So, just what is the plan?

• Author: Wray, Chris
• Position: NEWS

The May 17, announcement by the McGuinty government that it will now develop a growth plan to promote Northern prosperity and tackle regional challenges caused me to stop and reflect on that very concept. In so doing, I found myself asking the question; just what is the plan? I ask the question, not in response to the announcement, but rather on a more global basis as it relates to both senior levels of government.

Certainly to those of us who live here and quite possibly to many that do not, the current state of chaos in Northern Ontario can only suggest there is no plan, has never been a plan and perhaps if there ever is a plan, it may be too late for many communities.

The economy in Northern Ontario is almost non-existent. Sure the large cities such as Sudbury, Sault Ste Marie and Thunder Bay may be doing well, quite well in fact, but the same is not true of the smaller communities. It is these communities that are supplying the natural resources that too conveniently and exponentially fuel the massive economies of the larger communities and southern Ontario. They are also being used for their renewable resources such as water and wind to produce electricity for the same areas--a commodity by the way, that is returned at many times the price of production. The remaining skilled people in these communities are now being "poached" by other areas offering more opportunity.

Faced with the prospect of developing economic opportunities on their own, many communities must deal with a myriad of regulatory requirements, which are almost impossible to meet with meager staffing and resource levels. Throw in the influence by those in the south who would love nothing more than to see Northern Ontario established as a "park" and the recipe for disaster starts to come together. Yet, we have the saviour of tourism. In fact, tourism is such a generator of wealth (as compared to other sectors) that the very ministries that should be protecting the tourism values cannot deliver their mandate because they have no budget!

Communities, mayors and their councils that are left to deal with this mess still must overcome the other municipal obstacles...