of career opportunities for all residents;
•developing a highly-educated and skilled workforce to support an evolving knowledge-based economy and excellence in the trades;
•partnering with aboriginal people to achieve better health status, and create greater educational and employment opportunities;
•delivering a complete network of transportation, energy, communications, social, and learning infrastructure to support strong, vibrant communities;
•demonstrating leadership in sustainable growth and environmental management; and
•establishing innovative partnerships to maximize resources and ensure the growth plan achieves its vision, and is fiscally sustainable.
Zanetti said the north is positioned to become a knowledge-based economy, building on its traditional strengths and expanding in areas of innovation and collaboration.
The plan contains 100 recommendations directed at helping resource-based industries like forestry, mining, agriculture, and tourism gradually change their areas of focus to new, value-added practices.
Actions also are directed at helping to grow emerging sectors such as “green” energy, the bioeconomy, and health care.
In the forestry sector, for instance, there will be an emphasis on value-added products, new markets for wood in construction, promoting the bioeconomy, and advancing research and related sciences.
For agriculture and aquaculture, the plan is to strengthen food production, food processing infrastructure, product development to meet market demand, and promote future opportunities through research.
Adopting a co-ordinated approach to developing new products and services that appeal to domestic and international visitors, as well as enhance skills and use of technology, is earmarked for the tourism and cultural industries.
The Ministry of Energy and Infrastructure will work in partnership with the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry to establish a framework for implementation, which will include the roles of provincial ministries and agencies, federal departments, and northern working groups.
Zanetti noted the province is spending more than $3 billion over the next three years on infrastructure in alignment with the plan.
A final growth plan will guide future infrastructure investments and inform the development of a multi-year capital plan.
Provincial policies and decision-making for Northern Ontario will be aligned to ensure co-ordinated actions and successful implementation of the plan.
As well, a set of performance measures will be developed to measure implementation, and strategies will be adjusted to ensure the successful realization of the plan.
Q&A
At the videoconference here Monday, Dick Trivers noted there’s a need for agricultural innovation centres.
“We have centres for forestry, centres for pretty near everything but agriculture. So I think that’s a need,” he remarked.
“And I don’t think having a centre in New Liskeard would answer the concerns of the people in the northwest, so there are some regional differences that have to be addressed,” Trivers added.
Trivers said he and a partner have been working on developing an agricultural research and innovation network—and one of the biggest problems is getting communication between ag groups.
“I think broadband is a part of it . . . how do we get a hold of other people in other regions who are doing things we can connect with, and get a pan-northern movement going with these things?” he asked.
Zanetti said connectivity and networks among organizations is critical to many growth plan priorities, and that the plan emphasizes the need for research and innovation.
Meanwhile, Fort Frances deputy mayor Sharon Tibbs noted the town relies on “Connecting Link” funding to pay for many road repairs, and asked if new funding for infrastructure under the proposed growth plan will be sustainable so that applicants will know what’s available each year.
Zanetti replied the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry will work with its partner ministries to try and enhance access to government programs and funding envelopes “in ways that respond to northern circumstances.”
“We have different construction cycles, and demands and needs, so half of our work will be about looking internally within government at what can be done to better deliver and support applications to our programs,” she noted.
“That program [‘Connecting Link’] hasn’t been specifically mentioned,” Zanetti added. “I encourage you to document and write down some of your specific suggestions in the feedback form.”
A person from Dryden asked what will happen if the political leadership changes after the 2011 provincial election?
Zanetti explained the proposed growth plan was developed under the authority of the Places to Grow Act, 2005, and that Northern Ontario was designated as an area for development.
Since it will be “enshrined” in legislation, it will not be disregarded if the political leadership of Ontario changes in the future but rather remain embedded for the longevity of the initiative.
Other comments included adding housing as a priority in the plan, including aboriginal communities from the far north in the plan, and providing incentives for private investment in some of the initiatives.
Those who did not make it to Monday’s session still can check out the proposed plan for themselves by downloading a copy of the 60-plus page document from www.placestogrow.ca
You also can call toll-free 1-866-479-9781, e-mail northerngrowthplan@ontario.ca, or visit the nearest office of the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forestry.
Public meetings already have been held in Thunder Bay and Sault Ste. Marie, with more to be held in Timmins, Sudbury, Kenora, Sioux Lookout, Marathon, Moosonee, North Bay, and M’Chigeeng through Dec. 3.
