Council strengthens local economy.

• Author: Stewart, Nick
• Position: SPECIAL REPORT: TEMISKAMING REGION

The way economic development is pursued in the Temiskaming Shores area is changing thanks to a drastic shift at city hall.

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The economic development office, which had merged with the planning department early last year, has been eliminated. Instead, the work done by long-time staffer John Gauvreau will be overseen by the newly instituted Mayor's Office of Economic Development (MED), which seeks to emulate a similar system seen at the City of North Bay.

"We were looking for something more effective than what had been in place," Mayor Judy Pace said.

"In the previous set up, we had one staff person who basically had everything on their desk. I think with something like economic development, it's too big for that. I think that you need to have much, much more input and I believe that the mayor of a municipality and the council have to share in the responsibility of economic development."

Pace adds that her job as mayor already involves a great deal of meeting with prospective businesses, and that in her new role, she's better able to steer interested parties through the proper channels to cut through the red tape.

While North Bay's economic development wing features a manager and two economic development officers, Temiskaming Shores uses a different structure altogether, relying instead on existing local expertise without creating any new dedicated positions.

Aside from the mayor, the MED is being led by CAO Brian Carre, who had served as the city planner prior to his appointment in 2006. While the mayor serves as the key point of contact for the economic development arm for the city, Carre will serve in a more technical role by analyzing business proposals, directing initiatives to the staff.

The pair are assisted by three support staff, including Pat Cormier, executive assistant to the CAO and a policy advisor with the city; James Franks, tourism and special events coordinator for the city; and Ken Laffrenier, manager of Enterprise Temiskaming and president of the Tri-Town Chamber of Commerce.

All six city councillors will also included as part of the MED, and will provide their input during council meetings.

This wide-ranging level of local input is crucial for involving all regions of Temiskaming Shores in the economic development processes.

"From the standpoint of the region, I think the opportunity to work on a broader scale, while still focusing in on community economic development is key," Laffrenier says. "I...