Photo Credit: Richard Chicoine iCopyright 2008Community…Economy…Change
“We’re lost but we’re making good time.” Yogi Berra
“We’re lost but we’re making good time.” Yogi Berra
How lost do you think we are? It's time to think seriously about our local economy...and the global crisis.
Vision and passion are two contributing factors in our decision making process. Our values set the pace for our long term plan. We will hear about the Growth Plan for Northern Ontario, and other economic insights about our city, from Mayor Lynn Peterson, who will kick off our Community Learning Day at Bombardier.
Remember to wear your safety shoes for the Bombardier tour, pack your questions and collaborate with your CAP group for your 15 minute presentation at the end of the day.
In the meantime, you might find the online version of the Chronicle Journal interesting. Our local economy - from forestry to mining to shipping and shopping - check out the newspaper on line every day for the headlines, and send letters to the editor on occasion. Speak up about issues – a good first step in community leadership.
LocalGrowth Plan for Northern Ontario Begins
By JIM KELLY, The Chronicle-Journal
Saturday, November 8, 2008
The first session in an ambitious initiative to explore key areas of potential future growth in Northern Ontario kicked off in Thunder Bay on Friday. The Growth Plan for Northern Ontario is a blueprint “for a co-ordinated, long-term approach to support a more globally competitive region,” said Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle, who presented an update on the long-term strategic plan with Energy and Infrastructure Minister George Smitherman.
The first of 10 technical discussions at the Prince Arthur Hotel focused on health care. “I can see there are some great opportunities that have been identified in terms of innovations in the health care field,” Gravelle said. “We certainly know that in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario some extraordinary investments have come to the North, so I think we have an opportunity today with the technical table on health to try to focus on the key issues that we can take advantage of and melt it into the Growth Plan for our future discussion with the public,” he said.
Smitherman said some of the participants in the health care session are associated with research. “This is one of those areas where we‘ve seen quite a lot of growth, but there is potential,” he said. Both Gravelle and Smitherman said the plan will focus on the following: strengthening the resource industries, advancing research and innovation, ensuring a skilled work force through education and training, and making strategic use of infrastructure to support sustainable growth.
“The Growth Plan will bring a co-ordinated focus and align the right resources to build on the North‘s tremendous strengths and talents for a sustainable economy, a clean environment and a vibrant quality of life for northern families,” Smitherman said.
Between today and Jan. 28, one-day technical sessions will be held in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, North Bay and Timmins on a variety of topics from health care to aboriginal economic development.
Two sessions in Thunder Bay on Jan. 7 and 8 will deal with value-added forestry and bio-economy. Early in 2009, Thunder Bay will host a major think tank featuring national and international experts who will share their knowledge with participants in the Growth Plan. Gravelle said the experts coming from other jurisdictions will make observations outside the context of Northern Ontario. “It‘s going to be a very positive process.”
Smitherman said when the economy is uncertain and people have challenges associated with that, “I think it‘s really, really important that you bring in perspectives that can help to unlock the opportunities. “I think the think tank will reach to provide and stimulate the nature of the discussions and hopefully enhance the kind of vision that we can come up with,” he said. Smitherman said with the current economic downturn, some people may want solutions now. “It‘s designed to be a long-term blueprint that helps to give reinforcement to a broad array of government decisions,” he said.
The Growth Plan is backed by the province‘s Places to Grow legislation and supported by a special committee of 16 cabinet ministers. That caught the eye of Mayor Lynn Peterson. “This is the first time ever that we have legislation behind it,” she said. “This is not a report that will go away. There‘s a legislative requirement to implement it. “We have to take the time to get it right and then implement it,” Peterson said.
Gravelle said over the spring and summer, the province held 13 discussion sessions across Northern Ontario as well as meetings with federal and provincial government officials in the North. To date, more than 500 northerners have provided input into the plan. Gravelle said First Nation peoples are important partners in the Growth Plan. He said the government will release a draft growth plan next spring from which northerners will start putting together a final strategy for prosperity and growth that will guide them over the next 25 years.
Copyright © Monday, November 17, 2008 All material contained herein is copyrighted by
The Chronicle Journal, a division of Continental Newspapers Canada Ltd.
All Rights Reserved.
See you for coffee at 8:45...Lots to Think About!
- Maggie
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