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February 11, 2005
printed in the Manitoulin West Recorder
LACLOCHE-MANITOULIN - The
LaCloche-Manitoulin Business Assistance
Corporation (LAMBAC) will receive
$27,2000 in funding from the federal
government to go towards the creation of
its strategic plan, which will in turn
foster economic development for the
LaCloche-Manitoulin region. The
announcement was made on February 3 by
Algoma - Manitoulin - Kapuskasing MP
Brent St. Denis.
"The federal government recognizes that
coordinated economic development
initiatives are crucial to strengthening
and growing Northern Ontario's economy,"
he said in a press release.
"FedNor's support will enable LAMBAC, a
successful, federally-funded local
business development corporation, to
adapt and better satisfy the region's
economic and job-creation needs."
Mary Nelder, LAMBAC' executive director,
noted the importance of the funding to
aid in LAMBAC's continuing development.
"It's really two parts," she explained
in a n interview. "We're going to
review the plan that has existed for the
last five years, since 2000, and
evaluate how successful the projects
under the plan have been; and we're
going to take a look at whether or not
things have been implemented and the
things that are still in the
implementation stage to decided where we
go from here. We also have to look
at the economic impact that various
projects have had on the
LaCloche-Manitoulin area."
That's just the first stage.
"During the second stage, LAMBAC will
look ahead to the next five years to
determine how it will renew its vision
and come up with a strategy on how to
encourage development in the area over
the next five years," Ms. Nelder
continued.
"Different consultants will be hired to
look after each part of the project,"
she noted. They will conduct
interviews with key people to get their
ideas on what the vision should be.
"Last time, we had 25-30 people from
across the geographical region,"
Ms. Nelder pointed out. "We're
really hoping they'll get involved
again.
Five years ago the project was called
"LaCloche-Manitoulin: Let's Go'
This year's effort will called
"LaCloche-Manitoulin: Let's Keep Going,'
to symbolize LAMBAC's progression into
the future."
This week the consultants will begin
looking through past years' work, and
next week they will meet with a vision
group to make plans for the open public
meetings that will take place.
They plan to hold public opinion
meetings through out the latter half of
February and into March. The
meetings are being held now, Ms. Nelder
noted, to get the research done before
everyone gets too busy with the tourist
season.
"Then what we'll do is put the research
in our new strategy and the development
and implementation will be done in-house
in the spring," she said. "The new
plan should be ready for release in
mid-June."
One note of importance Ms. Nelder
emphasized, is that representatives for
the research panel will - as has been
the case in the past - be selected from
both the LaCloche and Manitoulin areas,
as well as from all across the region.
More than 200 people participated in the
consulting for the last project, and Ms.
Nelder said they came up with some
fantastic ideas, ideas that were
implemented in to the five-year plan.
"I really hope the public gets involved
and gives us some good ideas, " she
commented.
Now in its 18th year of operation, the
not-for-profit organization provides
business loans, counselling, planning
and advice to small businesses in
communities along Highways 17 from
Walford to Nairn Centre, 6 south and
throughout Manitoulin Island. It
is also responsible for strategic
planning and community development in
the area.
For more information about getting
involved with the new strategic plan for
economic development, contact the LAMBAC
office at 1-800-461-5131.
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