Fact-finding teams to gather information for a new economic development strategy.

• Author: Krejlgaard, Chris

Representatives from government, industry, labor, Native groups and environmental organizations will be travelling throughout Northern Ontario in the new year as part of a provincial effort to develop a new economic strategy for the region.

These task forces will be given a six-month mandate to hold consultations and gather information under SCAN (Strategic Consultation and Action Now) North, a program announced last month by Northern Development and Mines Minister Shelley Martel.

SCAN North replaces the defunct Northern Development Councils established by the former Liberal government. While the new program has received praise from several business and labor representatives, some question whether it will produce results.

Greg Miller, the president of the Northeastern Ontario Chambers of Commerce and a task force member, believes SCAN North will be more successful than the NDCs because it has specific tasks and time-frames.

"We're going into the small communities to gather as much information as possible and then get to the government so it can make a decision as quickly as possible," Miller said.

However, Miller admits that the program will not likely uncover much new information, particularly in the areas of mining and forestry.

"A lot of information has already been tapped," he said.

Martel acknowledges this possibility. However, she stresses that SCAN North will encourage input from a broader cross-section of Northern Ontario's communities than did the NDCs.

"Many community-based advisory groups have come and gone under different governments. We tried to develop a process which takes into account the strengths and weaknesses of previous efforts in order to come up with a structure that will be on the leading edge of change," Martel stated.

"I'm not convinced everyone was at the table before," she added in reference to the wide-ranging membership of the current program.

During the next four to six months the SCAN North task forces will hold one-day round-table meetings in communities throughout Northern Ontario and will make presentations to economic development officials and chambers of commerce. The individual teams will examine one of five areas:

* opportunities for value-added products in the forestry industry

* opportunities for value-added products and potential secondary industries in the mining industry

* waste management and recycling markets and manufacturing opportunities

* support for small businesses and Native entrepreneurs

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