Seeing the Impact & Looking Forward – Northern Policy Institute releases its 2015-2016 Annual Report

Press Release

November 15, 2016 – The third annual report released by Northern Policy Institute shows significant progress, as Northern Ontario’s think tank continues to inspire fresh ideas, identify opportunities and publish evidence-based solutions for and from Northern Ontario.

“As we look to the future, we see more issues to address if we are to achieve greater wealth and sustainable growth for Northern Ontario communities. More important, we see opportunities to make that happen”, Northern Policy Institute President and CEO, Charles Cirtwill writes in his Message from the President.

Year three saw an expansion in the organization’s operations, most notably a fresh, easy to use website, the recruitment of new, diverse volunteers, and the hiring of new staff, including six summer interns through Experience North, a program focused on building capacity in Northern Ontario.

Northern Policy Institute also took steps towards sustainability, as it received charitable status from CRA, registered effective September 25, 2015.

In its third year, Northern Policy Institute commissioned and launched several projects to identify, collect and collate existing data, including Know the North, #WhatHATruwearing campaign, a Report Card on Northern Growth, and Northbynumbers.ca, a free online GIS tool developed in partnership with the North Superior Workforce Planning Board and Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, that provides access to Northern Ontario census data via an interactive map.

In addition to these key projects, Northern Policy Institute published eight research reports, twelve issue commentaries, four briefing notes, thirty-eight blogs and gave over sixteen presentations throughout Northern Ontario speaking on issues such as shifting demographics, labour markets, and other regional and district economic measures.

Highlights of research reports released this year for Northern Policy Institute include:

• Show Me The Money: Some Positive Income Trends in Northern Ontario by Kyle Leary, March, 2016.
• The Mining Industry in Northwestern Ontario: An Analysis of Recent Developments and the Strategy for Success by Karl Skogstad and Ayman Alahmar, published January, 2016.
• Roads, Rail, and the Ring of Fire by Rick Millette and Mike Commito, published October,
• FedNor: It’s just got to be free – Toward More Strategic and Collaborative Governance of Regional Economic Development in Northern Ontario by Charles Conteh, published September, 2015.
• A Strategy for Change: Supporting Teachers and Improving First Nations, Métis, and Inuit School Success in Provincially Funded Northwestern Ontario Schools by John A. Hodson and Julian Kitchen published September, 2015.

You spoke, we listened. Northern Policy Institute has continued our commitment to seek out the thoughts, opinions and ideas of our 780,000 bosses – the people of Northern Ontario. Whether it was through new partnerships, at one of our ‘Policy in a Pub’ events or just by conversations with community members at restaurants and gas stations, as staff and volunteers crisscross the region.

“When we founded the Northern Policy Institute three years ago, our goal was to shape Northern Ontario’s future,” said Northern Policy Institute Chair Martin Bayer in his Message from the Chair.

“We realized that, to do this, we needed to work for the people of our region – to make them the boss in determining what that future should look like, and how best to make it happen.

Looking back on a third consecutive year of progress and success, it is fair to say that we’ve not only maintained that commitment but also built on it.”

To view the third Annual Report of Northern Policy Institute, visit www.northernpolicy.ca

Get inspired. Get involved. To contribute to our success, you can donate at northernpolicy.ca/donate or write us with your thoughts at info@northernpolicy.ca

Media Interviews: NPI President & CEO, Charles Cirtwill is available for comment.

To arrange an interview, please contact:

Katie Elliott
Communications Coordinator
705-542-4456
kelliott@northernpolicy.ca

About Northern Policy Institute:

Northern Policy Institute is Northern Ontario’s independent think tank. We perform research, collect and disseminate evidence, and identify policy opportunities to support the growth of sustainable Northern communities. Our operations are located in Thunder Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, and Kenora. We seek to enhance Northern Ontario’s capacity to take the lead position on socio-economic policy that impacts Northern Ontario, Ontario, and Canada as a whole.

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