Expanding the ability of Northern Ontario businesses to export goods and services to the world is the focus of a new federal strategy.
The strategy was unveiled in May at the Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) conference.
"It's important that we have more than 900,000 people to sell to, more than nine million, more than a country," said federal Secretary of State for Rural Development and FedNor Andy Mitchell in announcing the formation of an International Trade Centre (ITC) for the North. "The world needs to be our marketplace."
The ITC was unveiled as part of an overall government initiative for Northern Ontario that would see business have more access to capital, more access to a competitive business environment, improved infrastructure and a youth employment initiative. The ITC will be based in Sault Ste. Marie, but will have regional offices in the major centres - Thunder Bay, Sudbury, North Bay and Timmins.
"It will have the mandate to work with Northern Ontario businesses to make sure they have access to that world market," said Mitchell. "It will act as a pathfinder to bring together the programs available in the Government of Canada and make sure Northern Ontario has an opportunity to take part in them."
The ITC would also provide education of Northern Ontario businesses to be able to compete in the world economy and assist in building business contacts.
Mitchell said that the creation of the ITCs were the result of a Northern Ontario Citizens Engagement Forum and Youth Symposium sponsored by FedNor and held in Sault Ste. Marie in November 2002.
Although there is no set target for how the ITC will increase Northern Ontario business growth, Mitchell said that an "accountability framework" to monitor the success of the ITC initiative will be in place.
"When we met with citizens from our business community, they indicated to us just how important it is for them to partner with us to develop new markets and make sure they had an opportunity to expand and sell products around the world," he said. "We like to think of this as a significant trade initiative to make sure this will happen."
North Bay Chamber of Commerce export development advisor Jay Aspin praised the ITC initiative as a sign of the federal government's commitment to the continued development of Northern Ontario's economy. North Bay already has 60 to 70 exporting companies, but Aspin said this opens the door for other companies throughout Northern Ontario that would like to have access to outside markets that they might not otherwise have access without the initiative.
"It really gives us the green light to go ahead and develop the trade network in each of our individual communities," he said. "Things seem to be falling into place nicely."
"Our challenge is to take those resources and strategies, translate them into results -oriented activities and help the businesses in our individual communities to grow," Aspin said. "This is all about economic development. It's all about opportunity."
