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Timmins Chamber calls on policy makers to address regional imbalances critical to Northern Ontario’s future Timmins, ON | September 12, 2019 – Today, the Timmins Chamber is pleased to partner with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) in the release of a new report entitled, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies. The report outlines how government of all levels can work with industry to unleash the potential of Northern Ontario’s regional economies and reinforce the competitiveness of the province as a whole. After extensive participation from the Timmins Chamber, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies examines the opportunities and challenges faced by Timmins as well as different communities across the province and offers a framework for thinking about the present and future of our regional economies. The report identifies Northern Ontario as the only region seeing a population decline in Ontario. With an aging workforce and few entering the skilled trades, many Timmins Chamber members are impacted by a lack of access to skilled labour which impedes their ability to grow. Of the recommendations, perhaps the most pressing is a call for Provincial and Federal government to encourage workers to move to Northern communities with labour shortages. “The Timmins Chamber has long heard of the barriers our members face in relation to access to reliable broadband internet, lack of available workforce with increasing numbers of outmigration. We’re pleased to be able to partner with the OCC to continue to advocate for a better business climate for our members,” said Nancy Mageau, Past-president of the Timmins Chamber. “In the face of technological transformation and globalization, there is no question that Ontario has what it takes to succeed. We are optimistic that the province can successfully navigate the modern economy if we work together to unlock the economic potential of our communities,” said Mageau. The OCC’s report makes 17 recommendations to strengthen the well-being of Ontario’s regions. Key takeaways include: The most cost-effective way to drive economic development is to cultivate talent, trade, and infrastructure. Governments should make it a priority to upgrade transportation and energy networks, modernize their regulations and business supports, offer dynamic education and training opportunities, and encourage labour mobility. Building regional capacity for innovation is fundamental to productivity and growth. This means improving commercialization and technology adoption, strengthening regional innovation centres, expanding broadband internet access, and facilitating cluster development. Modern governance of economic development should empower a wide range of stakeholders including businesses, post-secondary institutions, and not-for-profit organizations outside government. Regional collaboration, economic reconciliation with Indigenous peoples, and the use of data are all critical to mobilizing local assets. Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the OCC echoed these comments, “We are only as strong as our weakest link and our ability to prosper depends on the strength of our different regions. Economic and population growth rates in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and Ottawa have far surpassed those in other areas of the province,” said Rossi. “Our communities – and the province as a whole – risk falling behind if we do not leverage the rich and diverse competitive advantages of our local economies.” “We urge policymakers to take a modern and comprehensive approach to economic development by leveraging the existing competitiveness advantages of Ontario’s regions, and implement deliberate strategies to support long-term growth in communities across the province,” added Rossi. Read the OCC’s report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies here. Read the OCC’s full list of recommendations here.
Timmins Chamber calls on policy makers to address regional imbalances critical to Northern Ontario’s future
Timmins, ON | September 12, 2019 – Today, the Timmins Chamber is pleased to partner with the Ontario Chamber of Commerce (OCC) in the release of a new report entitled, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies. The report outlines how government of all levels can work with industry to unleash the potential of Northern Ontario’s regional economies and reinforce the competitiveness of the province as a whole.
After extensive participation from the Timmins Chamber, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies examines the opportunities and challenges faced by Timmins as well as different communities across the province and offers a framework for thinking about the present and future of our regional economies.
The report identifies Northern Ontario as the only region seeing a population decline in Ontario. With an aging workforce and few entering the skilled trades, many Timmins Chamber members are impacted by a lack of access to skilled labour which impedes their ability to grow. Of the recommendations, perhaps the most pressing is a call for Provincial and Federal government to encourage workers to move to Northern communities with labour shortages.
“The Timmins Chamber has long heard of the barriers our members face in relation to access to reliable broadband internet, lack of available workforce with increasing numbers of outmigration. We’re pleased to be able to partner with the OCC to continue to advocate for a better business climate for our members,” said Nancy Mageau, Past-president of the Timmins Chamber.
“In the face of technological transformation and globalization, there is no question that Ontario has what it takes to succeed. We are optimistic that the province can successfully navigate the modern economy if we work together to unlock the economic potential of our communities,” said Mageau.
The OCC’s report makes 17 recommendations to strengthen the well-being of Ontario’s regions. Key takeaways include:
Rocco Rossi, President and CEO of the OCC echoed these comments, “We are only as strong as our weakest link and our ability to prosper depends on the strength of our different regions. Economic and population growth rates in the Greater Golden Horseshoe and Ottawa have far surpassed those in other areas of the province,” said Rossi. “Our communities – and the province as a whole – risk falling behind if we do not leverage the rich and diverse competitive advantages of our local economies.”
“We urge policymakers to take a modern and comprehensive approach to economic development by leveraging the existing competitiveness advantages of Ontario’s regions, and implement deliberate strategies to support long-term growth in communities across the province,” added Rossi.
Read the OCC’s report, The Great Mosaic: Reviving Ontario’s Regional Economies here.
Read the OCC’s full list of recommendations here.