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The way we work: Part III: The challenges we face
EDITOR'S NOTE:
Manitoulin
Island evokes visions of a pristine, unhurried and restful
haven, an Island both literally and figuratively separate from
the hurly burly and stress of life in the big leagues of
commerce and industry. But the residents of Manitoulin must also
live, raise their families and provide the necessities of life
and the hope of a bright future for their children.
Recent events have highlighted the constant struggle between the
pristine 'unspoiled' Manitoulin and the need for commerce and
economic development to provide jobs and the tax base so
necessary to maintaining services.
The first article in this series profiled the economy of the
Manitoulin District and where our jobs currently lie, the second
article in the series examined the challenges that face our
traditional economy. This article, the final of a three-part
series, will examine what the experts think can be done to
foster a sound economic base for the region.
by Michael Erskine
MANITOULIN---A sign hangs above Assiginack Economic Development
Officer Rob Maguire's desk and it eloquently sums up the
fundamental attitude of nearly every person involved in economic
development, and most of the politicians and entrepreneurs as
well for that matter, contacted for this study.
"Nothing will ever be attempted if all possible objections must
first be overcome," attributed to one Doctor Johnson.
Not that the EDOs are uniformly Pollyannic in their assessment
of the current challenges facing Manitoulin, they all admit
there are serious issues to contend with in dealing with
Manitoulin's economic woes, but they have the attitude that
challenges were made to be met and that most are not inherently
insurmountable.
"Take the whole 'Retirement Living' initiative," said Mr.
Maguire, referring to a plan to attract people retiring from the
workforce to Manitoulin's idyllic shores. "We know there are
challenges there, but there are also opportunities."
In the case of Retirement Living, notes Mr. Maguire, many of the
objections raised about the proposal to attract retirees to the
Island presuppose a scale that is not a realistic goal in the
first place.
So forget hordes of geriatric pennypinchers on a fixed income,
clogging the roads with their left signal lights on, and
swarming the local emerg with the aches and pains in every part
of their bodies. It ain't gonna happen. Besides, today's
retirees are younger than in the past, and they fit very poorly
within the stereotypes that are associated with retirement. They
have disposable incomes their parents could only dream of, they
are active, love to travel and besides which, there is no plan
to attract them in the tens of thousands. Just a few will do.
"It doesn't take very many people retiring to an area like
Manitoulin to have a positive impact," said Mr. Maguire.
Retirement Living is just one small part of a very complex
jigsaw puzzle that is a sustainable economic development plan.
With Retirement Living, a partnership between developers,
contractors, real estate agents and municipalities have led to
the development of websites and cooperative advertising. In
Assiginack's case that effort has attracted hits not only from
Canada
and the US, but Australia, Germany, Norway, French Polynesia,
Switzerland, Turkey, the Netherlands, South Africa, Thailand,
Mexico, Belize, Tiawan, Brazil, Austria and the Philippines. If
just one person from each of these countries settles in to
retire on Manitoulin, the economic impact will be of substantial
significance in the micro-economy that is Manitoulin. If two
from each arrived in an area as small as Manitoulin, we might
just be talking economic boom times.
The key elements that local EDOs take into their approach to the
question of sustainable development for the
Island
are: adopting a long-term view, seeing the big picture, taking
'baby steps' toward a goal, forming strategic partnerships
between various levels of government and sectors in the economy
and above all, perseverance. It also helps if you can 'think
outside of the box.'
These might sound like a collection of empty catch phrases to a
jaded and skeptical television generation, but each actual sums
up an important facet of economic development, and that phrase
itself is generally poorly understood.
"You really have to define what is meant by economic
development," said NEMI Economic Development Consultant Peggy
Young. "You really should be talking about community
development, because it is all interrelated."
The agricultural sector is apparently not in as sorry a shape as
the global picture would first suggest.
Brian Bell, provincial Agriculture and Food representative for
Manitoulin questioned the numbers quoted in last week's
installment over the impact of BSE on the cattle industry.
"That number, $12 million, that would mean everybody kept
everything over," he said. "That is simply not the case."
Not to downplay the situation in regards to cattle farming, but
cut boneless beef under 30 months old is now flowing across the
border again. Beef cows are typically sent to market around 24
months, so much of what is currently out there on farms
qualifies for export. Other areas are slowly coming on-line.
While the industry is taking an unprecedented hit, farmers it
seems are a resilient lot.
Although it is true that much of Manitoulin's soil is
'Farmington Soil,' less than six inches deep and a poor
candidate for most agricultural uses, there is also a lot of
very high quality soil that is highly productive and very
suitable for diversification.
Into what other crop a farmer ventures depends on the market,
and the markets can change daily, and that is where
partnerships, cooperative ventures and teamwork is vital.
"You might need to build specialized storage facilities, so you
can hold the grain longer, until the market improves," said Mr.
Bell. "A group of farmers might pool their crops for shipping,
so they can meet the size loads necessary to be competitive."
In agriculture, much of what it takes to survive depends on
transportation and storage.
With transportation costs typically running at $25 to $40 a ton,
the closer you can develop a market the better.
Sudbury
it seems is looking particularly good, with suggestions that a
bio-diesel operation may soon be underway using waste restaurant
oils as a base. Manitoulin grown oil seeds could well find a
market in such an operation.
On the harvesting side of things, farmers will likely have to
invest in specialized equipment to handle and store the tiny
seeds. But if one farmer has a combine, he can optimize the use
of that piece of equipment by harvesting under contract for his
neighbours. It is all about cooperation and teamwork.
Manitoulin farmers have already had great success in this area,
having taken advantage of government infrastructure programs by
banding together in consortiums of 20 to eight or 10 farmers to
build tiling into their suitable soils for nutrient management.
"You always have to look at an opportunity," he said. "With the
'The Manitoulin Branding' initiative , a group of guys could
gather to market Manitoulin feeder cattle. They have a good
reputation."
The addition of an abattoir to the Manitoulin market has the
potential to make a huge difference to the smaller farmers.
"In the case of the larger players, they probably wouldn't be
able to use it to full extent," said Mr. Bell.
It will take some creative thinking to come up with a plan to
effectively tackle the local markets he said.
"If a resort wants strip loins," he said, "a distributor can
deliver them. That is a challenge."
It seems there are only so many specific cuts of meat on a
beast, and the order rarely cooperates to meet what is available
on a small scale operation.
You also need a market for the ground beef.
"It's quite a challenge," said Mr. Bell. But if farmers can find
ways to create value added products closer to home, they will be
more economically feasible.
Manitoulin cattle farmers are actually larger than those found
in other parts of the province, in fact with an average herd of
42 head, they are over twice the provincial average of 20.
The water surrounding
Manitoulin
Island once teemed with hordes of fish, and the fishery, both
sport and commercial still plays a significant role in the
economic jigsaw puzzle that is the economy. But it is in the
controversial area of aquaculture that huge potential gains in
markets are projected.
The aquaculture industry has acquired a very bad rap over the
past few decades, especially in the case of the salmon industry
in Europe and lately in Canada's coastal waters. Farmed fish are
said to endanger wild species, both by supplanting them and by
breeding disease against which the 'wild' varieties have little
defence.
The aquaculture industry has begun to fight back in what appears
to a concerted public relations battle, with cottagers, tourist
operators and environmentalists lining up largely on the other
side.
Most of the aquaculture opponents are well-educated,
articulate, and used to acting in an organized group. They
generally act fast and furious, armed with studies both
scientific and spurious and from their perspective with good
reason. Any commercial or industrial activity on the water in
the vicinity of their retirement or summer homes is viewed as a
threat to both their lifestyles and a significant portion of
their assets.
The response of the aquaculture industry has been two-fold. On
one front, they are opening their operations to the scientific
community, embracing technological change and innovation and
attempting to meet the real concerns of their opponents in the
one area they are most vulnerable, education. Which highlights
the second, and possibly most important front, the hearts and
minds of public opinion. The Northern Ontario Aquaculture
Association was formed to provide a clearing-house of
information on the aquaculture industry, to get the word out on
what the industry and academics are doing to meet the concerns
of the environmentalists. In this they have a very telling
weapon in an argument of simple logic.
"I need clean running water to run my operation," said NOAA
President Mike Meeker. "If I don't have that, I lose my
investment, my business and my future."
The question of esthetics is a large part of the concern of
cottage owners, but since many are nestled on islands, coves or
bays that are totally unsuitable to aquaculture development,
those concerns can be minimized.
Currently, the industry is working on a 'best practices' manual,
outlining those methods that are both environmentally and
economically sound.
"When it comes to feeding my fish," said Mr. Meeker, "I don't
want the feed to drop to the bottom and go to waste. It is too
expensive. We are always working to lessen the impact of our
operations on the environment because it make economic sense."
There are incredible economic success stories in the Island's
economy, and many of them lie within the borders of the First
Nations.
"We are very optimistic in this region," said Dawn Madahbee, of
Waubetek Business Services, an organization charged with the
mission to create economic self-sufficiency and entrepreneurial
spirit amongst the First Nations. "There are lots of
opportunities."
The last 15 years have been a great source of pride for Ms.
Madahbee and her clients. Together they have managed to nurture
solid base upon which the economic vibrancy of the First Nations
is second to none, in fact, they are largely leading the way.
"The Native population is growing," said Ms. Madahbee. In fact,
it is the growth among Manitoulin's First Nation communities
that has prevented the precipitous population declines that are
pandemic in Northern Ontario.
"They are very young and growing numbers of them are achieving
higher levels of education," she said. "At what to me is even
more gratifying is that they are coming back to serve and lend
their talents to building up their communities."
The rise and success of First Nation entrepreneurs is both
meteoric and significant for the entire Island economy.
Initiatives and partnerships like the Great Spirit Circle Trail
are bringing people from around the globe to Manitoulin, in part
because in a topsy-turvy, crazy, mixed up world, the calm, peace
and perceived tranquillity of the unspoiled life in Canada's
First Nation communities is very, very attractive.
"People see us as a safe haven," said Ms. Madahbee. "They are
also looking for a spiritual aspect, a oneness with the
environment that they feel we have."
Those same people, notes Ms. Madahbee, do not limit their visits
to the Native community. They move out and explore the
possibilities across the Island.
Many opportunities for partnerships between the Native and
non-Native exist, especially in the accommodation and restaurant
industries. The lack of physical plant available to house any
significant influx of people into the area dictates the need,
and the potential of the market far exceeds the short term
ability of either community to meet the demand.
But the opportunities do not stop with attracting more tourists
in an already busy high season. Ms. Madahbee and her
organization are playing host to a diverse number of European
entrepreneurs who are looking for opportunities to invest in
light industry to produce high value-added niche products.
"They are looking for access to the North American market," said
Ms. Madahbee. "We are in a good position to provide that
access."
In addition to those initiatives, First Nation business service
officers are just as far thinking and innovative as their
non-Native counterparts, make no mistake, these are some very
savvy individuals.
"We are currently conducting an economic leakage study," said
Ms. Madahbee. "We are investing our own money into this, but
everybody will benefit."
It has been long understood that much of the money that flows
into the First Nations, from whatever source, flows out into the
surrounding communities. Some of it flows to Island communities,
some of it flows to non-Island communities. By creating a more
balanced flow within the Island, the overall benefit to every
community will rise. That is how economics works.
The 'leakage' study will identify business opportunities to stem
the flow off-Island, and keep each dollar lingering in our
integrated economies.
For this economic law to work properly, the flow that has
traditionally been strictly off-reserve and off-Island has to be
turned around. It is vital that both communities support Island
businesses in each other's communities. Economics is still a
poorly understood science even by otherwise savvy
businesspeople. Money moving around within a community
multiplies, when it leaves it is gone. Because of the integrated
economy of Manitoulin, we all gain when we support each other.
"You have to think about where you want to be in 10, 12, 16
years," said Ms. Madahbee. Once the vision has been identified
the rest is may still be hard work, but the way to get there
becomes crystal clear. "We all have to work toward that goal."
The First Nations in Waubetek's cachement area have formed a
subsidiary organization, Obezhigjig (Working Together), a
network of economic development officers sharing their skill
sets and supporting each others work. Their non-Native
counterparts do the same thing, now each group needs to work
together for the common good of both communities.
You only have to study the core values outlined in the missions
of both groups to realize just how similar our goals and
aspirations really are.
"As First Nations we see ourselves, and the world sees us as
having, a strong attachment to and a sense of stewardship of the
environment."
In her landmark strategic plan for the Manitoulin LaCloche area,
Mary Nelder brought together a number of huge focus groups whose
mission was to discover what Manitoulin and LaCloche want in the
way of development. The exercise identified a number of
industries that fit the spirit of the area's people, and many of
those are being actively pursued, but it is in the core values
that a number of EDOs feel the real importance of the study
lies.
The study, aptly named 'Manitoulin Let's Go!' stated as its
mission: "The goal of LaCloche Manitoulin is to become a
broad-based economically and socially attractive area where
existing and future businesses can be sustained, while
preserving the environmental, social and cultural diversity of
the area."
Developers, although some might think it heresy to suggest it,
should take a close look at the core values identified in that
document in order to better understand what the Island is all
about, and how to best couch their proposals to smoothly
integrate into the area.
It might just save everyone a lot of grief, frustration and
heartache.
The three core values identifies are: "Our unique identity,
evidenced by our healthy lifestyle, unspoiled environment, low
crime rate, low population density, temperate climate and
beautiful natural surroundings, and the importance of
maintaining our environment.
"Our balanced economy, the importance of maintaining the
diversity found in our farming, resource-based industries,
tourism and service sectors.
and "Our sense of community, evidenced by our levels of
volunteerism, community stewardship, cultural diversity, pride
of individuality and pride of ownership of family/small
businesses."
When a developer or entrepreneur comes to the table with a plan,
a few moments reflecting on these elements would be a good idea.
"It seems to me that the only way to get something done here on
the Island," suggested Central Manitoulin Economic Development
Officer Tyson Gilchrist, "requires not only a plan, but also a
partnership. In an area like this, it seems to be our only
realistic hope of forward movement."
Mr. Gilchrist also cited the Retirement Living Initiative and a
partnership with Kenjgewin Teg as examples of very successful
partnership initiatives.
The greatest challenge he identified as facing the Island was
not even really touched upon in the second series of these
articles.
"The mentality that any real growth will be the demise of the
Island," he said. "There are reasons not to change in certain
circumstances, but defeating an idea even in just the gossip
stages is even more detrimental to growth."
We have all seen it, notes Mr. Gilchrist. "An idea is circulated
without anyone knowing the facts and people make up their minds
way before the idea has a chance to formulate."
If we are to have any hope of success of effecting a sustainable
plan of economic development, noted all of the EDOs contacted
for this series, the community has to stop coming to the table
with only objections in hand. We must bring open minds,
considered opinions and real research, not just conjectures,
innuendoes and fears. We have to learn to strike a balance
between the needs and aspirations of each stakeholder, and work
towards finding a solution together.
As to the phenomena that seems to be surfacing in the debate
over economic and community development, where proponents
espouse the 'us and them' argument in which it is suggested that
those opposing development are all newcomers, and that those in
favour of encouraging new development and jobs have grown up
here and know what it is like to try and raise a family and make
a living, it might prove informative to sit in on a discussion
at a retirement home like Manitoulin Centennial Manor.
The ideas expressed on the issue by people who have lived here
all their lives, in most cases, much, much longer than anyone
actively putting such counterproductive and divisive arguments
forward in the community today, are as diverse as any heard in a
coffee shop in any community across the Island. There are those
who fear development encroaching on the Island and our way of
life, and those who feel that any opportunity to create jobs
should be embraced whole-heartedly.
If there is any universal answer to the question of how we can
turn around the economic malaise gripping the North in general,
and Manitoulin in particular, it appears to lie in communication
and genuine accommodation of the various needs of all the
stakeholders at the table.
Such communication flies in the face of the conventional values
of the entrepreneur, who justly feels that it is their money,
their idea and their business, and that nobody should tell them
what to do with it or how to do it.
This presents a conundrum.
EDOs can't do the communicating for the developers and potential
investors, the EDOs are bound to maintain confidentiality.
Privately they confide that they often must stand helplessly by
and watch a plan spiral hopelessly out of control and disappear
simply on the basis of rumour and conjecture, their hands tied
by the business person's right to privacy.
So communication must become a core and common value between all
parties. It is unfortunate that you can't please all of the
people all of the time, and it is a sad fact of life that you
will never be able to please some people.
But as the sign above Mr. Maguire's desk says: "Nothing will
ever be attempted if all possible objections must first be
overcome."
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