In 2001, I was a senior communications officer at the Ontario Ministry of Finance on the bureaucratic side, as opposed to political staff. One of my key communications files was the restructuring of Algoma Steel Inc., which at that time was bordering on bankruptcy. The economic lifeblood of Sault Ste. Marie’s future could only be saved with provincial government assistance.
One of the documents I was asked to produce was a “print media environmental scan.” This is a communications document that summarizes the key media pundits’ views on any given topic.
It gives a quick snapshot of media opinion and helps influence the government on contentious issues. The issue of Algoma Steel and the possible government bailout was a “hot” item in the Toronto media and there was no shortage of quotes. Most of the commentary urged the Mike Harris government to pull the plug and let the company go bankrupt.
Indicative of this “line of thinking” was the National Post’s David Olive (he has since moved to the Toronto Star). In an April 24, 2001 commentary he said “It’s time for the community of Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario to embrace that harsh reality and get on with rebuilding the local
economy around something other than its chronically unprofitable steel works.
Taxpayers shouldn’t be asked to continue supporting a hollow prosperity in the region.”
Sources told me the final decision was close, but luckily for the people of Sault Ste. Marie, sane minds in the premier’s office prevailed and Algoma Steel was saved. At the time, its stock was trading at about fifty cents a share. In the past three months the stock has traded between $20.00 and $25.00 a share and the company is tremendously profitable, busy and sustaining a healthy Sault economy.
This cautionary tail should send warning bells to Northern Ontario. Notwithstanding the recent media attention about Northwestern Ontario’s much troubled forestry sector, the North is generally not on the powerful Toronto media’s “radar screen.”
I have often wondered who speaks for Northern Ontario in the massive, highly competitive Toronto media market that educates and influences the business and political elites of this province and country. Certainly not the people, media or politicians from the North!
As members of the media get younger and are drawn from the more populated, urbanized south, the disconnect between Northern and southern Ontario grows greater.
Ann Rauhala is a Sudbury girl, was a CBC and Globe and Mail reporter for about 20 years and is now an Assistant Professor at Ryerson’s School of Journalism. “Most southern Ontario reporters know more about the problems of prairie farmers and Newfoundland fishermen than Northern Ontario issues,” she says. “They are always surprised to hear about the enormous mineral and forestry wealth generated in the North, the large number of people living up there and their progressive social attitudes.”
In 1980, Ontario Place, a theme park located on the shores of Lake Ontario adjacent to the Canadian National Exhibition Park near downtown Toronto, had constructed a display called Ontario North Now. Seven concrete silos highlighted the North’s wildlife and economic and historical contributions to this province. It doesn’t exist anymore - “revitalized” out of existence!
The North’s stories are being lost and forgotten. It needs a voice that can be heard in the southern Ontario media market.
That voice could and should be Northern Ontario Business.
I have been reading this cheeky little publication for well over 20 years. It keeps me in touch with the North’s successes and problems from a distinctly Northern Ontario perspective.
I remember an old cartoon of Northern Ontario Business president Michael Atkins looking through a telescope at Northern Ontario. Northern Ontario Business can and should be a clear viewpoint for the south’s decision-making elites on this region’s enormous economic contributions to Ontario and Canada.
The only problem is that it is not distributed in southern Ontario. That must change. In fact, not only should the newspaper be available in the south, free subscriptions should be given to the 103 provincial MPPs, all Ontario federal MPs as well as federal cabinet ministers. Key media editors and decision makers such as Terry Corcoran at the Financial Post and John Stackhouse at the Globe and Mail’s Report on Business, as well as key business leaders in the GTA, should also get free subscriptions.
The North’s economic and resource potential is being ignored at a time when the world, particularly China, India, Brazil and many other developing countries, need the many commodities that this region produces.
This is the only way to consistently educate and influence the media, political and business elites of this country of the current and future potential economic contributions of northern Ontario.
Is Northern Ontario Business up to the challenge?
Stan Sudol is a Toronto-based communications consultant and freelance journalist who writes extensively on mining and provincial issues. He can be reached at stan.sudol@sympatico.ca .
