LINDSAY LAFRAUGH
03/26/2008

 
A $25-million allocation from the province for a new Thunder Bay-based bio-economy research centre focused on forestry couldn‘t be more exciting for the city, says Northern Development and Mines Minister Michael Gravelle.

Gravelle (Thunder Bay-Superior North) said the idea was originally tossed around only six weeks ago when Research and Innovation Minister John Wilkinson visited the city.

Wilkinson reportedly spoke with Mayor Lynn Peterson and Lakehead University president Fred Gilbert about such a research centre, that Gravelle says will be industry-led and likely work with the university and Confederation College as well as the municipality.

He said now that the money is in place, details will have to be worked out by Wilkinson‘s ministry.

“I will be honest, I did not expect to see it in the budget, so I am extremely happy about it,” Gravelle of the “major commitment.‘‘

Meanwhile, a three-year $1.5-billion program announced Tuesday to help retrain workers who are unemployed because of the ailing manufacturing sector, is stirring mixed feelings around the region.

Marvin Pupeza, national representative for the Communications Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada, had yet to see the details of the program Tuesday night, but said he is looking forward to learning more about it.

“Retrain (to do) what?” he said while listing some of the questions he has about who and where the money will go to for retraining.

Pupeza said in the grand scheme of things, it is likely only a few people are going to benefit.

“Looking at unemployed forestry workers right now I would think that very few would be able to access any of those moneys because, where are the jobs going to be?‘‘

Confederation College president Pat Lang said she, too, is looking forward to seeing more details about the program.

“Obviously (the money) is something that is in great need in Northwestern Ontario, given the changing economy that we are facing, and we are certainly looking forward to hearing more of the details related to that program,” she said.