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Building a [mining] workforce [in Thunder Bay and the Northwest] – Special to The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 16, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

With the anticipated boom in the mining sector, industry leaders and organizations are taking steps to ensure the workforce is ready.

On Wednesday the North Superior Workforce Planning Board and the Thunder Bay Community Economic Development Committee hosted a forum that looked into some of the employment and training opportunities and challenges that exist in the mining sector in Northwestern Ontario.

More than 200 participants attended the forum. Among the participants were job seekers, mining companies, service providers, government representatives and educators, who discussed how the workforce can be prepared for expanding job opportunities in the mining sector.

Madge Richardson, executive director of North Superior Workforce Planning Board, said the forum was also an opportunity to release a report on the region’s mining industry employment forecasts for the next two, five and 10 years.

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Help wanted:[in Northwestern Ontario mining sector] – Special to The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 13, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Job seekers in Northern Ontario might be feeling perpetually discouraged when faced with headlines about high unemployment (nearly 12 per cent according to some reports), and the newest round of layoffs and job losses. Factor in the dismal state of the economy in the past few years and those looking for work or a career change may not be feeling very hopeful these days.

But where other industries may be gearing down, the mining sector, particularly in this region, is gearing up.

Because there are eight major exploration projects in the region that will result in mineral-producing mines between 2013 and 2017, there will be a strong demand for skilled labour and professionals in the next few years. Metals to be mined include gold, copper, nickel, platinum, palladium and chromium, a major component of stainless steel, which would be produced from chromite extracted from the highly prized Ring of Fire.

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Northern Growth: Adding Up the Successes – by Livio Di Matteo (Northern Economist Blog – February 13, 2012)

Livio Di Matteo is Professor of Economics at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Visit his new Economics Blog “Northern Economist” at http://ldimatte.shawwebspace.ca/

Well, the provincial government has not forgotten about the Northern Growth Plan after all.  It would appear that planning for the plan to plan all plans is still being planned. 

This morning’s opinion piece in the Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal by Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci “Consensus in the North: The arithmetic of success” was no doubt designed to provide a quantitative bent to the government’s activities not by listing the investments it was planning to make in Northern infrastructure or documenting the size of the budget for new projects but by listing the number of consultations and their participants.

Indeed, according to the Minister:”When it comes to consulting, listening and collaborating with northerners, the McGuinty government is also ahead of the curve.”  The provincial government is working with northerners “to create two regional economic development planning pilots in Northern Ontario”. 

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Consensus in the North: The arithmetic of success – by Rick Bartolucci (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 13, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Rick Bartolucci is the Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines

It’s been said that teamwork divides the task and multiplies the success.

As Ontario faces the stormy economic times that are clouding the financial futures of jurisdictions around the world, the Ontario government is committed to the task of ensuring that our province not only weathers the storm but emerges stronger than ever.

In the Legislature, our government looks to a consensual approach by all three parties to achieve the success for Ontario that we are all working toward. By collaborating, I believe we will meet our fiscal goals and build a stronger, more competitive economy.

In Northern Ontario too, the need for teamwork is more vital than ever. The North already has a strong tradition of regional cooperation as evidenced by organizations such as NOMA, NEOMA, FONOM and NOACC. Recent developments such as the formation of the Northern Mayors’ Council underline the increased recognition of the importance for northerners to pull together.

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More nickel sulphide and chromite mineralization found in [Ring of Fire] mining camp – Northwest Bureau (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 11, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Noront Resources Ltd. has identified more nickel sulphide and chromite mineralization at its McFauld’s Lake Project in the Ring of Fire mining camp.

“While drilling to increase the chromite resource at Blackbird continued to return excellent results, the discovery of two new zones of nickel sulphide mineralization within 500 metres of (the company’s) Eagle’s Nest (deposit), highlights the tremendous exploration potential of this area,” company CEO Wes Hanson said in a news release.

“Both zones of nickel sulphide mineralization were identified by a new, ground-based geophysical survey that was completed in November,” he said. Hanson noted that the Eagle’s Nest feasibility study is progressing on time and on budget as is the resource update and preliminary assessment of the Blackbird chromite deposit.

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[Thunder Bay Prostitution] Not going away anytime soon – Editorial (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – February 3, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

THE WORLD’S oldest profession thrives on mankind’s most basic instinct, which means prostitution is never going away. It’s certainly popular in Thunder Bay’s two downtown cores where the sex trade flourishes.
McKellar ward Coun. Paul Pugh has been forced to address the issue after people at ward meetings complained about streetwalkers in their neighbourhoods.

Pugh utters the standard political response to many social issues: We’ve got to get to the root of the problem. He’s right, of course, but eradicating the poverty and drug use that accompany much prostitution is not going to happen anytime soon. Governments that couldn’t end poverty when they were flush with cash are not about to divert the billions required in these times of austerity.

It has been suggested that prostitution and drugs be decriminalized. Controlling drugs by having them sold and taxed by government is a familiar idea. Thunder Bay’s drug strategy favours decriminalization.

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The [Far North Act] Colouring Book Government – by Livio Di Matteo (Northern Economist Blog- January 21, 2012)

Ontario Government Far North Act Coloring Book

Livio Di Matteo is Professor of Economics at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Visit his new Economics Blog “Northern Economist” at http://ldimatte.shawwebspace.ca/

Click Here for the: Far North Act Colouring Book

The Far North of Ontario and in particular, the Far North Act, has generated a contentious set of policy issues for Ontario’s government.  For the uninformed, the Far North Act is a process for community-based land use planning and development, that is also setting aside from development an interconnected area of conservation lands of at least 225,000 square kilometres — an area that is about 20 per cent of the landmass of Ontario.

To put it into context, it is an area about twice the size of southern Ontario — which represents only about 10 per cent of Ontario’s land mass.  There is concern about its impact on the long-term development prospects of Northern Ontario and the First Nations in the Region.  A response of the provincial government is that the Act has been misunderstood and needs to be better explained.

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Northern Ontario is to Southern Ontario is as Canada is to the United States – Well, almost… – by Livio Di Matteo (Northern Economist Blog – January 17, 2012)

Livio Di Matteo is Professor of Economics at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Visit his new Economics Blog “Northern Economist” at http://ldimatte.shawwebspace.ca/

Prime Minister Stephen Harper’s recent comment that he does not want the future of the Northern Gateway pipeline to be decided by “certain” people in the United States who would like Canada to be one giant national park was remarkable in its parallels to the economic development situation in Northern Ontario. 

In the case of the Northern Gateway, along with opposition from environmental groups and some First Nations in Alberta and British Columbia, a number of U.S. based environmental groups accompanied by some Hollywood celebrities have voiced opposition to the plan.  In Northern Ontario, there have been complaints that the Far North Act and the Endangered Species Act will hinder northern development because of the wish of environmental groups in southern Ontario to turn the north into a vast provincial park.

The parallels are intriguing.  The relationship between Northern Ontario and the south is remarkably similar to that between Canada and the United Canada.  Relative to the United States, Canada is natural resource intensive and sparsely populated. 

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[Quebec Plan Nord] Is More Talk the Right Prescription for Northern Ontario? – by Livio Di Matteo (Northern Economist Blog – January 19, 2012)

Livio Di Matteo is Professor of Economics at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Visit his new Economics Blog “Northern Economist” at http://ldimatte.shawwebspace.ca/

Media reports on the visit yesterday by Quebec based consultants who worked on Quebec’s Plan Nord appear to have emphasized their prescription for more planning and discussion.  The Plan Nord is the Quebec government’s parallel to our own Northern Growth Plan and their plan to develop their own north with anticipated investments of 80 billion dollars and the creation of as many as 20,000 jobs. 

The Mayor of Greenstone was quoted as saying the time for talk had passed and some direct action was needed by the province in getting things going.  On the other hand, according to a report on TBNewswatch:

A pair of Quebec-based consultants, however, have suggested what’s needed is more talk.  It’s worked in Quebec, said Yvan Loubier, a senior consultant for National Public Relations in Quebec City, who has worked with both governments and communities in Northern Quebec to help facilitate a 25-year plan for economic salvation in an area hard hit by many of the same concerns afflicting Northern Ontario, particularly First Nations communities. It didn’t come easily, at least not at first.

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[Quebec’s Plan Nord] Growth tips shared – Special to The Chronicle-Journal (Thunder Bay Chroncicle-Journal – January 19, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Those who helped develop Plan Nord say the next 25 years are going to be exciting for Northern Quebec. Northwestern Ontario would like to share in some of that excitement.

Members of National Public Relations, who helped develop Plan Nord, gave a presentation in Thunder Bay on Wednesday.

The presentation was hosted by the Northwestern Ontario joint task force on regional economic development pilot project, the Northwestern Ontario Associated Chambers of Commerce and the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association.

Plan Nord is an economic development project aimed at Northern Quebec, which over the next 25 years is estimated to generate more $80 billion in investments and create more than 20,000 jobs a year.

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[Plan Nord] Quebec plan may be blueprint for Northwest – Special to The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal (January 16, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Northwestern Ontario is hoping to gain some perspective and insight from Quebec when it comes to economic development in Northern regions.

Members of National Public Relations are to be in Thunder Bay on Wednesday to provide information on Plan Nord, one of the largest economic, environmental and social projects in Canada.

Plan Nord, designed for Northern Quebec, will be carried out for the next 25 years. It is estimated that it will generate more than $80 billion in investments and create more than 20,000 jobs a year.

Members of the Northwestern Ontario Joint Task Force are eager to learn more about Plan Nord, and see how it might impact Northwestern Ontario and if similar strategies can be applied in the region.

“Given the $80-billion program, is it going to be more attractive for investment than Northwestern Ontario,” task force chairman Iain Angus, said Sunday.

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Why is Ontario’s Government Panicking About the Deficit? – by Livio Di Matteo (January 8, 2012)

Livio Di Matteo is Professor of Economics at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay, Ontario. Visit his new Economics Blog “Northern Economist” at http://ldimatte.shawwebspace.ca/

The Ontario government’s final approach to deficit reduction has begun with selected leaks of economist Don Drummond’s “first draft” of his review via media interviews designed to dramatically present deficit reduction.  A column by Martin Regg Cohn of the Toronto Star titled “Brace for a firestorm across Ontario” outlines cuts as high as 30 percent for some Ontario ministries with health and education being spared “somewhat”. 

Yet, the same column has Don Drummond using the language of the Wall Street protestors by talking about how just one percent of the population accounts for half of hospital spending and one third of total health expenditures.   Martin Regg Cohn’s most recent column on Don Drummond’s prescriptions titled “The grim reaper punctures Ontario’s fiscal fantasies” points out how unrealistic balancing the budget by 2017-18 was and shares the blame on fiscal forecasting by mentioning that the opposition parties embraced the same timetable during the election.

What is going on here?  All of this advance work by the Ontario government reduces what should be a serious policy problem requiring a firm and measured approach to some kind of fiscal porn reality show. 

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Nuclear waste-free zones promoted [in Northern Ontario] – by Carl Clutchey (Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal – January 9, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

Two prominent Aboriginal organizations have come out against a proposal to bury nuclear waste in Northern Ontario.

The separate declarations by Nishnawbe Aski Nation (NAN) and the Union of Ontario Indians (UOI) come as a half a dozen Northwestern Ontario municipalities continue to explore the possibility of hosting an underground storage facility for spent fuel bundles from nuclear reactors.

In separate news releases, NAN and UOI trash a search by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization to find a community willing to host a disposal site. “We have a mandate from the Creator to protect our lands and waters and have been doing so for thousands of years,” NAN Grand Chief Stan Beardy said.

“Nuclear waste is a poison that will damage our homelands.”

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Two peoples in one city – Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal Editorial (January 9, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

WHILE issues unique to far northern First Nations unfold in places like Attawapiskat, a different set of challenges confronts aboriginal people who move south and the cities that become their homes.

Thunder Bay has always had native neighbours at Fort William. But the aboriginal population of the city itself grew 22.6 per cent between 2001 and 2006. It is estimated that one in five people living in Thunder Bay today is aboriginal, almost 40 per cent of them under the age of 20.

A recent report from Statistics Canada projects that in 2031, Thunder Bay will be one of five cities with the largest aboriginal populations in the country.

This growth will transform Thunder Bay in many ways. It is already straining services. A report to city council tonight updating the Urban Aboriginal Strategy recommends spending $125,000 to maintain the UAS advisory committee.

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[Aboriginal] Injunction shuts down [Northern Ontario] miner – by Carl Clutchey (Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal – January 6, 2012)

The Thunder Bay Chronicle-Journal is the daily newspaper of Northwestern Ontario.

A court ruling in favour of a Timmins-area First Nation regarding a mining dispute is further evidence that courts are backing up Aboriginal legal requirements to be consulted before drilling and staking begins.

“It proves the point that if you don’t follow the law, you’re going to end up in court and it’s going to cost your investors money,” Nishnawbe Aski Nation Grand Chief Stan Beardy said Thursday.

Beardy was reacting to Ontario Superior Court of Justice Carol Brown’s decision this week that granted a 120-day injunction to Wahgoshig First Nation to temporarily prevent junior miner Solid Gold Resources from drilling on their land.

According to the ruling, “no consultation occurred with (WFN) before Solid Gold’s drilling began in the spring of 2011.”

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