Duane Hicks
A district initiative to promote local spending and protect jobs recently got funding support from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp.
The initiative, being spearheaded by the Rainy River Future Development Corp., received $49,000 from the province—funds which will be matched by the local sector and hopefully the federal government.
The RRFDC currently has funding applications in to federal sources, such as FedNor.
Now with this provincial support, the RRFDC is working with local business partners on a “Go Local” campaign that will promote themes such as “Eat Local, Shop Local, and Play Local,” consultant Tannis Drysdale said this morning.
It also will include a rewards program to encourage local spending, she added.
“It’s really a program that can provide market research information to small- and medium-sized businesses, and can help local and independent retailers compete in the big world of the Internet and outshopping and massive corporate retail giants,” Drysdale explained.
The idea of “Go Local” ties into a presentation that Terry Garrett, of Sonoma, Calif.-based Sustaining Technologies, made during the “Northern Networks” trade conference held here in September 2010.
But it stems back even further to a multi-year project the RRFDC had worked on with the regional agricultural community, which supported activities like the farmers’ market and attendance at the Royal Agricultural Winter Fair.
“The ‘Go Local’ project sort of expands beyond that into our retail community, and works by developing a partnership [between] the retail communities, the agricultural producers, and consumers themselves to work co-operatively marketing Rainy River District products and services,” Drysdale said.
She noted “Go Local” has been set as a priority in the Town of Fort Frances’ recent strategic plan, and that the whole Rainy River District will benefit from the project, which the public will be hearing more about in 2012.
“We’ll be forming a leadership or partnership group, and they will direct and advise and make sure the project we create in Rainy River District is sustainable, and best reflects what our needs in the community are,” she remarked.
Investing in Northern Ontario communities is part of the McGuinty government’s plan to grow the economy by creating good jobs for families in the face of global economic uncertainty.
“Our government is committed to supporting the growth of northern communities and businesses,” said Northern Development and Mines minister Rick Bartolucci, who also chairs the NOHFC.
“By investing in this ‘Go Local’ campaign, we are helping the residents of small towns build careers and raise families in the north,” he noted.
