A message from the president of Laurentian Media Group.

As I write, the Prime Minister has called an election and as you read this, our local wannabe MPs are running flat out for your support next week. I have no idea what will happen, but it is fairly safe to say nothing of significance for Northern Ontario will be in any one of the national party programs. The leaders will stop at a couple of our airports to do a little day tripping to manufacture local news, but mostly they will fly over our great land on their way to or from jurisdictions with more votes and very different issues.

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Elections remind us how much we are on our own and how important it is to find our own energy to solve our own problems..

The Northern Ontario Business Awards program is a Northern Ontario solution to a Northern Ontario problem. The problem is distance and how much we don't know one another. The solution is to solicit nominations for excellence in business from Kenora to Mattawa and from Parry Sound to Moose Factory every year. We have reviewed thousands of nominations over the years and feted more than 180 winners. We are in our 22nd year and have survived any number of governments. Our remedy for this habitual political snub is to ignore it and focus on our heroes and heroines.

Our winners over the years have been phenomenal. They cope with long distance from markets, volatile commodity prices, the high cost of energy, the challenge of attracting skilled labour from urban markets, high taxes and the frustration of being off the radar of our capital markets.

The reality is that we must be twice as smart (some might say stubborn) to survive and prosper.

We do all of this so we may continue to live in a part of the world we love.

It is not only the allure of the land, but the beauty of the community spirit that is the result of the land.

At the Northern Ontario Business Awards we have always sought to celebrate the unique culture of enterprise that has taken route in Northern Ontario.

This year in North Bay is no exception. We have wonderful winners and to accommodate the overwhelming demand for tickets. We have taken over, not one, but two halls at the Best Western Hotel. With the magic of digital technology we will have hosts in both rooms in real time.

Take a moment to look through this book. If you have more time take a stroll through our website at www.noba.ca and click on the winners. You will be astonished at the strength and diversity of our Northern Ontario business community.

Thank you for joining us tonight. We appreciate your support. This is the one night a year where we can forget about politics, interest rates, cash flow, competition and Internet strategies. It's time to take stalk of our good fortune and celebrate the best among us..

Thanks to Patricia Mills and her incredible team for bringing us another great event and importantly to our sponsors who make it possible. It is a team effort.

Michael Atkins

President

Laurentian Media Group

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