Our Organization - Northern Development Division

The Northern Development Division works to help Northern Ontario develop its economy. It also delivers a variety of government programs and services in the North relating to:

• Community and Regional Economic Development
• Transportation
• Community Infrastructure

The division has four sections:

The Regional Economic Development Branch has a team of northern development professionals based in each of the North’s six largest cities (Kenora, North Bay, Sault Ste. Marie, Sudbury, Thunder Bay and Timmins), as well as professional representatives in a number of smaller communities across the North. Team members work with northern communities, institutions and businesses to help them identify economic development opportunities in key economic sectors. Team members also help communities develop proposals and apply to government funding programs.

The Strategic Development Branch has four units:

• The Trade, Investment and Emerging Sectors Unit supports sectors that are potential growth areas for Northern Ontario. Some examples are biotechnology, value-added wood products, and mining equipment and services. This unit helps market Northern Ontario with the goal of attracting major investors, in both existing and new areas of business, to northern communities.
• The Coordination and Analysis Unit researches northern issues, evaluates government approaches, develops government programs, provides input to policy and coordinates comments from interested northern groups to help formulate northern policy.
• The Programs and Transportation Unit delivers transportation and infrastructure programs in cooperation with other ministries, such as Public Infrastructure Renewal and Transportation. The unit is responsible for the Ontario Northland Transportation Commission and the Owen Sound Transportation Company.
• The Growth Plan/Northern Development Council Unit oversees the development of Northern Ontario Growth Plan, in partnership with the Ministry of Public Infrastructure Renewal. The unit also supports the Northern Development Councils, with representation from northern communities and various stakeholder groups, to provide input or provincial policies and programs affecting the North.
  
  

The branch also supports special initiatives of the government, including:

• the Northern Ontario Grow Bonds Pilot Program
• the Northwestern Ontario Economic Facilitator initiative
  
  

ServiceOntario operates and administers 33 ServiceOntario Centres (formerly known as Government Information Centres) in Northern Ontario. The centres make it easier for the public to get a wide range of government information and services at just one location.

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) is an agency of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines. The NOHFC has two aims:

• To work with northern entrepreneurs and businesses to help them create jobs in the private sector
• To support critical infrastructure and community development projects that will help communities improve their economies and quality of life.