A plan to plan to plan could help the region’s economy get back on track, says a local councillor.
Coun. Iain Angus is the chair of the joint task force regional economic development planning zone pilot project.
The project was tasked with taking a look at how to get all major players in the region to get together to make an economic plan that would benefit everyone. While the region has a plethora of acronyms already -- from the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association to local community economic development organizations -- Angus said this would be the first time that all organizations, including First Nations representation, would plan together.
“There’s no one body that sits down and says ‘OK what should we do in the Northwest to bring about increased investment and increased employment and increase wealth production. So this is what this body is all about,” Angus said Monday night after presenting a draft plan to city council during a non-business meeting.
In 2010, the provincial government outlined that regions like Northwestern Ontario should develop regional planning areas and is a key part of Ontario’s Grow North Plan. Angus said it’s important that the REDA include the entire region not just Thunder Bay.
Because the city has around 50 per cent of the regional population, it can be viewed as being favoured.
"For the smaller communities that are struggling to survive it’s a real challenge to find ways in which they can also grow,” he said.
The draft plan would have around 30 board members from around the region continuously working on a five-year plan. With staff, it’s estimated that the project would be between $910,000 and $750,000 depending on the year.
The proposal has 80 per cent of that funding coming from senior levels of government with the remainder found through in kind donations and partnerships.
A full draft of the plan can be viewed here.
