STRONG support for one-industry towns.

STRONG -- an organization, fighting for one-industry towns in Northern Ontario hit hard by the slumping forest industry--says one of the biggest problems they face is government policies favoring multi-national corporations over community sustainability

STRONG (Saving The Region of Ontario North Group) is a non-profit, non-partisan organization fighting for the survival of forest dependent communities in Northern Ontario. The group was founded in 2005 by Al Simard, STRONG president and boasts nearly 6,000 members.

Canada's forest industry--and Ontario's for that matter--has been in a slow, steady decline over the last 10 years. The problem lies in a healthy Canadian dollar, the slumping U.S. housing market and shrinking demand for newsprint.

But Simard addresses another problem. He says the federal and provincial governments are allowing corporations to redirect the wood out of Ontario and Canada.

"The government just sits back and watches it happen."

"They (Canadian government) continue to sell us out," he says. "They're watching mills fall like dominoes all over Canada and their solution to the problem is ... we'll just sell more raw product."

That is stealing jobs from Canadians, he states.

Simard points to the new Softwood Lumber Agreement, which he says, is costing Canadians jobs because it encourages the export of round wood by exempting it from exports taxes.

"Multi-national corporations are in it for the money, they care nothing about community sustainability."

"We feel government policies should be put into place to discourage these corporations from giving profit priority over community sustainability."

Simard does applaud some steps the provincial and federal government have taken.

He pointed to provincial government's allocation of millions of dollars to fund a biomass research centre in Thunder Bay.

"They are taking some steps in the right direction," he says. "As far as adding value to our forest resource." But they could still do more.

What Simard would like to see is northern communities having more of a say in the decisions affecting them. He condemns politicians from the south for making decisions affecting small, rural communities without knowing, he says, how their economies work.

"Communities that live off the forest should become more involved and should be part of the decision making process."

"We want a voice," he says. "Right now we don't have a voice."

Simard has been invited to speak in British Columbia by the organization, Stand Up for the North Committee, based in Prince George. He will be speaking about the difficulties Northern Ontario forest industries are facing. The forest industry in Ontario and British Columbia face many of the same problems. He hopes they can exchange information.

He will be suggesting the implementation of a communications network for communities across Canada who have a stake in the forest industry To help them, he hopes to, "gain more influence at the federal level."

Simard will be speaking in the communities of Fort St. James, Prince George, Mackenzie and Nanaimo, from Apr. 21 to 24.

By ANDRE GROULX

For Northern Ontario Business