THUNDER BAY, ON  --  December 13, 2008 -- On Monday December 15th the Hon. John Wilkinson, Minister of Research and Innovation will be making an announcement at Lakehead University. This kind of funding announcement comes as the result of years of hard work by our local MPPs, Michael Gravelle and Bill Mauro who have been fighting to make a case for developing the economy of the Northwest. We are fortunate to have these representatives because they have achieved results in pressing times.

By now the McGuinty government has fully realized the impact of the collapsed forestry in the north. Apart from the loss of jobs the province has lost a key source of provincial income. If no one is cutting the forest, then no one is paying stumpage fees for use of the wood grown on provincial lands. This is serious business for politicians, since they need money to make and keep political promises. I have to credit the government with their approach to improving our situation. I am convinced that there will be many painful years but there is hope in a renewed and stronger future. In Pickering Ontario Purdue Pharma received government support to hire another 53 people to produce drugs which will improve and reduce our health costs. Similarly Sunnybrook hospital has become a world wide centre of excellence for cardiac imaging, the development of which will lead to better and affordable heart care. Spending on these areas helps reduce the provinces operating costs, so it is a good return for the provincial taxpayer.

In the Waterloo area of Ontario scientists are designing solar photo-voltaic panels with an efficiency approaching 50%. Current models are 15% efficient at converting the sun’s energy to electricity. Even though other countries such as the U.S. and Germany have a lead in the development of this technology, it is still new, and it is possible for Ontario to become a major supplier in a 40 billion dollar a year market. In this case the innovation is a response to the need for more green power in our local power supply and the need to grow green jobs in the province. Again money well spent by the province.

There is a lot of research and development going on in Ottawa. One project that caught my attention has to do with the re-development of landfills. Everywhere in the province there is vigorous opposition to new landfill site development. Nobody wants one in their back yard. In a landfill it can take up to 50 years for the waste to become non toxic. In the meantime the leachate can seep into the water table and cause grief with the local water supply. Newly designed landfill sites are waterproof. The reactor type site can reduce landfill to non toxic waste in a fraction of the 50 year time we face now. These new waste sites will be able to produce valuable products such as natural gas. The technology behind modern waste management is marketable and exportable. It also goes a long ways to solving some of the most contentious political problems we face today, waste management. Did I mention this initiative will create Ontario Jobs?

The McGuinty Government has recognized that Ontario has a number of good things in its favour. One is we have the research talent to make Innovation work. We also have a wealth of resources. You don’t need a PhD to get a job in the Innovative economy.  For many it might be as simple as driving your logging truck to a bio-refinery as opposed to a lumber mill. In Thunder Bay the way down the new road may start with C.R.I.B.E. (Centre for Research and Innovation in the Bio Economy) with the coming announcement, our city will become a centre of excellence for the emerging bio economy.

Bert Rowson
For LakeSuperiorNews.com