Made-in-north economic strategy key

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This article was published 19/10/2017 (2377 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

With national attention being focused on northern Manitoba, in particular the fate of the Hudson Bay Railway to Churchill, a provincial task force released its action plan Thursday evening in Thompson.

Look North: Report and Action Plan For Manitoba’s Northern Economy, is not a cure-all for the sparsely populated resource-industry dependent North. But it’s hoped it will become the foundation for a made-in-the-north strategy for long-term economic development planning.

The 38-page report is the result of several months of consultation across the north, with all elements of the community, in an effort co-chaired by Manitoba Chambers of Commerce CEO, Chuck Davidson, and Opaskwayak Cree Nation Chief Christian Sinclair.

Its release comes at a critical time for the Hudson Bay Railway, the only northern Canadian railway connecting to the Arctic Ocean, which needs repair and responsible ownership and stewardship.

The north is also facing an uncertain future with looming mine closures in Flin Flon and Thompson, and the planned shutdown of Vale’s smelter in Thompson next year.

Look North contains no silver bullets, but is an attempt to provide long-term vision for the region. It raises issues like taking new approaches in addressing housing challenges, the need to support and develop an enterprise culture, and initiatives to develop commercial capacity across the board.

“With the current challenges facing the north, it was made clear during discussions and consultation that people are no longer looking for quick fixes, they want long-term solutions that will lead to greater economic development that will benefit all communities,” the report states.

The report was presented to Growth, Enterprise and Trade Minister Blaine Pedersen, who emphasized this is not a government report but one that the province will be able to use as a base for action in the future.

“In reading the report, I was really impressed with the level of engagement from the people of the north,” Pedersen said in an interview Thursday. “The way I would say it, is this truly comes form the roots of the north. Instead of government or someone else prescribing what should be done, this came from them. It’s pretty heartfelt.”

Although there are no particular funding proposals baked into the report, there is no doubt that provincial resources will be required at some point. Pedersen was reluctant to indicate just what the provincial government’s commitment to that would be, other than to say that training assistance is often the best way the province can support commercial enterprise.

Six pillars of particular interest were highlighted, and both Davidson and Sinclair — who have both agreed to remain involved in the ongoing development of projects — said the most important next step is for leadership to be identified to head each of the six areas of focus.

“We have a lot of great leaders in northern Manitoba. We need them to come together and collaborate,” Sinclair said.

The thinking is that their efforts already underway can be re-purposed to serve the Look North strategy. For instance, the Mining Advisory Council — established by the former government and co-chaired by Norway House Chief, Ron Evans — could carry on efforts to pursue mining developments, especially in partnership with First Nations and Travel Manitoba. There is a northern tourism strategy in the works, which includes the Aboriginal Tourism Association of Canada.

“It does not have to be about dollars,” Davidson said. “Sometimes, it’s just about co-ordination.”

The idea is that advisory committees will be set up and some sort of reporting function will be developed to monitor progress and identify particular needs.

Davidson, who grew up in Flin Flon, suggested that northern Manitoba could benefit from a rebranding.

“It’s about getting that swagger back for people in the north,” he said. “Sure, some times are tough, but it’s a great place to live, and there are great things to do up there. The good-news stories need to get out there.”

One of those stories was last year’s purchase of Tolko’s paper mill, in The Pas, that was about to close. After concerted efforts to find a buyer, Canadian Kraft Paper Industries Ltd. came in at the last minute and effectively saved about 300 jobs in the community.

This week, that company just completed a five-week shutdown to install about $15 million worth of new equipment and plant upgrades.

Tony Zandos, an official with the company said, “It has been a massive exercise. Every part of the mill has been looked at.”

During the production shutdown, all the staff continued working, and an additional 250 contractors were brought on site.

“The Pas has just enjoyed five weeks of hotels full and restaurants busy,” he said. “We’ve been up to to our necks in it here.”

He stressed that the company has enjoyed broad-based support from the region.

Sinclair said the experience of landing a new owner for the mill was a good example of the kind of co-operation that can exist in the north.

“We want to work together,” he said. “We want to be proactive, not reactive in the future.”

martin.cash@freepress.mb.ca