It was July 1992. Canada’s Fisheries Minister, John Crosbie had just finished announcing the closure of the northern cod fishery. The immediate impact was the unemployment of 40,000 hard working Canadians and the collapse of a $500 million a year industry. Mr. Crosbie was adamant the closure would only last two years. Only six months later, Crosbie was amending his claim to five years. It is now present day and we all know the state of not only the cod fishery but the Atlantic fishery in general; it cannot even be described as a “shadow of its former self.”
All of Canada is quite aware of the drastic action taken by the federal Government of the day and the subsequent, yet consistent assistance that was provided to support the waning economy of the Atlantic provinces. There was Employment Insurance claims (Unemployment Insurance at the time), re-training programs, community development funds and committees, the establishment of a booming call centre industry supplemented by federal and province dollars, the locating of federal taxation centres and who could forget the “gun registry boondoggle” (more about creating jobs, than registering guns).
Fast forward to 2007; the Northern Ontario forest industry has collapsed. I do not think that I need to repeat what this has done to the economy and spirit of Northern Ontario and its many communities, large and small. Just for measurement sake, a Ministry of Natural Resources website states the Northern Ontario forest industry supports 90,000 jobs in over 50 communities. In 2001, it produced $18 billion of product and in 2002 it exported $9.3 billion of product, mainly to the United States. I am sure that at least some comparison between the collapse of the cod fishery and the forest industry in Northern Ontario can be made.
So just how has the federal government responded to our crisis? On January 10, 2008, Prime Minster Harper announced from New Brunswick that the federal government would put in place a $1 billion aid package not for the Northern Ontario forest industry or the Canadian forest industry, but for single industry towns across Canada. Of this, $375 million has been earmarked for Ontario over the next three years. What an embarrassment!
Judging by the reaction in Northern Ontario, the fund (or rather lack of it) is “too little, too late”. On top of that, the Thunder Bay Chronicle Journal quoted MP Joe Comuzzi as saying that the Region (referring to Northwestern Ontario) would have to fight for its cut of the fund! If this is the type of leadership that the Harper Government shows in this time of crisis, then perhaps we are better off without their assistance.
First, the Ontario portion of the fund is targeted for all of Ontario, more specifically towards one-industry towns. This means that places like Windsor, who have been affected by downturns in the auto industry, will be able to participate in the fund. Don’t get me wrong, I wish no disrespect to Windsor, but if that is the case, just how much will be left for places like Wawa, White River, Dubreuilville, Chapleau, Manitouwadge and Hornepayne once the remnants of the fund move North.
Second, the fund appears to be targeted at community adjustment committees and the re-training of displaced workers. Great, lets re-train folks for jobs that do not exist in the affected towns. No doubt they will move away, thereby exacerbating the collapse. Perhaps the genius architect of this scheme has decided the affected communities are dying and are no longer worthy of any capital investment or rejuvenation of their economies.
Last, there has been some mention of the transition from a resource dependant economy to a knowledge-based economy. Are you kidding me! While the comment might be noble, a knowledge-based industry is not created because you want one. There has to be a reason, the infrastructure must be in place, the investment must be there and there must be a demand. Such an industry is not created through retraining programs and little government investment.
There is little movement anywhere to address the chronic problem across the North. I think as Northerners, we would rather know if those that can make a difference really do care or whether they are just being “ostriches” hoping the problem will “just go away.” Quite often during a crisis, leaders rise to lead. Let’s hope it happens soon in Northern Ontario.
Wawa's Chris Wray is the CAO of the Township of Michipicoten.cwray@wawa.cc
