Here are some of the items of economic interest with respect to northern Ontario that have caught my interest over the last little while. There truly is never a dull moment when it comes to the economy of northern Ontario.
White River Benefits from new Harte Gold mine. CBCNews Thunder Bay, October 3rd, 2017.
While being a small resource based community means dire times when the main industry shuts down, the converse is that when a new industry starts up, there can be a boom. White River is getting good economic news.
Porter Airlines sets up a Thunder Bay crew base. TBNewswatch. September 19th, 2017.
This is definitely good news and raises the prospect that Porter may be looking at expanding its service west and south. I would expect to see more flights through Thunder Bay to Winnipeg and perhaps through Chicago Midway to connect with the current Chicago-Toronto run.
Liquid natural gas coming to communities on Lake Superior's north shore. CBCNews Thunder Bay, September 25th, 2017.
And here are two interesting and related items:
Delegates discuss keys to reversing decline. TimminsPress.com, September 28th, 2017.
The State of the North - A New Vision is Emerging. TBNewswatch, September 28th, 2017.
I suppose you can start to smell the prospects of elections coming soon. A provincial election is expected by spring while municipalities will be going to the polls next October. Needless to say, the shopping lists are being put together in the form of strategies and plans designed to reverse the northern Ontario economic decline and to get candidates elected. Such regional studies and strategies have a long history in the north - think back to the 1970s (Design for Development) or the 1980s (Royal Commission on the Northern Environment) or the 2000s (Regional Adjustment Strategy, The Northern Growth Plan, the Rosehart Report). Given the lack of success to date in reversing northern decline, one must admire everyone's faith in grand economic studies and development strategies but then I suppose there is no serious expectation they will reverse anything. Their purpose is simply to put together the wish list for new government spending initiatives designed to continue northern Ontario's palliative economic care. This is not really a new vision at all but rather business as usual.
And in terms of some of the more entertaining economic development strategies being touted:
City signs friendship agreement with Nanning, China. TbNewswatch, Septembner 22nd, 2017.
City makes friends with Nanning, China. The Chronicle Journal, September 23rd, 2017.
Apparently one of the visions discussed was shiploads of vegetables and beef and other agricultural produce from Thunder Bay's port to Nanning. According to one Thunder Bay City Councillor: "There is that kind of potential for our agricultural sector." I assume this meant western Canada's agricultural sector (but then why ship to China through Thunder Bay rather than Vancouver or Prince Rupert) given that Thunder Bay's agricultural sector would be hard pressed to feed 100,000 people locally never mind 7.5 million in Nanning.
Still, its nice to be friends with other cities even if the expectations are a little off kilter.
In other news:
C
ould more autonomy hurt the North? One expert says yes. Northern Ontario Business. October 2nd, 2017.
Cambrian student population reaches highest total in 10 years. Northern Ontario Business. October 2nd, 2017.
Give First Nations priority access to marijuana industry. Nugget.ca. October 2nd, 2017.
Developing a Smart City important for the economy. Saultstar.com. September 29th, 2017.
And in terms of negative economic impact when a major broader public sector employer shuts down....
Laurentian University strike enters second week, administration says new offer on table. CBCNews Sudbury. October 2nd, 2017.
