The Toronto Star, has the largest circulation in Canada. The paper has an enormous impact on federal and Ontario politics as well as shaping public opinion.
Anne Golden is president and chief executive officer and David Stewart-Patterson is vice-president of public policy of The Conference Board of Canada.
“At the Diavik diamond mine, for instance, the company
managed to recruit 67 per cent of its operating workforce
from local communities, with almost half being aboriginals.
Resource companies are working with governments and
aboriginal organizations to boost the future capacity of
the northern and aboriginal labour force.” (Anne Golden
and David Stewart-Patterson)
The fact that getting a morning double-double costs about 35 per cent more in Iqaluit than in Mississauga is not exactly top of mind for traffic-bound commuters in the GTA. Canada’s North looms large in our national imagination, but not in the daily lives of most Canadians.
What happens in the North, however, matters to all of us. How our far-flung northern communities develop will have a real impact on the economic future of our country, and all of us need a better understanding of the forces at work.
The galloping growth of emerging economies like China and India has made the economic opportunities obvious. The world is hungry for Canada’s resources, and much of what we have — gold, silver, copper, zinc, diamonds, oil and gas — is to be found in our vast northern spaces.
Northerners face major challenges as they seek to take full advantage of these opportunities.