Around the North

Dryden manufacturers can learn how they can earn up to $50,000 to help them become more innovative, productive and competitive at an upcoming seminar.

Federal Industry Minister Tony Clement said the Jan. 30 budget is "good news" for the North.

Future mineral industry geologists can get a primer course on how to conduct exploration on First Nation traditional lands at Laurentian University in Sudbury, Feb. 7.

Newsprint and kraft production at AbitibiBowater's Thunder Bay operation is stopping for close to a month, laying off 700 workers at the two operations. High electricity costs and a lack of orders are being blamed. Newsprint production stops Feb.

Sault Ste. Marie's Tenaris Algoma Tubes, Canada's only seamless steel tube maker, is taking another two-week shutdown starting Feb. 1. affecting 450 employees. Declining oil and natural gas drilling and a light order book has hurt the company.

The proponents behind a Red Rock flooring plant is applying to the Ontario Power Authority for a purchase agreement involving a proposed $100 million co-generation facility. The 40-megawatt co-gen plant proposed by Red Rock Mill Inc.

(STRONG) or Saving the Region of Ontario North Group wants the Ontario government to be a stewards of the land and protect the communities and people's best interests by refusing the sale of AbitibiBowater hydro dams in Iroquois Falls.

Ontario and the federal governments are investing $2.3 million to support a new marketing strategy to grow the northern tourism.

Two different homegrown innovations geared towards helping the mining industry have seen provincial funding to the combined tune of nearly $75,000. With an eye on exporting to global markets, Accutron Instruments Inc.

The Hearst Tembec sawmill will fall victim to shutdown in light of continued hardship in the lumber, pulp and newsprint markets. Effective Feb. 9, the mill will close its doors for six weeks, a move which affects roughly 125 employees.