One U breaks down education barriers.

• Author: Larmour, Adelle
• Position: NEWS

Tapping into the post-secondary educational needs of people in northeastern Ontario is the goal of the Ontario Northeast University Initiative, better known as ONE U.

Still in its feasibility stage, the idea transpired under former Timmins mayor Jamie Lim in early 2000. It has since been rejuvenated by Timmins and District Hospital president and CEO Esko Vainio, who is also chair of the ONE U steering committee.

When Vainio arrived at the hospital in 1999, he felt the opportunity to access university education was lacking in the region.

"From my position at the hospital as a CEO, and from my own experience, we needed to have more access to university education," he says.

A 2005 Porcupine Health Unit Population Profile (2005) derived from Statistics Canada census data states only 10.2 per cent of the population aged 20 and over had a full or partial university degree compared to 26.3 per cent for the province of Ontario.

"We believe that is directly related to accessibility," Vainio says, affirming the importance to have educated trained people to recruit for the various industries.

By creating university educational services for Ontario's northeastern communities, he sees it as an investment of intellectual capacity, which spills out into the region's economic development.

Vainio says the economic impact of Nipissing University in North Bay is about $98 million and Lakehead University's economic impact is more than $215 million to the region of Thunder Bay, a tremendous boon to the surrounding areas.

He adds people who get educated in the North are more likely to stay, which may help address youth out-migration.

The project is funded by municipalities and businesses that support the need for university education in areas of northeastern Ontario...