June 2013
THUNDER BAY’S ECONOMY – MOVING FORWARD! See Page 2!
"DEVELOPING OUR ECONOMY" Resolute Inaugurates Power Island and celebrated the 10th anniversary of its sawmill Employment Contracts- Be Careful What You Wish For New Employment Opportunities For Internationally Trained Professionals Northern Windows Manufactured Right Here In Thunder Bay
Northwestern Ontario Industrial Medical and Rehabilitative Medical Service.
Thunder Bay Hydro Celebrates Local Businesses Who Do More to Save On Energy
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
THUNDER BAY’S ECONOMY – MOVING FORWARD! Ontario’s economy is turning the corner. Since June 2009, the province has created over 400,000 jobs — recovering approximately 150% of the jobs lost to the recession. In the past few years, Thunder Bay’s unemployment rate has consistently outperformed the provincial and national average — and our economy is diversifying in unprecedented ways. I’m very pleased to have this opportunity to talk about the economy of Thunder Bay and some of the recent success. Here are a few examples of the progress we’re making. Resolute Forest Products has put on a third shift at their sawmill in Thunder Bay, and
the company is completing a $65 million cogeneration project — which our government helped fund with almost $10 million — this project will make Thunder Bay’s pulp and paper mill one of, if not the, most cost-competitive pulp and paper mills in Resolute’s North American fleet. There’s more good news. Resolute recently announced that they will be building a brand new $50-million sawmill in or near Atikokan, that will create 90 to 100 new jobs in the mill, plus about 150 in the woodlands operations to support the mill operation. They’re also undertaking a $32 million upgrade of their Ignace mill. These investments are part of about $170 million in capital investment by Resolute Forest Products in Northern Ontario.
We’ll also be seeing two new pellet mills come on stream very soon, directly connected to the conversion of the Atikokan Generating Station from coal-burning to biomass. The conversion is a $150 to $200 million construction project that will protect existing jobs at the plant, generate construction jobs, preserve the tax base in Atikokan and create between 100-200 new forestry jobs to provide fuel for the plant. Northwestern Ontario is on the cusp of a mining boom. In recent years, there’s been a significant growth in mineral exploration and development that could generate considerable economic growth in our region. The Ring of Fire and the discovery of various mineral deposits throughout the Northwest present incredible economic opportunities. There are 9 advanced exploration projects underway—a proposed mine expansion—and even more projects in earlier stages. Thunder Bay could become a major hub supporting mining operations throughout the region. According to a recent mining readiness study, the 9 advanced projects and the mine expansion alone could create thousands of full-time jobs and generate $1 to $1.7 billion in economic activity in the Northwest each year. There’s been significant media coverage over the last few months regarding the Thunder Bay Generating Station. I’m pleased by the broad-based interest and support for the retention and conversion of this energy generator—so that we can meet the current and future energy needs of Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. The conversion of the Thunder Bay Generating Station has been and continues to be a priority for me. I’m happy to have the support of this mayor and council for the continued operation of the plant. The
work is ongoing and I continue to advocate with the relevant Ministers and Premier on this file. The investments our government has made in the Thunder Bay region have played a critical role in strengthening our economy. The Northern Industrial Energy Rate Program reduces energy costs for big industrials like Resolute in Thunder Bay by up to 25%, which has helped make the facility more cost-competitive. This year’s budget would invest another $360 million to extend the program. We’re making strategic investments in business throughout the North through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund (NOHFC). The fund traditionally received $60 million. Since 2007, we increased the funding. Now, the NOHFC has $100 million every year to make strategic investments that create jobs, attract investment and expand businesses. Our government has made massive investments in infrastructure. Since 2003, we’ve invested an unprecedented $62 billion in infrastructure projects. That investment has meant improvements to roads, bridges, highways, hospitals, community centres, schools, with many of these investments coming to small communities with limited tax base, like Oliver Paipoonge, Neebing, Gillies, O'Connor, Conmee and Atikokan in my riding of Thunder Bay-Atikokan — as well as many other communities in our region — and these projects have created thousands of construction jobs. We’ve made recordsetting investments in our Northern Highways — close to $5 billion since were we elected — and $524 million last year alone. Thunder Bay’s new Courthouse is approximately a $250 million project. Continued on page 4
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
Publisher’s Note Scott Sumner If you are an avid golfer there are certain golf destinations you just have to visit. It had been several years since I had played some golf in North Carolina and this spring would be my opportunity for a return visit. A golf friend from North Carolina, who now has his own communications company based in Raleigh, put together a quintessential Sand hills golf experience encompassing Pinehurst/Southern Pines area and Fayetteville. I didn’t have to play the Pinehurst Resort’s eight courses to enjoy high quality golf crafted by many of the game’s leading architects across this iconic region. The North Carolina region is really quite accessible for Canadian’s and Ontarian’s in particular. My trip included two short 1 hour plus flights leaving Thunder Bay, Ontario and arriving in Raleigh at 11 am. It was off to the rental car company and a 1-hour plus drive to Pinehurst to play my first golf game, that same afternoon, at Mid South Club in Southern Pines. Brian Anderson is the Head Golf Professional at Mid South Club in Southern Pines, North Carolina and originally from Sioux Falls, South Dakota. The course opened in 1992 as the Plantation Club and then became Mid South because it kind of describes the location of the course. The clubhouse was built in 2007 and offers some spectacular views of the course. It is an Arnold Palmer design that has a lot of his traditional design forced carries, a lot of pressure on the tee shots and your second shots can be over water. How you position your tee shot will determine what kind of a shot you will have into the greens. The greens are large with breaks but not overbearing. Bermuda rough and a little bit of rye overseed for the winter months helps to keep the fairways looking green before the summer heat arrives. “ Our bent grass greens are in great shape right now. Maintenance does a good job here and we can develop some speed on the greens. That makes for some interesting member events,” said Brian Anderson. “ We are open 364 days of the year closing only on Christmas day. The weather can be very nice in January and February in the 70’s. In North Carolina they like to say if you don’t like the weather one day just wait a day and it will be fine.” Mid South is a private club but will allow
Robbyn Stajkowski
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Pinehurst Area Golf World Class! outside packaged play. You can stay at their Talamore property and local packagers will set you up. The green rate is from $125 and up although you can get play three rounds and hotel for a great rate. “ I like that the course has good elevation changes and you don’t really see two holes that look the same. Every thing changes and your view point changes. There are over 150 yards of elevation changes with large bunkers,
Director of Golf at Dormie Club. “ Originally it was going to be a walking only course with caddies, but we now have some power carts. We can have a caddie here to help you within 1/2 hour. We want to preserve the originally of the property, the setting.” The green fee on the weekend at Dormie in peak season is $215 and in the summer drops to $130. They deal with all the packagers and the hotels, which will allow for some better
forced carries over water and different pin placements. Your eye is never just focused on one thing throughout the course. Also the wind seems to be always in your face on 16 of the 18 holes even though they may run beside themselves. It is a very challenging course but very playable. It is friendly to all skill levels.” smiled Anderson. After leaving Canada snow conditions it was fun to be in 85 F heat and I was on my way to my base of operations here, Homewood Suites by Hilton at Pinehurst. This all suite hotel is perfect for the golfer and includes daily breakfast and dinner from Monday to Thursday at no charge to its guests. The central location meant I would be in the middle of the over 40 courses in this area, known as the home of American golf. My next golf game would be at the Dormie Club, which opened in 2010 as a Ben Crenshaw and Bill Core design. The clubhouse was originally a house that was converted to a clubhouse. It was moved from another part of the property to its current location. Dormie Club was ranked number 2 course you can play in North Carolina in 2012 by Golf week magazine, only behind Pinehurst No 2, which can features a $400 green fee rate. “ I like the variety you have, say a par three that is 127 yards and one of 247 yards. Some par 4’s you can drive at just over 300 yards for long hitters and some par fours that are almost 500 yards. It is a very good variety of holes. You have to go a long way to find a course like this with all the natural areas. Everything plays as a waste bunker and we have no rakes on the property. It is very unique property,” said Dean Allgeyer,
rates. In 2012 Dormie did 8000 rounds, in 2013 will do 12,000 to 13,000 and in 2014 be pushing 20,000 according to Allgeyer. “ There is a lot of maintenance here as raking bunkers takes manpower. We want people to feel they are in a natural setting. Once you leave the clubhouse the nines don’t return here so it is very quiet with no roads, traffic and houses. There are plans for home sites but they are to be set back with no roads through the course,”said Allegeyer. “ The weather in January and February can be between 30 to 70 degrees. Typical the high is about 55 degrees. In the summer it is hot, at least 90 degrees.” I really enjoyed my game at Dormie. To me setting in golf is very important and Dormie is on a spectacular piece of property that makes you feel alone with nature for your time there. The famed Pinehurst Resort was located 1 mile from my home base while in the area and it was fun to tour their iconic property and have dinner in the historic Holly Tavern. “ We are at Pinehurst, the home of American Golf where in 1901 the first courses opened at this resort. In the region known as Moore County we have 40 courses in total. You can have all kinds of courses here to include all levels of skill, price point’s and architects,”said Claire Phillips, Director of Marketing and Public Relations for the Moore County Visitors Bureau. “ The Pinehurst No 2 will host the US Open, both Men’s and Women's championships, in 2014. We are getting quite booked for that already. Many golfers come down on a package and after they are down here, determine which courses they prefer and then they will make their own packages.” To find more about the area go to
www.homeofgolf.com and you will find information on lodging, course contact information, area events and attractions. You can contact the packagers they’re as well according to Phillips. “ It is very mild here in North Carolina. In January and February we can have 72 degree as well as frost warnings but snow is very rare. I love the seasons here, being surrounded by golf courses, the people that come here to visit and stay, the quality of life and value of property. It is a very good place to call home. We are a little bit sheltered from the economy because we have a big influx of retirees who have moved here and are strong financially. We want Canadians to come down and visit. You can buy a nice little condo and have it for your friends to come down anytime. You can retire here if you want.” said Claire Phillips. Midland Road in Pinehurst features some of the best golf courses in close proximity you will find anywhere. Talamore Golf Club is a Rees Jones design and the sister course to Mid South Club. This course can play up to 6800 yards and is a very high quality layout that was fun to play. My next journey would be to Spring Lake that is home to the famous Fort Bragg air force base with over 50,000 troops. It is also near some very good golf courses as well and my next game would be at Bayonet at Puppy Creek in Raeford. All of the courses I played were in quite close promimity and it was nice to play this course with John Meroski, CEO of the CVB of Fayetteville. Our game at Gate Four Golf & Country club in Fayetteville featured the best greens I have seen in years. The greens were absolutely like a carpet and made the golf experience here an excellent one. My last golf game, for a total of six in North Carolina during this trip, was at Anderson Creek Golf Club designed by Davis Love III. Anderson Creek is an entire gated golf community and featured many new homes under construction. The course, which I had played before, is a large layout that reminded me of long hitting Love. It was a fun course to play and a great end to my North Carolina golf experience. I packed up my clubs and began the 1 hour drive back to the Raleigh Durham Airport for my return home. I enjoyed spending some time in the brand new terminal building and having dinner at 5 Guys before my return to Canada. My golf trip to North Carolina featured fantastic quality golf at every course I played, great weather and very friendly people. It really is a must play destination for every golfer.
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
THUNDER BAY’S ECONOMY – MOVING FORWARD! Continued from Page 2 The new Long-Term Care Home is a $100 million project. These projects, and many more, are creating jobs in the building trades, improving our infrastructure, and providing a massive boost for Thunder Bay’s economy. We’ve also committed a further $35 billion over 3 years for infrastructure, and we announced a $100 million infrastructure fund for small rural and northern municipalities that will begin rolling out this fall. The growth of health care services in Thunder Bay is also helping our economy. The provincial government has invested in the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), the creation of Nurse Practitioner Clinics and Family Health Teams, the expansion of Community Care and Home Care. We’ll soon begin the construction of a new provincially-funded Long Term Care Home with over 400 beds. We recently opened, as part of this project, a brand new supportive housing complex for
132 seniors. These two projects will allow our seniors to live with dignity in modern accommodation and receive the right care in the right setting. We’ve hired 4,000 more doctors and 16,000 more nurses and we’ve significantly increased hospital budgets. Base funding for Thunder Bay Regional alone has increased by over 50%. We’ve expanded the types of services in Thunder Bay. In 2003, I committed to the establishment of angioplasty services at Thunder Bay Regional. Now, approximately 700 people per year receive angioplasty surgery at TBRSC. Just last week we announced a multi-million dollar expansion of the Norwest Community Health Centre. The expansion of health care services in the Thunder Bay region has brought further investment, well-paying jobs, and most importantly, it’s improving the quality of care and saving lives. The Northwest is also witnessing the emergence of a ‘knowledge-based’ economy. Several years ago, our government provid-
ed $15 million that led to the establishment of the Thunder Bay Regional Research Institute (TBRRI). Our region is now home to world-class health care research — and organizations and companies working in partnership with TBRRI are emerging and expanding. As well, this fall, we’ll see the opening of the first Law School in the history of Northern Ontario, and the first new Law School in Ontario in over 40 years, right here at Lakehead University. Our government’s unprecedented investments in public transit have led to hundreds of jobs in Thunder Bay. We’ve invested over $1.5 billion towards a total of more than $3 billion in contracts at the Bombardier plant. Today, there over 1,400 men and women working in Thunder Bay’s Bombardier plant – an increase of approximately 1,200 – as a direct result of these investments.
why Thunder Bay is emerging quickly from this recession--with an unemployment rate consistently lower than the national and provincial averages. First, our region is home to incredible talent, leadership and innovation. We are an unusually determined group – and that makes a difference. Second, our government has served as a crucial partner, making strategic investments and putting in place long-term policies that are making the North more competitive. The Thunder Bay region is well-positioned for further growth. Our region is already making incredible progress—and that’s something we’ve achieved together. We need to keep moving forward! Bill Mauro, MPP Thunder Bay-Atikokan
Thunder Bay’s economy is moving forward. I think there are two main reasons
"DEVELOPING OUR ECONOMY" Our Mining Strategy has been finalized, the forest industry is resurging, Bombardier is flying, our training and skills people are filling vacancies, the City is undertaking a massive renewal of our infrastructure, people are buying houses, commercial buildings and condos are being built, we have the lowest unemployment in Canada, we are working cooperatively with our Regional neighbours, our Aboriginal newcomers are realizing we are a welcoming multicultural community, more new businesses have started-up than anyone can remember, we are Ontario's third busiest airport, the Port is zooming, the College and University are striving, our health sciences is hiring more profession-
als, our Research Institute is attracting international calibre scientists, resource companies are constructing hangars, suppliers are enjoying great sales, new restaurants are opening regularly, the Fort has a phenomenal observatory, people are visiting the Waterfront in droves, our NHL players are having great seasons,our charitable giving and volunteer contributions are at the highest percentiles, our inclusivity and accessiblity is well-recognized, our arts culture and heritage communities are thriving, people are extolling the virtues of living here and the sunshine has arrived!
fronts you have to admit that there is unprecedented cooperation to deal with homelessness, social housing shortages, addictions of so many types, hate crimes, violence, racism, and poverty.
So yes lots is happening! And fer shur we have issues to address. Even on those
We are fortunate that as a community we can form those teams to meet these concerns head on. Many will say that we as a City are not doing enough or are not putting enough resources (mostly money) into solving problems. I will say this--- as long as we are working toward finding
solutions then we will fix or reverse some of the more negative aspects of society . As for those big ticket issues like energy supply, event centres, apartment construction, health care costs, and literacy you have to know that there are people on these. For a community our size we realized a long time ago that understanding our location, we either work with the Region and find our own solutions or let things linger. The need for a strategic approach to economic development will go a long way to alleviating the problem side of the lists above. With gainful, dignified, meaningful work that people are proud to do we neutralize many of the eternal plagues of societies. By facilitating a collaborative approach that engages groups that are just waiting to see their connections and their intelligence utilized and appreciated we can accelerate, grow, and improve on all the good things we have going for us. Thunder Bay is blessed with talent pools of successful entrepreneurship, skilled public servants, energetic ngo's, impressive youth, educational institutions, achieving professionals, amazing tradespeople and resourceful retirees. When we think economic development fresh collaborative teams are the most direct way to embellishing our strengths and addressing our weaknesses. Respectfully submitted, Ken Boshcoff Director of Business Strategies Crupi Consulting Group
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
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Resolute Inaugurates Power Island Producing Green Energy and Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of its Sawmill BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS
production. In 2012, the Thunder Bay sawmill also
ive of our mission: enhancing and supporting Aboriginal business and economic development through a range of distinct
Resolute Forest Products Inc. recently inaugurated a major power island producing green energy at its pulp and paper operation located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. The power island includes a refurbished and upgraded woodwaste boiler and a new 65-megawatt condensing turbine. Approved by Resolute in early 2011, the C$65 million project took just over 21 months to complete. "The power island is a strategic addition to Resolute's Thunder Bay facility," stated Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer. "It will reduce the mill's energy costs as well as maximize our local woodlands, sawmill, pulp and paper, and energy operations by fully utilizing forestbased biomass to produce green electricity." The green power produced will be sold to the Ontario grid under a power purchase agreement between Resolute and the Ontario Power Authority. "This project is consistent with Resolute's focus on optimizing our network to reduce costs as well as investing in projects that improve our competitive position and are aligned with a sustainable future," added Garneau. "This is certainly an important investment that will ensure Resolute Forest Products remains a strong global force in the pulp and paper industry while continuing to contribute to the Thunder Bay economy. This new power island will significantly reduce their impact on the environment, and I'm thrilled that our government was able to help support this project," stated Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines and MPP, Thunder Bay-Superior North. "This project helps to position the Resolute Forest Products mill in Thunder Bay as one of the most strategic assets - if not the most strategic - in their entire North American network," stated Member of Provincial Parliament for Thunder-Bay-Atikokan Bill Mauro. "I am happy that our government programs are able to support the private sector investment by Resolute in the Thunder Bay operation, which is now very well-positioned to support its employees, its customers and the Thunder Bay economy for years to come." "The City of Thunder Bay strives to be clean, green and beautiful," said Keith Hobbs, Mayor of Thunder Bay. "We thank Resolute for embracing these principles and congratulate them on this innovation that demonstrates their commitment to sustainability." Resolute Forest Products Inc. also celebrated the 10th anniversary of its sawmill located in Thunder Bay, Ontario. It is a unique business venture in that its success stems from a collaboration between Resolute and the Fort William First Nation. With an annual capacity of 300 million board feet of stud lumber, Resolute's Thunder Bay sawmill is among the largest and most modern in Eastern Canada. It commenced operation on May 12, 2003, and presently employs 170 workers. Over the last two years, investments of more than C$8 million were made to increase
this sawmill over the last 10 years," stated Bill Mauro, Member of Provincial Parliament for Thunder Bay-Atikokan. "I would like to thank the employees for their work and dedication, and Resolute Forest Products for its financial investment and belief in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario." "The City extends congratulations to Resolute and its employees as they celebrate this important milestone. The Thunder Bay sawmill, located on Fort William First Nation lands, plays an important economic role in both of our communities, and we wish them continued success for the next decade," said Keith Hobbs, Mayor of Thunder Bay.
became the first facility in Canada to operate under regulations created by the First Nations Commercial and Industrial Development Act. This legislation enables Federal reserve land to operate under Provincial statutes, thereby facilitating industrial development with First Nations on their land. Today's anniversary is the result of the collective efforts over the past 10 years of the Company and the Fort William First Nation, the sawmill employees, the City of Thunder Bay, the governments of Ontario and Canada, and the many contractors and suppliers that service the facility. "This anniversary is a milestone for Resolute. I am pleased to be here today to celebrate it with our partners from the Fort William First Nation, because I truly believe that what we have here is a unique recipe for success," stated Richard Garneau. "This anniversary is also a true testament to the hard work and dedication of our employees and to the genuine collaboration of the governments of Ontario and Canada, as well as that of the City of Thunder Bay." Chief Georjann Morriseau of the Fort William First Nation stated: "I want to congratulate Fort William First Nation and Resolute Forest Products on the 10th anniversary. This initiative is very support-
services. As well, it allows me an opportunity to honour the work of past chiefs for starting the journey of our nations' youth to build and grow future opportunities that we celebrate today. The Fort William First Nation's economic development and the Thunder Bay sawmill have been a key part of this process, and we want to continue to build on our relationship with Resolute as we look to the future." "I am absolutely thrilled to be here today to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the Thunder Bay sawmill. This is certainly a proud moment for our government, the city of Thunder Bay, the Fort William First Nation and everyone who has made the past 10 years such a success," said Michael Gravelle, Ontario Minister of Northern Development and Mines and MPP, Thunder Bay-Superior North. "I want to congratulate the Fort William First Nation and Resolute Forest Products on the 10th anniversary of their Thunder Bay sawmill," stated Member of Parliament for Kenora Greg Rickford. "I am pleased that our government was able to play a supportive role in the success of this unique project, which has become such an important part of the economy of the Thunder Bay region." "We are all encouraged by the success of
Richard Garneau, CEO of Resolute Forest Products “ We are having our general annual meeting here in Thunder Bay this week and had a celebration of our new turbine installation here as well as the 10th anniversary celebration of the sawmill that was built with the assistance of the Fort William First Nation.” “ The turbine project cost is $65 million and used a wood waste boiler with our steam. We can produce up to 65 megawatts of power. We were a bit delayed but it has been running for 2 months now.” “ We have the pulp mill, wood and now are in the business of producing power. The turbine helps us to utilize our waste well. The electricity is sold back to the grid and some is used for our own consumption. It will provide us with some additional revenues and more experience will help us determine exact amounts. It is will help us secure some other jobs here in the plant and in the bush.” “ The Ontario government provided us $9.6 million and Federal $7.2 million towards the project cost. We have a turbine like this at Fort Frances and three of the mills in Quebec have co gen. It helps with profitability.” “ The business climate in Canada is improving. The housing starts will help. The fourth quarter GDP in the US was only up slightly so it is improving but Canada being a big exporter to the US we are always tied quite closely to how they do.” Continued on Page 9
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
Northwestern Ontario Industrial Medical and Rehabilitative Medical Service. BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS Long time Thunder Bay based Orthopaedic Surgeon, Dr. Jack Remus has formed a new company to serve the medical needs of NW Ontario based companies. North Western Ontario Industrial Medical and Rehabilitation Services will help you and your staff accesses the best medical care they need to perform their work to the best of their ability.
McMaster was just opening a medical school and wanted some specialists so U of Toronto loaned me to McMaster.” said Remus. When Dr. Remus first started there were
“ We are looking after Northern Ontario, not just Thunder Bay, because 25 years ago I started travelling to all the regional communities. In those days we provided services to mines and forestry and you needed to be there to understand their job.,” said Dr. Remus. Remus started practicing in Thunder Bay in 1970 when there were three hospitals. He graduated from Queens in 1961 and went to work at the Toronto General Hospital because Queens wanted him to be a cardiologist, but Jack became enthralled with neurosurgery. “ I deviated for the next 4 years into a neurosurgery but stopped just before the end because seeing the various tragedies that befell patients at that time I felt do I want to that. I switched to Orthopaedic Surgery but my training in neurosurgery made a big difference. At that time
fewer physicians in the field and many patients came in from the region. “ I worked for 40 years as a surgeon here but when the new hospital opened we had all these new young orthopaedic and neuro surgeons here who were very good. When I did my training you operated on upper and lower extremities, the spine, you did everything. Since that time the specialists are upper extremity or lower or even you could be a right knee or left knee specialist,” laughed Dr Remus. “ The young doctors had to pay off their student loans and
they needed more opportunity in the OR so I started giving away my time. They wanted me to assist in the operating room as I was a guy with experience, but that is not my style. I like to get out, plan things, meet with industrial leaders in the region and want to be part of how to handle their health care needs.” Dr. Remus decided to form a company to help businesses with pre employment medicals and offer a pick up the phone service for their staff as compared to trying to go to a nearby hospital. “ We can try to resolve their problems, including emotional problems, stress, alcoholism and drug addiction which can be more difficult to fix than, say a torn cartilage in the knee. The emotional problems might adversely affect their work. We have to be able to treat these problems and fast track their treatments with the specialists,”said Dr. Remus. “ We can handle 85 to 90% of any type of problems in Thunder Bay because of the specialists with the new hospital and the medical school. There may be some problems, say in the vascular area, where we have relationships with specialists at the Toronto General Hospital or Sunnybrook. I can phone or fax them, send them Cat scans etc and get people seen there fairly quickly.” The Remus company has specific testing they do for executives. They also have an excellent relationship with the Mayo Clinic, which is 8 to 10 hours away, from
Thunder Bay. “ I can work people up and do most of the investigations with OHIP billing here. If there are specific conditions present the Mayo Clinic may be best for that. You can be assessed there and perhaps the procedures can be done in London or Ottawa.” “ We have done very well here in Thunder Bay and Northwestern Ontario. The new medical school has been excellent. In my travelling clinics in say Hearst there are medical students that spend a day or two with me. The students are from NW Ontario and are aware of the fact their communities are short of doctors so they may stay here. I also want them to look seriously at the various industries in their communities and work with them to help their employees.”said Dr. Remus. Dr Remus is now 75 years old and still working a full schedule. “ I now can control my life in that at the end of the day I can go home. In the previous days I might have to do a hip surgery in the evening. I do bring some of my insurance or employment exam paper work home ,” said Dr. Remus. “ I enjoy doing the work because I am healthy and fit but most important it is using my mind. If you don’t use your mind largely you will probably lose it. I think my mind is better now that 10 or 20 years. If I do start to lose it though let me know and I’ll know when to quit!”
Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra Celebrates Excellent Season BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS The Thunder Bay Symphony Orchestra has been in operation for 52 years now and this past season has been one of their best. I sat down with Chris Wilkinson, General Manager of the Thunder Bay Symphony to find out more about the TBSO.
bring in people from Toronto for certain concerts. The TBSO is 52 years old now and evolved from a community orchestra where people had a day job but eventually became where it is a full time professional core of 30 members. We are full time from Thanksgiving to the end of April. The
Are you from Thunder Bay Chris and tell me bout your background? “I am originally from Saskatchewan but have been on the east coast and Halifax area since the mid 80’s. I am a professional violinist, still active and played in Quebec, Victoria and the east coast very recently. Music is still my passion. While in Halifax I was involved in the administration of the orchestra there. My wife played in the orchestra there as well. The Halifax Symphony is similar to Thunder Bay but with a higher budget. One of the major differences here in Thunder Bay and Halifax is Thunder Bay has a world-class concert hall (TBCA) and Halifax does not. We are very lucky to have the TBCA here. Recently I have been across the country and heard the symphonies in Vancouver, Calgary, Edmonton and Montréal (in their new hall) and I would still put the TBCA as equal or better than those halls. We are superior here to Roy Thompson Hall, which had to be redone acoustically to make it work.” How is it getting musicians to play for the TBSO? “ It is a bonus for musicians to come here having the TBCA. We tend to attract younger musicians and they may end up later on in larger cities. Sometimes we
musicians may live here all year round with some having being here for 40 years. Some teach at LU as well.” What role does the TBSO have in Thunder Bay and NW Ontario? “ Part of what we do is to provide great resources to the community as teachers and advocates for the north. As music education diminishes in the schools I see our role as providing more education to children. In a year we do 50 to 60 concerts including chamber concerts, school concerts, theTBCA series, cabaret and the Hilldale series. We take the whole symphony to schools if their gymnasium is big enough. That has very big impact, as it is intimate. We break into smaller groups with musicians in the classroom and
touched about 110 school children last year. For example we do a grade 3 sing along and our resident conductor goes to the schools. We have also collaborated with U Dance of the National Ballet dancers and reach 220 children over 4 - 50 minute shows. To have world class theatre and add high standard of dance with music was amazing to see.”
and fundraise almost $200,000 annually from events such as fruit sales and book sales. We have been growing our ticket sales and spend money on marketing. The short-lived Ontario Arts Investment Fund allowed us to work with a marketing consultant and focus on ticket sales. We set a target of 1000 subscribers this year and surpassed it.
What impact does the TBSO have in our region?
The TBSO has had 6 consecutive years of balanced budgets (their yearly budget is $1.7 million) but have we an accumulated deficit, a legacy debt of about $400,000, that goes back and we are desperate to eliminate it. We just recently got a bank line of credit and that was great. Our musicians are independent contractors and we also have 6 or 7 full time employees. We won the Chamber Business Award which was exciting.”
“ I think the TBSO contributes to the quality of life in Thunder Bay. Thunder Bay wants more doctors and professionals to move here and the TBSO helps attract these people. Winnipeg is the closest professional orchestra. There are semi professional groups in Sault Ste Marie and Sudbury. Thunder Bay as a city of 110 thousand people supports a professional orchestra of 30 people for basically half the year and that is extraordinary. The public has willed an orchestra to be here through our core supporters. The City of Thunder Bay supports the Orchestra substantially. They understand we are one of the cultural pillars of the city. The TBSO also attracts funds from the Ontario Arts Council and Canada Council of the Arts so external money flows here.
How is the TBSO doing financially? “ There is a well-established history of our budgets here. Orchestras in general have a problem as our expenses are constantly rising and getting our revenues rising at the same rate is difficult. Our grant funding has essentially being maintained at the same level for many years. We do ancillary fundraising with a vibrant volunteer core
What’s on the horizon for the TBSO? “ We have a really strong season coming up this fall offering the music people want and are in the process of marketing all of our concerts now. We are also looking at doing a program that is sponsered by Carnegie Hall called LINK up, the Orchestra sings. Carnegie Hall provides the study information for students and teachers. We have the support of the local school boards and will be touching 1000 children from grades 4 to 6. It will culminate with a concept at the TBCA where the children will be playing the music they have learned after 25 classroom sessions. We are happy to bring this program to the music educators of Thunder Bay.” For more information on the upcoming season go to www.tbso.ca
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Questions for Minister Gravelle by Maureen Arges Nadin, Freelance Writer/Columnist Member of Professional Writers Association of Canada
Congratulations on your return to the post of Ministry of Northern Development and Mines (MNDM) which was first formed in 1985. In 1977, the Ministry of Northern Affairs was created to respond to the needs of the population living in the northern area of the province, which constitutes more than 80 per cent of Ontario’s land mass. In 1985, the responsibility for mines and minerals was added to the portfolio to form the Ministry of Northern Affairs and Mines.
the Coordinator of the Northern Development Council from 1987 to 1993. Clearly there is an advantage if you are from the North and you understand and represent the needs of the North. And here we are at a time in our province’s history when there are great economic opportunities coming about as a result of the mining sector. Q. This is your second stint as the MNDM Minister. What has changed since that time and what are your priorities as you take office in 2013?
A. I last served as Minister from 2007-2011 so I have actually only been away from MNDM for a 16 month period when former Premier McGuinty asked me to take on Natural Resources. The priorities of the Ministry certainly haven’t changed since that time and the focus continues to be economic development in Northern Ontario. We will continue to focus on job creation through the 100 million dollar Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. We will also continue to implement the Northern Ontario Growth Plan.
The Ring of Fire (ROF) was a subject of great interest when the Growth Plan was being developed during my first term as Minister and that is still the case. So while I wouldn’t say that things have changed, the stakes are definitely higher at this crucial point in the North’s development. Our Ministry is working very hard with the First Nations and the companies to bring the ROF to the next important stage. Continued on Page 13
On November 28, 1985, the Ministry was renamed the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. Q. Have the MNDM Ministers traditionally been from the North and what unique perspective do you feel you bring to the office as a Northerner? A. MNDM Ministers have actually not always been from the North. It depends on the party in power and who they have available from the Caucus. When the Conservatives were in power, they had no northern representatives. This government had four members to choose from and I am honoured to have been selected. As a Northerner, I can honestly say that this is the Ministry you most want to be Minister of. I started my civil service career with this Ministry and worked as
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
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PAGE 9
Resolute Inaugurates New Power Island and Celebrates the 10th Anniversary of Its Sawmill Continued from Page 5 “ In NW Ontario we have sawmills with the First Nation and a pallet plant to replace the coal in Atikokan. Thunder Bay is very important for Resolute and Resolute has 1800 employees in NW Ontario. They are direct jobs so normally you multiply that by three to get the total economic activity. You have the
have to look ahead, even when one project is just completed, for something else to make sure you don’t lose your competitive edge.” Garneau has been in the business for 40 years starting with Ernst & Young and then in the forest industry. Chief Georjann Morrisseau of the Fort William First Nation. “ Resolute has been very supportive of our economic vision. The economic development of the sawmill has been a key component of our future. “ Michael Gravelle, Northern Development and Mines Minister. “ I am thrilled to be here to help celebrate the 10th anniversary of the sawmill which produces 300 million board feet and is amoung the most modern and largest in Eastern Canada employing 170 workers. This morning we celebrated a power island refurbishing a wood waste boiler as well. The real key here is partnerships to create long term success.”
mill, the harvesting and that makes a big business.” . “ The Thunder Bay mill is competitive. We still need to work to improve our competitiveness but it is well positioned now. We can’t stand still in this business and you
Greg Rickford, MP Kenora “ It is a testament to the resolve of the people who work in this industry and Resolute is a great corporate citizen. Our quality of life here in the North is a result of continuing
Local Women Set to Trade in their Heels for Work Boots for Habitat for Humanity Habitat for Humanity Thunder Bay announced its first- ever Women Build in the community of Thunder Bay. Habitat representatives, volunteers and a large
group of influential Thunder Bay women, from all walks of life, demonstrated their commitment to the new initiative in a very pink way at a recent media event. The Mary Street home, which had some work started last year, will be completed over a 12 week period with the help of Bombardier Transportation Thunder Bay which donated $75,000 to this project. Sameral, the new home family. “ I am so happy not only for me but for my kids ( 4 sons aged 13 to 19). We are all excited to get a new house and have been driving by here daily to see the new house. It will be more safe living here. It is very different living here than in Burma. It is the freedom. I am from a refugee camp so it was really hard to live there but we got a chance to move to Canada.I am so happy to have women doing the build. I am a women and know they are so strong and I am proud that the women can do that.” Diane Mitchell CEO of Habitat for Humanity. “ It is going to be a blast, our first women build in Thunder Bay. I don’t know why it has taken so long and we need to get women on our build site. We are not excluding anyone but encouraging women to come out. This a wonderful family. The house was delayed last year because of the flood and we had to shut down the build to this year. We hope we can build this home in 12
weeks as we already have the crawl space in so this will help us finish sooner. Carolyn Leroux, Project Director of Bombardier Transportation North America.” Ensuring a safe home is really what every mother wants to give her children. The women at Bombardier in Thunder Bay are delighted to step up to support this local family and also showcase that women in our community have more than just home-making talents. We are also skilled workers with technical, industrial and trade knowledge. Bombardier Thunder Bay women are looking forward to getting to work to build this home.”
Richard Garneau, President and Chief Executive Officer lrft and above with and his Board investments we have made here. ment in Atikokan.” Bill Mauro, MPP Thunder Bay Atikokan. “ I love it when the private sector is investing in our community. It sends a tremendous signal to your employees and the community of your commitment to our future here. There is a major commitment to Ignace and a new $50 million invest-
Keith Hobbs, Thunder Bay Mayor. “ This is a prime example of what a partnership can do. Resolute has been an awesome corporate citizen. Special thanks to the employees for their work.”
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
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CEDC Releases New Interactive Mining Sector Goods & Services Directory BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS John Mason, Project Manager Mine Services with CEDC was on hand recently at the 2013 Northwestern Ontario Mines and Minerals Symposium to launch the new Interactive Mining Sector Goods & Services Directory produced by his organization. “ We discussed the mining readiness study which is getting close to being released as a plan going forward to address all the mining opportunities coming at us. We also released the new Mining Sector Goods & Services Directory which has been worked on very diligently. It is a site where you can search by various product and business attributes to find out about them. If we have a new company coming here from say Montreal, Vancouver or Nevada which needs business support they can find out more information about local companies here and contact them easily,” said Mason. “ A main component of this site is a listing of over 400 company entries with new ones coming. A new busi-
John Mason, Project Manager Mine Services with CEDC and Jim Madder President of Confederation College ness can fill out a simple template and they will get a return email conformation stating that they are in the game. They can
categorize where they want to be listed. It is a powerful tool.” Companies have enough challenges
working in this business and this site will act as a road map for them to reach other people stated John Mason. “ Sudbury and other locales have similar sites but I think this one is more robust in terms of accessing what companies are out there. It has evolved over time starting as a printed booklet, then a previous web site and now the present site. The CEDC has been the sheppard of it.” “ The interest in mining in our area has been growing predicated by mineral prices, lead by gold. The Ring of Fire discoveries has gotten everyone attention. Gold is our bread and butter and we do produce 1/3 of Canada’s gold right here in NW Ontario. There are other metals here which helps insulate us from metal prices fluctuations. If iron pricing is low, for example, we have copper, gold, palladium or chromate that are in our basket of resources,” said Mason. “ I feel we will create jobs here in Thunder Bay. Our new Mining Readiness Study will speak to this. The 9 mines coming on will create monumental growth.” www.thunderbay.ca/cedcmining
Final Mining Readiness Strategy Report Released BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS Stephen Lindley is the Project Manager for Mining Readiness Strategy and Vice president Aboriginal Northern Affairs at SNC- Lavalin. His firm partnered with Hoshizaki Development of Thunder Bay to complete this study with a budget of $400,000. I asked him some questions about the report recently.
make it more realistic and understand the costs. The public sector can do things like roads, power lines and the training of people. This strategy is about saying to government get your act together and build some of these foundations.”
“ The private sector need a public sector involved in a substantial way. They understand that and it is a matter of how much they can invest and when. For example having a toll road or concession concept would fit as long as the guy at the end of
Do you feel we will have new mines in NW Ontario? “ The key question is what the mining developments will look like in three years. We are not in the business of economic forecasting as to when they will happen. I can’t crystal ball any better than anyone else but the ten projects we mention in the report are the ones most advanced and likely to come to market sooner.” “ If we focus on these ten over 50% are expected to be operational in the next 2 to 3 years. There could be some slippage as some of the mines need roads, some need transmission lines and all need financing. These are the critical foundation blocks and they will only come to the market as quickly as those foundation blocks come into place. The urgency is building those foundation blocks to facilitate the timing of the mines.” Will there be a boom in Thunder Bay? “ We don’t really see a boom because there are already a lot of mines in NW Ontario so we are building on a strong mining economy. There is a nice phasing of projects. The Ring of Fire realistically is not closer than 6 or 7 years out. Some of the major expansions will happen very soon. There is a range of mines so that is good. It will go the pace of road and power access. You can only control so many variables as the partners in this mining readiness study with the governments. We can’t control the Chinese economy or Bay Street and the extent in which they are willing to finance mining projects. These are just things that will find their own way in the market. The question is how can we
Peder Olsen Project Planner Hoshizaki Development, Stephen Lindley, Project Manager for Mining Readiness Strategy and Vice president Aboriginal Northern Affairs SNC- Lavalin.,Tim CCommisso, City Manager and John Mason, Project Manager Mine Services with CEDC Will governments have to become involve in these projects to make them work?
a road. The power issue means more direct benefit to the remote communities. Roads are important but transmission lines are more possible. I think there is a nice time line on the projects with nice steady growth. Many of the projects don’t need lot of infrastructure. We could meet and exceed what we see in mining economy in Sudbury in Thunder Bay.” “ Exploration comes first and it had risen dramatically in Thunder Bay and is a good sign you will have mining come in behind that. In Sudbury they built the Ontario Northland Railway to Cobalt, which made all kinds of access off the rail line and all of a sudden maximized the economic activity near the mines. The infrastructure is important because if you build it they will come. You have to look at financing and who is in control. Someone has to manage the risk, say if it is a dedicated road for just one purpose. As a government you are taking a lot of chances with public money. Government is open to public accountability.”
the road will pay the costs to cover the mortgage on the road. You could have a third party private sector come in and build
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
Thunder Bay Hydro Celebrates Local Businesses Who Do More to Save On Energy BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS Thunder Bay Hydro recognized four local businesses at their recent 2013 Retrofit Excellence in Energy Efficiency & Conservation Awards. Each business has demonstrated leadership to save on energy and has participated in the Thunder Bay Hydro save ON energy RETROFIT PROGRAM over the past year. The RETROFIT PROGRAM provides incentives for commercial operations to install newer, more energy efficient solutions. Says Tim Wilson, Vice President Customer Service & Conservation of Thunder Bay Hydro; “The RETROFIT PROGRAM supports energy wise and financially efficient business. Today's award recipients prove that Thunder Bay businesses are taking positive action to save on energy and better yet, that local businesses are experiencing tangible returns on their investments. Thunder Bay Hydro is incredibly proud to be working with these proactive business owners to make a difference in the community." The recipients of the 2013 Retrofit Excellence in Energy Efficiency & Conservation Awards are as follows:
30% of total project cost. Since 2007, Thunder Bay Hydro Conservation has completed over 150 Retrofits in the community, which has saved one megawatt (MW) of electricity. This equates to enough
Participant Testimonials: Tony Barile, DaVinci Centre “Energy savings alone should be enough for any business to want to upgrade their lighting system.”
Gino Mascarin, Co Owner of Mascarin Collision Centre has made their facility a much brighter place to work and saved energy with the retrofit.
Galaxy Lanes Retrofit: Measure: Old lighting replaced with new efficient lighting. Key Stats: 17% savings in annual energy consumption. Retrofit incentive covered 30% of total project cost.
McKellar Place Retrofit: Measure: Old variable frequency drives upgraded to more efficient models. Key Stats: 4% savings in annual energy consumption. Retrofit incentive covered
Gino Mascarin Co Owner of Mascarin Collision Centre “It sends a good business signal that we are doing our part in protecting the environment and protecting future generations. It gives our employees a lot of self satisfaction that they are doing their part as the business moves forward. It is a really good feeling.”
DaVinci Centre Retrofit: Measure: Old lighting & air conditioning units replaced with new efficient models. Key Stats: 12% savings in annual energy consumption. Retrofit incentive covered 17% of total project cost.
Mascarin Collision & Auto Care Centre Retrofit: Measure: Old lighting & air conditioning units replaced with new efficient models. Key Stats: new lighting is 17% more efficient than the old lighting it replaced. Retrofit incentive covered 40% of total project cost.
lution or use the resources you need to produce the unnecessary energy. It also reduces cost for the business, and allows you to become more profitable.”
electricity to power 1,000 homes. The RETROFIT PROGRAM has also paid out over $500,000.00 in incentives to local businesses. Continues Wilson; “ Thunder Bay Hydro is a community-focused business first. We understand that every saved kilowatt of power helps us to achieve our community conservation goals. The best part of the RETROFIT PROGRAM is that it supports our corporate conservation efforts in Thunder Bay and at the same time, makes perfect business sense for participants."
“Working with business for a sustainable and prosperous future.”
Ted Ciotucha, Galaxy Lanes; “The team at Thunder Bay Hydro were amazing to work with. They helped us all the way, and were very professional and helpful. I would definitely encourage other businesses to participate in the RETROFIT PROGRAM.”
“ We took out our old light fixtures, which were high sodium lights and replaced them with the new T5 technology that is much, more energy efficient, brighter and have more candlelight. It is smaller tube type of bulb. We have seen some substantial savings in energy but also it has also made the workplace environment much better. It is a healthier and more productive environment now. Thunder Bay Hydro covered a big portion of the costs. We purchased and installed the lights and Thunder Bay Hydro gave us a rebate cheque back. I would recommend this program to other businesses 100%, it is a must. Thunder Bay Hydro was great to work with and I encourage all businesses to apply.” Tony Pecchin of Thunder Bay Hydro, Energy Services Advisor. “ I help our business customers with their lighting HVAC and motors or anything that saves energy. The business and their electrical supplier contact us and we first start the paper work and get them registered. The work gets done,the paper work is submitted and then we pay the client back. A typical office may have obsolete lighting you can’t replace anymore. You are getting incentives to change the lighting. It is a very good incentive and a nice program. When you walk into an office or building that has been retrofitted you are shocked. It is like night and day. You also get lower operating costs. I have had businesses that have done the retrofit and their payback was just 8 months. Typically it may be 2 to 4 years. To find our more just go to the Thunder Bay Hydro website and you can call us to see what incentives are available.”
Ansanual Habib, McKellar Place; “When you save energy it doesn’t add pol-
Our Northern Industrial Electricity Rate program is creating jobs and prosperity. Proud that our government has extended its commitment to NIER for another three years!
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
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New Employment Opportunities For Internationally Trained Professionals we have here. We are also partners with a group called Skills International that is a database for employers to find professionals. It is like a reverse job board where employers can register, go on the site, select the criteria for their job and they are provided resumes that match their needs.,” said Taddeo
BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS Professions North/ Nord known as PNN, is a not for profit organization that is funded at the provincial level by Citizenship and Immigration Ontario. Their mandate is to link internationally trained professionals with employers in the North. PNN operates from offices in five partner cities including Thunder Bay, North Bay, Sault St Marie, Sudbury and Timmins. In Thunder Bay their office is located in the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association building on Court Street. “ There are three main categories of professionals we work with - engineers of various stripes, IT people and people from the financial industry such as bankers or other financial professionals. We select our candidates from the GTA area of Southern Ontario and Ottawa,” said Sandy Taddeo, Employment Outreach Officer with Professions North in Thunder Bay. Taddeo was born and raised in Thunder Bay and recently moved back here from Edmonton.
“ These people have immigrated to Canada and have their Canadian citizenship or permanent residency status. Typically they are under employed in an entry-level job such as retail, driving cabs or things like this. To be eligible they have to be schooled with a degree outside of Canada and have had two years of experience in their field outside of Canada.” There are companies in Thunder Bay that are looking for engineers for exam-
ple with very specific criteria requirements. These companies have found the work PNN does to be very beneficial to their staffing requirements. “ Part of my job is to contact the employer, say at the Chamber of Commerce After Business events or with cold calls as well as using the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association contacts. The potential employees are in touch with an organization in the GTA like the Thunder Bay Multicultural Association
Sandy Taddeo has been on the job with PNN for 2 months and since then the response has been good. “ Face to face meeting have helped and companies are looking for efficient ways to recruit staff. Last month we had a speed marketing event in Ottawa and a larger company from Thunder Bay had a representative there. They were able to interview 16 pre-selected people and called 7 back for second interviews and I think they are offers of employment to some of them. We have another event larger than this coming up in Toronto and will have more Thunder Bay companies attending. I don’t see a downside to what we are doing, it is totally positive.” noted Taddeo.
Questions for Minister Gravelle Continued from Page 7 Q. There has been a lot of buzz in the city and region about the Ring of Fire. Many people are hopeful about what it will mean to our future economy but others are more sceptical. How would you describe the ROF and its potential impact to the economy to the every day citizen of Ontario and Northern Ontario in particular? A. I view the Ring of Fire as an opportunity that we have not seen in 100 years to open up economic development in the more remote areas of the region while at the same time significantly advancing the social and economic development of our First Nations which we have obviously been grappling with for some time. Although this is the largest chromite deposit in North America, it’s not just the chromite. We also have nickel and palladium. This is a very big project with very real benefits. There is also the value added opportunities as this is about more than just getting the product out of the ground and shipping it away. Cliffs Natural Resources has made a 3.3 billion dollar proposal that means that they will, among other things, build a ferrochrome processor in Northern Ontario and although there was some disappointment that it won’t be in the Northwest, this will be the first ferrochrome processing facility in North America. It will provide hundreds of jobs and huge economic benefits. The Ring of Fire project, though, isn’t just about industry going in there. It’s about getting it right which means seeing that the benefits really go to the communities in a way that we haven’t seen before. Q. Minister Tony Clement has recently been appointed as the Federal government’s lead minister on the Ring of Fire development. How do you see his role working with the Ontario Ring of Fire secretariat? A. It’s obviously a very important role and a good indication that the Federal government recognizes the importance of the project. Everyone associates the Ring of Fire with the province and the Ontario Ring
of Fire Secretariat (which falls under MNDM) but there are significant ways that the Federal government can contribute. For example, we need to be able to build the capacity of First Nations so that they are prepared to deal with a development such as this and that falls under federal jurisdiction. When I met with Minister Clement at the Prospectors Convention, we discussed how we can work together to contribute to that capacity building. Many of the remote communities need infrastructure upgrading especially in regards to water and transportation. It is the responsibility of this Ministry to work directly with the ROF communities to help with these issues. I am very pleased about the appointment and will be working directly with Minister Clement to make this happen. Q. Do you feel that the current provincial cabinet fully appreciates the potential for the mining sector in general (beyond the ROF) to reduce the provincial deficit? A. We’ve never had a cabinet and premier that are more tuned into the Ring of Fire and the mining sector than the current Premier and Cabinet. Premier Wynne is herself a former Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and is incredibly aware of Northern Ontario issues. She understands the ROF development very well. We have cabinet ministers such as Charles Sousa, the Minister of Finance, who took a very strong position of support on the ROF when he ran for the leadership. This is a government that has made the ROF development an absolute priority. In fact, Premier Wynne is setting up a Northern Cabinet Committee, composed of MPP’s from Southern Ontario as well as Northern Ontario that will be chaired by Bill Mauro and vice chaired by Toronto member, and Parliamentary Assistant to the Minister of Northern Development and Mines, Mike Colle. The Committee will discuss Northern issues so that all policies coming out of the government will now be seen through a northern lens. We have different realities here such as distance and travel and that will now be taken into consideration. Q There appears to be a perception in the
mining industry that Ontario can be a difficult place to conduct mineral exploration because of First Nations concerns and issues. How can that be eliminated? A. I’m very aware of these concerns and when we modernized the Mining Act, our goal was to provide certainty to the process by setting up clear and definitive rules as to what happens when in order to move forward with exploration and at what level and stage companies need to work directly with First Nations. By facilitating and bringing the Act into the 21st century, we wanted to ensure respect for First Nations treaty rights while maintaining a positive investment climate in Northwestern Ontario. And I believe that we have done that. In 2011, one billion exploration dollars were invested in Ontario, half of that in Northwestern Ontario. We know that those numbers will be down in 2012, reflecting the cyclical nature of the business, but the 900 million dollar figure that we are anticipating, is still significant. We also understand and appreciate the environmental concerns of First Nations and that they need to be assured that the land will be protected. As a Ministry we are absolutely committed to finding that balance and we will work to get it right. For some time now, we have looked to the Victor Diamond Mine near Attiwapiskat as a best practice example: in that case, the De Beers Company had a lengthy consultation with the First Nation and didn’t move forward with any development until a “full impact agreement” was in place. Q. What do you feel is the government’s role in the critical dialogue between industry and First Nations? A. The government has an extremely important role in facilitating discussions between the companies and the First Nations. Many of the companies that are in the area right now, such as Cliffs and Noront, are all developing close relations with the First Nations that are in the area. And the government certainly needs to build our own relationships. Premier Wynne has taken that
first step when she met with the Chiefs of the Matawa First Nations recently- the first time in 40 years that such a meeting had taken place. This is a strong and clear expression by the Premier that she recognizes that the Province has a very big role in making this come together and we are going to do what we can to make it happen.
Q. When Premier Wynne was Minister of Aboriginal Affairs, she spoke of a potential resource/revenue sharing model that would see a percentage of mining revenue flow back to the community. Can we expect to see that type of initiative being introduced at some point in time? A. There is no question. There are a number of elements of the agreements that will need to be finalized between the province and the First Nations and resource /revenue sharing is a big part of that. Premier Wynne had broached the revenue sharing opportunity with the First Nations when she was Minister of Aboriginal Affairs and it will certainly be part of any future agreement that will be dealt with by the province. Q. What do you feel are going to be the major challenges facing your Ministry in the next year? A. We need to pull all the parts together. There is no question that a significant part of the work that we do is working with the First Nations to develop agreements. We already have a number of Memorandums of Understanding but we also have to work with the companies, particularly Cliffs Natural Resources. They already have developed a significant 3.3 billion dollar proposal that we need to sit down and discuss with them. We need to bring all of the players together and given the complexity of a project of the magnitude of the ROF, we need to get it right. We need to be patient and make sure that everyone has an opportunity to express their concerns ensuring that things are moving forward. We can’t afford to get this wrong.
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
Employment Contracts- Be Careful What You Wish For ©2013 Brian Babcock
adequate notice is not given, the exemployee may sue for damages.
Or, is it “No good deed goes unpunished” as the saying goes, when it comes to noncompetition clauses in employment contracts? Judges may not agree that they are actually good at all. In Ontario, non-union employees are usu-
Legal Matters ally entitled to “reasonable notice” if they are fired without cause. In most situations, this is more than the minimum notice periods set out in the Employment Standards Act. Sometimes much more. If
There is no set formula for calculating reasonable notice. Usually, it attempts to reflect the length of time a motivated person might take to find replacement work. Courts consider a variety of factors including: • Length of employment • The age of the employee • The character of the employment (executives get more than receptionists) • Economic conditions affecting rehiring A trial judge in Ottawa recently added the length of the non-competition agreement as another factor. In that case, the employee was a 50 year old Senior Vice
President who had been with the employer four years. He had trouble finding replacement work in spite of solid efforts. The one year non-competition agreement restricted him from putting his specialized skills to the best use. Courts do not like non-competition agreements. They often are not enforced because they are not good for the economy as a whole, or because the terms are either too broad or too vague. But the fired employee in this case had not challenged the agreement, he lived up to it. Ordinarily, even a senior executive would not receive a year’s notice after only four years work. However, in that case, the judge found that the non-competition agreement was a factor in awarding compensation to top up the employee’s notice
to one year, the same length as the restriction. The judge felt he should not be penalized for good behaviour. Every notice issue depends upon its own facts, and this is only one decision by one judge, but it reminds us that although non-competition agreements may have value to employers, they come with risks. Courts are much more willing to enforce a less restrictive “non-solicitation” agreement. This recent decision is a reminder why the terms of employment contracts need to be carefully drafted. For over 65 years, Weilers has been drafting employment contracts, and sorting out the issues that arise when business or employment relationships come to an end.
Northern Windows Manufactured Right Here In Thunder BY SCOTT A. SUMNER
Thunder Bay BUSINESS Christine is the Sales Manager of Northern Window Manufacturing Ltd. which started operation in 1992. The family business was founded by Christine’s father who is still active in the company. The growing company operates from three separate buildings on Simpson Street in Thunder Bay. The company does brand new construction and home renovation window manufacturing. The windows are made right here in Thunder Bay and they are the only window manufacturer from Winnipeg to Timmins. “ We sell different styles of windows and think outside of the box. When you manufacture windows as they are ordered, you can make the window custom at no extra charge because we make the windows as
the order is put in as opposed to a manufacturing line. We do doors as well,” said Christine. “ We don’t manufacture door lights but our suppliers have done some special designs for us. We can install the door lights into an operating window and this is something we offer that is different. Efficiencies with windows are important. A fixed window is the most efficient,then it goes to a cranking window and to sliders which all effect the window efficiency. Northern Windows manufacture their own sealed units right here in Thunder Bay. The sales office is located at 408 Simpson and the manufacturing plant is on Simpson as well. There is a separate door manufacturing plant at 133 Simpson Street.Currently there are 20 employees working at the company. “ Our employees have been with us for a long time and that makes us very competi-
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Christine and James of Northern Windows tive. We want them to stay with us and offer more like a craftsman approach where everyone has their area of expertise. We are not a manufacturing line type of approach but each window is custom.” said Christine. Things are going well at Northern Windows and the company is growing significantly. “ The economy is strong here and Thunder Bay is great at supporting local business. We can do 1 window at a
time or as many as needed. The first step is to come on in and talk to our staff. They are very knowledgeable and we want to provide you the customer with knowledge so you can make the best decision. This time of the year we are at 7 business days to complete your window. We are always learning about windows.” smiles Christine.
THUNDER BAY BUSINESS JUNE 2013
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SunAdvantage from Sun Life Financial As the owner of a small business, you understand that a group benefits package can make a big difference to you and your employees. That’s why at Sun Life Financial we designed the SunAdvantage Plan – an affordable, flexible solution that allows you to manage costs while providing a plan that your employees will value.
tively manage costs and reap the productivity and financial rewards of a healthy workforce. Flexible. We are here to help build a plan that’s attractive and fully valued by your employees. Easy. Our specialized SunAdvantage team will work with your Advisor to implement your plan in a fast, efficient and worry–free way.
Affordable. You will be able to effec-
Sun Life is the provider of choice, standing behind our commitment to
deliver on excellence – from plan design to customer experience. We believe in the rewards of employee health for today and tomorrow.
VIDUAL INSURANCE AND INVESTMENTS © Sun Life Assurance Company of Canada, 2013.
Life’s brighter under the sun GROUP BENEFITS | GROUP RETIREMENT SERVICES | INDI-
127 W Arthur St 474-3600 1038 Memorial Ave 624-3850 1101 W Arthur St 474-3833 600 Victorial Ave E 624-3680 2 S Cumberland Street 343-3710 832 Red River Road 768-3800
Sonia Rutter 807-631-4244
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THUNDER BAY BUSINESS MAY 2013