Staff
Wednesday, March 26, 2008

More than two decades after Bob Rosehart released his first report on the economy of Northwestern Ontario, his second report prepared for the McGuinty government—released last Thursday—contained no surprises.
Rosehart was appointed in 2007 as the economic facilitator for the region. Many of his recommendations from the 1986 report have found their way into programs of the provincial government.

Through 120 meetings held in 16 visits with municipalities and 20 meetings with First Nation leaders, Rosehart has identified the strengths, weaknesses, concerns, and opportunities facing Northwestern Ontario.
His report focuses on three main areas of concern that are addressed in 47 recommendations. They are:
1. Action must be taken to help “Stabilize the Current Economy” by providing targeted assistance to relieve factors which impact the ability of northwest industries to either compete or make changes to create new markets and/or value-added products.
2. Assistance is needed to help “Build Capacity for the New Economy.”
Northwestern Ontario needs to continue to build capacity and ensure appropriate knowledge, skills, and governance models are in place to take advantage of new economic opportunities.
There is a need for additional and more accurate regional information, and for appropriately-trained ands skilled workers ready for new opportunities.
3. “Growing a Prosperous Northwest Economy” will require certain investments that signal a commitment to the people, communities, and economy of the northwest and contribute to the foundation for their future.
The report presented the recommendations by sector.
While southern Ontario’s domestic output has grown 13.6 percent between 2001 and 2006, Northwestern Ontario’s output has declined 6.7 percent in the similar period while employment has declined 5.5 percent.
The population of Northwestern Ontario has declined 3.7 percent compared to a growth of 14.6 percent in southern Ontario. First Nations population has grown by 33.9 percent and aboriginals now make up 15.2 percent of the population.
Rosehart clearly spelled out specific policies to assist northern aboriginal communities with development and sustainability.
Looking at other provinces and territories, the first of his group of recommendations to bring First Nations’ communities into successful improvements is the building of year-round, all-weather roads linking communities in the north with the south.
“Roads would help open up First Nations’ lands and would improve the quality of life by reducing costs for food, transportation, heating fuels.
“The roads would also act as a corridor bringing in fibre optic cable and delivering hydro electric power that could be developed from local renewable energy generating units.”
Rosehart, in the report, added “job creation and capacity building opportunities would be presented during the construction phase of such all-weather roads” and “there would appear to be social, cultural, health, and educational benefits for remote northern communities.”
The call for all-weather roads calls for an immediate “All-weather Road Study.”
Following up on the connecting of First Nations in the north was the expansion of the aboriginal economy.
The report called on the development of capacity building in First Nations’ communities through the training of individuals in economic development that would be able to assist First Nations in evaluating opportunities.
With that also came the recommendation that the province establish a Partnership Fund through the Ministry of Aboriginal Affairs.
“This initiative will help First Nations to become true partners in any future developments through gaining knowledge and understanding of the issues, opportunities, and benefits of future developments,” Rosehart noted.
He identified both Confederation College and Lakehead University as key partners in the economic development of Northwestern Ontario.
“Numerous studies have shown that, in general, the higher the educational attainment of a region, the higher the economic prosperity that region enjoys,” Rosehart wrote.
“In the case of Northwestern Ontario, the level of educational attainment of the population is particularly low in comparison with the rest of the province,” the report noted.
The report recommended the funding model and the jurisdictional responsibilities for the delivery of education to aboriginal youth should be changed so the education becomes a formal part of the Ontario school system.
Rosehart challenged both Lakehead University and Confederation College to work with senior levels of government to increase the success rate of the aboriginal population attending those schools.
Many of the future jobs in the north will be in the trades, and Rosehart articulated the need for the expansion of apprenticeship programs in all communities.
His recommendations included tax benefits for both employers and students to expand the programs.
“Input to the study indicated that the entrepreneurial spirit is alive and well in Northwestern Ontario,” Rosehart noted.
“During the input phase of this report, it was repeated many times that in order for the region to be successful, there must be both strong political will at all levels to support northwestern initiatives and aggressive regional championing by organizations such as Ambassadors Northwest, Nishnawbe Aski Nation, the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA), and the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce.”
His first recommendation calls for “a Common Voice Initiative,” following on the work of NOMA, whose final report, “Forging the Future,” called for an advocacy agency to be established in the northwest to interact with senior levels of government and other stakeholders.
The “common voice” is based on 36 groups throughout the northwest.
Throughout Rosehart’s report, many recommendations call for senior governments to expand their offices in the northwest by establishing a Northwestern Ontario Policy Institute.
Another recommendation called for a “Presentation Centre” in the northwest to present and promote Northwestern Ontario to potential investors, and to provide electronic linkage to the Ontario Investment and Trade services resources.
The Ministry of Economic Development and Trade already has a successful operating presentation centre in Toronto, upon which a Northwestern Ontario presentation centre could be modelled.
“A Northern Desk” and a “Northern Development Commissioner” also were recommended by Rosehart.
Along with the northern desk championing issues of the various sectors, and assisting aboriginal communities, the report called on a Northern Development Commissioner, who would provide opportunities for fast action on regionally-significant economic development projects.
Currently a regional model for economic development is found in British Columbia, and the person was appointed to the post in 1998 whose job is “to advocate for economic development and job creation in northern British Columbia.”
The report recommended the Ontario government look to continue to move jobs away from Toronto Centre and locate them in the northwest as a job creation model.
The province did something similar in 1985.
The Rosehart report also called for more passing lanes across Northwestern Ontario, as well as four-laning the Trans-Canada Highway from Nipigon to Shabaqua and from the Manitoba border to the junction of Highway 11 and 71 just east of Kenora.
As well, the report calls for significant changes to the way forests are managed. The report calls for a review of which ministry should manage the forests and also for community managed forests.
A recommendation calls for “Forest Tenure Reform,” where the management of area boundaries would be based on ecosystem boundaries. The management of these authorities would be a group of uses and stakeholders, which would include First Nation users of the forest.
“The authorities would be responsible for dealing with wood allocation and the provision of wood for new users, as well as the re-allocation of wood from users that are no longer able to use their allocations for whatever reason.”
The report called on the government to extend the current energy rebate program for one-two years, and called on the province to allow the transport of biomass for energy generation to be eligible for fuel tax rebate.
Throughout the consultation process, mining opportunities and obstacles to mining were front and centre.
Mining holds great hope for the northwest and Rosehart wasted no time in calling for geoscience and geophysical mapping.
He recommended an aggressive five-year initiative under the direction of the Ontario Geological Survey. This study would require the consultation and participation of First Nations and local municipalities.
Rosehart hoped it would start soon with the high value of commodity prices.
Very few mines have been developed in the northwest in the last 10 years and many are reaching the end of their life expectancy.
The report called for another destination tourism attraction similar to Old Fort William in the region, and for improved signage and facilities for tourists travelling through the region.
The report calls for an abattoir to be constructed in Rainy River District, and called on the agriculture research station in Emo to work with the farming community and the regional pulp and paper industry to research and pilot new crops for biomass energy projects.