The Institute of Northern Ontario Research and Development (INORD) was established in 1986 by Laurentian University to promote research in the social sciences and related disciplines on a broad range of issues facing Northern Ontario. It has become a “think-tank” for Northern Ontario issues.

The Institute has three main activities:

1. INORD Facilitates independent academic research by Laurentian faculty. INORD has assisted with funding proposals, helped to organize project teams, provided secretarial and administrative support, arranged for publication, and when funds were available, distributed research funds.

2. INORD acts as Laurentian University’s point of contact for those from outside the university seeking special research expertise. To give an actual example, a far Northern Ontario Aboriginal band council which needs a community development study may ask us for assistance. INORD’s role is to identify the university’s research potential in the area, put together an appropriate research team, work out the details of the contractual agreement and provide the necessary supervisory and administrative infrastructure for the project.

3. INORD actively promotes the study of Northern Ontario. Typically the Director promotes research on issues he or she believes deserve attention, organizes conferences.

The Institute is headed by a Director, currently Dr. Derek Wilkinson, selected by the INORD Council, which has representatives appointed by University departments engaged in social scientific research related to Northern Ontario. There are representatives from Economics, Geography, History, Political Science, and Sociology and the Faculty of Commerce.

INORD is committed to developing the knowledge and capacities needed to create a dynamic, diversified and sustainable economy and society in Northern Ontario that is known for its artistic and intellectual contributions to the world, that holds its people and develops their capacities to the fullest, and that attracts talent from around the world.

Paul Stothart - Vice President, Economic Affairs - Mining Association of Canada

For a number of reasons, natural resource development in the Canadian North is emerging as one of our country’s most exciting economic policy issues. Climate change, the human resources gap, high mineral prices, potential economic benefits to aboriginal groups, northern sovereignty, and the efficiency of environmental review processes are among those national issues that are closely integrated with northern resources and that will influence the pace of development.

The relationship between natural resources and northern development has been hit and miss throughout Canada’s history. It presently remains very unclear whether the necessary array of variables will fall into place, leading to a sustained boom in northern economic development, or whether key pieces will go missing and the full long-term economic potential will again be missed. In this sense, one could logically have either an optimistic or pessimistic take on future developments.

On the positive side, there are three general variables that should lend an air of optimism. First, the level of mineral exploration spending underway in northern Canada can best be described as staggering. Driven by historically high global mineral price levels, companies will spend some $440 million in the three northern territories on mineral exploration and deposit appraisal in 2007, up from $160 million five years earlier. Approximately one of every 20 dollars in mineral exploration worldwide is being spent in the three Canadian territories. Companies are seeking potential developments in uranium, diamonds, gold, and other minerals in northern Canada.

Read the rest of this entry »

Dr. David Robinson - Laurentian University Economics Professor

drobinson@laurentian.ca

For an economist, these are interesting times. The accumulating American triple deficit – on trade, the government budget and household spending – finally caught up with the people who live by lending. We get to see the most vehemently capitalist governments nationalizing banks and supporting the value of vast pools of imaginary assets. We even get to watch executives leaping off tall buildings with their golden parachutes.

For the mining industry and industry suppliers, the times are more than just interesting. Economic growth is utterly dependent on what the mining sector produces, and good times in the mining sector depend on economic growth.

The question on everybody’s mind as this column goes to press is whether the lunatics in the financial sector have actually pushed the world economy off the tracks. They have done it before.

The most common view out in the infosphere is that a world recession is almost inevitable. The majority of guesses say it could last six months to two years. There are a few who think the world will end, and a few who think that unprecedented co-operation among governments will have unprecedented results.

No one really believes that the long run story has changed. The BRIC nations – Brazil, Russia, India and China – still have the population, the potential and the momentum they had when Goldman Sachs identified them in 2001. They have been driving world growth, with help from the American consumer. Those BRIC consumers are just getting going.

Rio Tinto chief executive Tom Albanese reminded shareholders in October that China’s economy is driven far more by industrialization and urbanization than by exports to the USA. The company expects demand in China to strengthen across a range of Rio Tinto products.

Read the rest of this entry »