Innovation--Part of our future.

The socio-economic fabric of Northern Ontario is changing, perhaps faster than many would have predicted.

Despite the resurgence of the mining sector in the North, there are few bright spots. In fact, much of the news is downright depressing. The small, rural communities in the North, continue to be plagued by decreasing assessment and taxation revenues, increasing operating costs and an infrastructure deficit that may never be eliminated. All this in addition to the continued responsibility for many costs (ambulance, social assistance etc) that are more appropriately paid for by the province.

The forest sector has almost completely collapsed under the pressure of a "perfect storm" that includes a successful Canadian dollar, depressed U.S. market and an oversupply of product, due to insect infestation in the western provinces. Skilled labour is almost non-existent and what ever remains is, for the most part, unavailable, while we continue to deal with the out migration of our youth.

One potential bright spot could be found in the old saying that "necessity is the mother of invention." If I could be so bold as to suggest that the future of Northern Ontario will be very much different than the past; total reliance on the extraction of natural resources will no longer be the norm and we certainly should not be looking for others to save our economy. We need to do it ourselves.

Those of us who choose to call Northern Ontario home need to start believing we have the unique ability to become true innovators. In order to do this, we must combine our strengths and work together by cooperating on a regional basis, so that we can ensure we do not miss an opportunity to compete globally.

The traditional model of one community competing against another needs to be removed from mainstream thinking and placed in the local landfill. If we can do this, we can indeed succeed.

In order to succeed, we do need to knock down the barriers that slow down the pace of change or innovation. These barriers include: difficulties in accessing the necessary resources, too much government bureaucracy, access to technology, the lack of regional "think tanks" or facilities that can contribute through research and development, the lack of regional core economic development staff employed by the senior levels of government and the lack of sharing best practices along with the continuation of small-minded turf wars.

Northern Ontario is blessed with a host of natural resources, which if managed properly, can provide an economy that can survive for many generations to come. In order to manage it properly, we do need to think of those resources very differently. This is where innovation has a role to play. It is my firm opinion, and that of others, that innovation and technology can break down all of the barriers discussed and help Northern Ontario, region by region, become quite active in an innovation agenda--whether it is provincial, federal or world-wide--and there are examples.

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The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC), established in 1999 continues to be a catalyst for growth in innovation, particularly information technology. Through a focus on innovation, the award winning SSMIC plays an important role in the future growth and prosperity of Northern Ontario. Focusing on the three core areas of business incubation, SME support services and market development projects, the SSMIC has positioned itself as a leader in innovation across Canada.

The "new kid on the block" is the RainTree Corporation. Located in Wawa, RainTree is the exclusive manager of the Global Forest Carbon Fund--the world's first buyer's pool for reforestation based carbon credits. The "brainchild" of Wawa's Gerry Liddle, RainTree seeks, among other things, to permanently restore deforested areas back to their original state, while promoting sustainable economic development. While the market in Ontario and Canada continues to develop on a daily basis, RainTree has been actively pursuing and arranging opportunities around the globe. That's right, from Wawa, Ontario! Liddle does not intend to stand on his present laurels either. While RainTree "ramps" up its staffing, new markets and opportunities are developing, among other places, right here in Northern Ontario.

These are only two of many stories from across Northern Ontario--there are others, and they need to be told. Innovation, in the face of our collapsing traditional economy, needs to play a key role in diversifying Northern Ontario by using the resources at our disposal and through developing the potential that exists.

Wawa's Chris Wray is the CAO of the Township of Michipicoten.

cwray@wawa.cc