NORTHERN ONTARIO–-Canadians living and working in Northern Ontario will benefit from a new targeted approach to economic development with a focus on innovation, thanks to the Government of Canada’s Prosperity and Growth Strategy for Northern Ontario (PGSNO), a press release from the federal government states. The strategic plan was developed following wide consultations with 1,000 people including Indigenous, municipal and provincial leaders, as well as innovation and business stakeholders from across the region.
The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Economic Development and Minister responsible for FedNor, and the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Employment, Workforce Development and Labour, were in Thunder Bay today to unveil the PGSNO, an economic development plan that will help guide future Government of Canada activities and investments in Northern Ontario. Among other priorities, the regional strategy will invest in the talent and people of Northern Ontario, ensuring communities have the necessary skills for the middle-class jobs of tomorrow.
The PGSNO is focused on three key areas: supporting innovation; growing companies; and building stronger communities: Supporting innovation, by expanding and strengthening the regional innovation ecosystem and providing support for incubators, accelerators and clusters; Growing companies, by enhancing supports for business start-ups and scale-ups, promoting the adoption of advanced technologies, and increasing the capacity of companies to export; and building stronger communities, by helping municipalities and Indigenous communities better respond to economic development opportunities and challenges.
The development of the PGSNO followed an announcement by Minister Bains in April 2017 which outlined how each of Canada’s six Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) would prepare an economic growth strategy aimed at seizing business and job growth opportunities created by the innovation economy.
