Government of Canada Invests In Thunder Bay
by Scott A. Sumner
www.thunderbaybusiness.ca
The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry and also the Minister esponsible for FedNor was in Thunder Bay this past December to announce a$ 9.5 million investment initiative to support of economic development, small business and youth.
"I think this is another example of how Thunder Bay can compete in our new economy. It doesn’t mean abandoning some of the activities that have made Thunder Bay successful in the past but it does mean creating new industries with new products. My role as Federal Minister is to make sure that Thunder Bay and all other parts of Canada have an innovative edge, and to ensure that Thunder Bay will be attached to the markets of tomorrow," said The Honourable Tony Clement, Minister of Industry and Minister Responsible for FedNor. "It is definitely important now ina world economic downturn that has hit Canada in the last 16 months.
We need to support projects and collaborate with our provincial partners and innovative firms to come up with new strategies,new markets and new products. You can’t sit still in the wake of this recession. Now that we are in the recovery period, this is our chance to step forward with new products that will define the markets of
tomorrow."
"Even before the recession, one of our strategies was to identify where the Government of Canada could help define new markets and products. This was a key component of combining our knowledge based economy with traditional sectors. Retraining people and encouraging new grads to seek a wonderful career right here in Thunder Bay is very important. We will gauge the success of the program with the creation of new jobs, the expansion of exports and growth of the economy. Those are the criteria we will apply. We have to put some patient capital into this. It will not
happen overnight and may take several years but will be one of the pieces of the puzzle." noted Clements.
One of the announcements made by The Honourable Tony Clement was an additional $2 million for the development of Thunder Bay’s waterfront.It is another wonderful opportunity for Thunder Bay. Rejuvenation of some public space with partnerships and Fed Nor has been a strong supporter of this project. At the end of the day this
development will be good for the quality of life in Thunder Bay," said Clement. "Seeing the site today, quite frankly blew my socks off. I am a big believer in managing by seeing for myself and walking around. You can read memos and go through briefing notes but to actually see where the ice pad will be or to see where Phase 2 will go is important. All of these things give me a sense that this is a real project with great potential for Thunder Bay and I am looking forward to being here for the ribbon cutting."
What does Tony Clement think of the recently announced study on the building of this new multiplex facility for Thunder Bay? "This type of project has been very successful in other communities. I look at Sault Ste Marie for example, where I will be in February for the Women’s Curling Championship. They are using their arena not only for curling but also as a venue to attract Americans for concerts and other initiatives.
If you have the right marketing plan, this type of project can be very successful, no question about it."
What does Mike Gravelle, Minister of Northern Development, Mines and
Foresty think of a new multiplex for Thunder Bay?
"Like most people in town, I very much support the idea of a multipurpose entertainment and sports centre. I love the Fort William Gardens but I think the time has come to create a state of the art facility.
I support the move by the city to get the study done first and am keenly looking forward to the results of the feasibility work. If we have a 5500 seat facility it opens us up to the opportunity for more conventions, the attraction of high level entertainment and even professional hockey teams. As a citizen I am excited and look forward
to working with the city on this project.
Another major announcement that same day in Thunder Bay, was the Forest Research project to look into new innovative opportunities for the use of our wood supply. "There are existing buildings in Thunder Bay that we can use and save more money for actual product development. We will do 80% by building on what exists and 20% on something new.
That is a better chance of success. We have a tremendous resource but how do we convert it to value added products. We have to do it with technology. Are we smart enough to convert to valuable product is the question?" said Frank Dottori, Chair of the Centre for Research & Innovation Economy CRIBE and Tembec founder. Can we build
a $4 billion sales company? "Remember, lumber is still one of the most valuable products you can create. You get the best profit margin with it. Some of the by products can be very valuable."
"We want to create a pre commercialized plant and then a commercial plant. Our goal is to create few hundred jobs in the first year. You have to start small. We are going to create opportunities and then promote and stimulate. I am interested in research but we sometimes can become overwhelmed with research. We have to convert this research into jobs. I don't want to waste my time and money. I want to create jobs
and wealth.Lorne Mauro, CEO of CRIBE was picked to run this project to create jobs.We need someone who gets something done." said Dottari. "I am disappointed in the last few years as the this industry has been decimated. We need a rebirth for the companies left."
