Editorial: Growth plan missing real solution

The wait for the much anticipated Northern Growth Plan finally ended late last week, as the provincial government released what is intended to be a significant key to the future of the region.
 
But the wait for a real solution to this region’s economic turmoil continues.
 
While the 50-page, 25-year plan sets up a good framework, it ignores the real issue that has been stifling the region’s growth – the price of power.
 
Northern Ontario doesn’t need a growth plan, it needs to be competitive.  So long as energy rates remain where they are, industry will go elsewhere to conduct its business.
 
A regional energy rate specific to industry is what will help Northern Ontario compete. Nothing else will do. No rebate or investment incentive program will help this area compete against the likes of Quebec, Manitoba or countless other out-of-province markets.
 
This fact will become clearer as Ring of Fire production moves closer to reality. While the resources might be in Northern Ontario, it is likely that many of the jobs will be shipped out of province.
 
The other problem with the plan is its lifespan. A 25-year framework may seem like a thorough and serious document, but it only gives the government of the future two decades of previous governments to blame for its failure.
 
In the end, no plan or report is going to entice business and industry to set up shop in the North so long as more profits can be made elsewhere. Industry has a funny habit of going after dollars, and there’s nothing in the Northern Ontario Growth Plan that is going to change that.