25 Years of Success in Northern Ontario
New success stories will be regularly added throughout the course of our 25th anniversary year. Check back for more!
Atikokan’s Big Catch: popular fishing tournament nets huge rewards
The Atikokan Bass Classic has grown in 25 years into one of the biggest fishing festivals in the province. It also proudly boasts of being “The Funnest Bass Tourney in the Great Northwest!”
Northern Ontario School of Medicine: Preparing the next generation
For Dr. Roger Strasser, the Founding Dean of the Northern Ontario School of Medicine (NOSM), this latest accolade is not a surprise. For the fourth year in a row, the School was awarded top spot in the country for sending its graduates into rural practice training by the Society of Rural Physicians of Canada.
NORCAT: Accelerating Business Development in Northern Ontario
From humble beginnings to a celebrated model of success, the Northern Centre for Advanced Technology (NORCAT) is accelerating the development and growth of new and existing businesses.
Revving up their engines: Bikers ready to ride North to New Liskeard again
With the end of winter in their rear view mirrors, motorcycle enthusiasts are ready to head out on the highway, looking for adventure. And once again this summer, all roads lead to Temiskaming Shores in Northern Ontario for another Bikers Reunion.
Discover Abitibi: 21st Century prospecting in Northeastern Ontario
There still is gold in “them thar hills” – along with other valuable mineral deposits – but it took an innovative, community-based surveying and mapping project to help initiate exploration by private-sector companies.
Spotlight on First Nation Filmmakers
As an award-winning actress, writer, producer, director and visual artist, Shirley Cheechoo is more than a creative and contemporary chronicler. She is also an educator, a leader and the inspiration behind a unique artist-focussed training centre on Manitoulin Island that is helping produce a new generation of modern-day storytellers.
Voyageurs’ Lodge & Cookhouse: Superior Service on Batchawana Bay
Gail and Frank O’Connor had nothing against living in southern Ontario, but after 14 years in London, they were anxious to return home to Lake Superior country where they still owned a recreational property. It would take a wholesale career change, however, for the O’Connors to make it happen.
Raising the Roof on Northern Ontario’s Economy
The winter of 2010 was a watershed moment for Julio Cacoilo as he realized his dream of acquiring Kent Trusses Limited, a building product manufacturer located in the Sundridge area. Until then, the Northern Ontario company had been struggling to turn a profit but Cacoilo was convinced he could transform the organization into a thriving business, while continuing its legacy of quality products and superior service.
Francophone games attract thousands to Greater Sudbury
Since its inception in 1999, Les Jeux de la Francophonie canadienne has ranked as one of the largest gatherings of francophone youth in Canada. Held in a different Canadian city every three years, Les Jeux offer a unique opportunity for young people aged 13 to 18 to demonstrate their talents in three categories – art, leadership and sports.
Great Spirit Circle Trail: visitors to Manitoulin Island retrace Aboriginal Ancestry
When tourists from around the globe arrive on Manitoulin Island by land, water or air, they are setting foot on a picturesque and magnificent land rich with the wisdom and culture of a thousand-year-old civilization.
Reaching for the Sky: A Parry Sound company flies high producing bush planes
Over thousands of square kilometres of rocky pre-Cambrian shield, dense Boreal forests and muskeg, plus a seemingly infinite number of pristine lakes, Northern Ontario’s final frontier was conquered in part by fearless pilots in their magnificent flying machines.
Hotel 105 Bar & Grill: keeping guests well-rested and well-fed in Ear Falls
Back in 2005, after 20 years in banking in her hometown of Ear Falls, Pat Dornan decided she wanted to own her own business.
Thornloe: The renaissance of cheese
Many visitors travelling through the abundant farm lands of the Temiskaming valley in Northeastern Ontario are delighted to discover that this fertile region also produces some of the finest tasting cheeses in the country.
Bright Idea: Lakehead University research lab sheds light on innovative technology
It was an auspicious occasion in June 2011 at Lakehead University in Thunder Bay when representatives of FedNor, the Province of Ontario and the school officially opened a state-of-the-art semiconductor research laboratory.
Moose Factory Island’s Youth Centre: a positive place for personal growth
It took years of vision and planning but, with a $370,000 FedNor contribution, the First Nation community was able to finally build the John R. Delaney Youth Centre, opening its doors in July of 2009.
Collège Boréal: supplying Northern Ontario with skilled trades workers
FedNor contributions totalling almost $1 million helped to build the first phase of the School of Trades and Applied Technology (École des métiers et des technologies appliqués (ÉMTA) in Sudbury in 2006, and supported the architectural costs of a new campus in Timmins, which officially opened in 2009.
Plush with Success: An interior decorator who keeps clients comfy
Laura Moore is well known in Northwestern Ontario for the stylish and comfortable sofas and chairs she designs, produces and upholsters at her shop in Kenora. But, as the owner of Image One Designs, Laura rarely has time to sit around and relax in any of her custom-made furniture.
The Northern Ontario Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative: Developing Business Leaders of Tomorrow
The Northern Ontario Youth Entrepreneurship Initiative is the brainchild of the North Claybelt Community Futures Development Corporation (CFDC). What began as a pilot program in 2001 to help youth at risk has evolved into a series of nine programs designed to encourage young people between the ages of 7 and 29 to explore and develop entrepreneurial skills.
West Nipissing Industrial Park - Thinking Local, Going Global
The Municipality of West Nipissing, located in the heart of Northern Ontario between Sudbury and North Bay, is open for business. This family-friendly community boasts a thriving business sector and a fully serviced industrial park that has helped create jobs by attracting the attention of national and international organizations.
AFNOO: 35 years of achievement and success
Established in 1977 as a not-for-profit umbrella organization for 23 groups and association across eight cities in Northwestern Ontario, AFNOO continues to develop projects and activities designed to foster the cultural, educational, political and economic well-being of Francophones, thirty-five years later.
On the Waterfront: putting communities on the path to success
North Bay’s historic waterfront promenade is attracting large numbers of tourists and locals alike as the city continues to pursue an ambitious development plan for the downtown’s crown jewel.
Thrill of “The Chill”: a Bistro sees its business booming in Geraldton
Geraldton’s newest restaurant is a hit with local residents and travellers on Highway 11 in Northwestern Ontario.
On a mission to grow Northern Ontario
An investment of $75,000 through FedNor’s Economic Development Initiatives (EDI) in support of official language minority communities, enabled RDÉE to expand the reach of this initiative in Northern Ontario.
Niigon Technologies: For this First Nation manufacturer, the future is now
Along the picturesque shores of Georgian Bay, near Parry Sound, stands a shining model of industry and technology amid the tall pines that surround Moose Deer Point First Nation.
Charting a Course with Destiny
The Community Development Corporation of Sault Ste. Marie & Area, in partnership with FedNor and key community economic development stakeholders, played a pivotal role in helping the municipality turn its economy around in the wake of the restructuring of the city’s major employer, Algoma Steel, in 2001.
FedNor Youth Internship jump starts a career
It’s been a smooth and swift transition this fall for Michael Saad as he settles into his new job at Nipissing University in North Bay.
The Royal Agricultural Winter Fair: Welcome to Northern Ontario!
When the doors to the world’s largest annual indoor fair open wide on November 2nd, visitors will once again enjoy a ‘taste’ of Northern Ontario.
Northern Ontario’s Angels: Watching over entrepreneurs
When teams from around the world arrive in Calgary for the 2012 World Junior Hockey Championships this December, they’ll need a place to store all of their apparel and equipment during the tournament.
Manitoulin Streams – Environmental stewards reel in the awards
Trolling for ten pound Lake Trout or down-rigging for giant Coho salmon in the deep chilly waters of Lake Huron has made Manitoulin Island a must-fish destination for anglers from around the globe.
Rene Fink: Entrepreneur of the Year
Rene Fink remembers the day in 1997 when he approached his employer in Timmins about a promotion. When the heavy equipment manufacturing company he worked for turned him down, Rene decided to promote himself.
Northern Ontario Francophone tradition grows while stimulating new economy
Following a Francophone symposium at Laurentian University, participants didn’t want the momentum to end without a celebration. What began as a one-time event attracting 400 Francophones has turned into a 40-year tradition.
KO-KNET: Connected to the World
Keewaytinook Okimakanak’s Kuhkenah Network, commonly referred to as KO-KNET, was established in 1994 by the chiefs of Keewaytinook Okimakanak (Northern Chiefs Tribal Council) to develop and support the delivery of information and communications technologies (ICT) and related services in remote and rural First Nation communities across Northern Ontario.
Francophone Initiative Creates Jobs and Opens New Markets
When a consulting firm based in Timmins needed a bright young mind to develop new software, the company turned to an exciting initiative created by the North Claybelt Community Development Futures Corporation through its partnership with FedNor.
A Harvest to Remember: the year the International Plowing Match came to Northern Ontario
With the hay in the barn and the canola crop harvested, the fertile Temiskaming valley played host to one of Ontario’s most historic and popular agricultural expositions in 2009. That September, the population of the Town of Earlton ballooned as thousands of farmers, farming businesses and visitors flocked to the region for the International Plowing Match and Rural Expo (IPM).
Cinefest: Northern Ontario’s hottest ticket for cinema buff
When the lights dimmed and the curtain lifted for the inaugural Sudbury International Film Festival in 1989, few people in the audience could have imagined a ‘star’ in the making. But with the 24th edition ready to roll out the red carpet Sept. 15 - 23, Cinefest has grown to become the fourth largest film festival in Canada.
Norfab – Building from the ground up
Mel DeGagne knows a thing or two about putting a roof over your head. The president of Norfab Building Components Ltd. in Fort Frances, Ontario, has been a leading manufacturer of roof and floor trusses for a quarter of a century forging a progressive and diversified products company through the years.
Memories of the Wind and Water in Dryden, Ontario
The pristine Wabigoon chain of lakes, which cradle the City of Dryden in Northwestern Ontario, is a magnet for recreational boaters enjoying a day on the water or serious anglers looking to land a record catch. But Wabigoon, an Ojibwe word for ‘flower’, is also a familiar destination for another breed of outdoor enthusiasts: windsurfers.
Connecting Chapleau - better living through broadband access
Over vast distances of Northern Ontario, hundreds of communities along the King’s highways are now linked to the information highway as part of FedNor’s support for expanding broadband.
The Adventure Starts Here – Tourists Flock to Spectacular Georgian Bay Coastal Route
With thousands of new and returning tourists visiting the area each year, Ontario’s Georgian Bay Coastal Route (GBCR) is recognized as a premier Canadian travel destination.
Food lovers get a taste of Northern Ontario agriculture
Again this summer, food-lovers from across Ontario and eastern Canada will make a pilgrimage to the small community of Ville Marie, Quebec, for a giant celebration of haute-cuisine better known as La Foire Gourmande de L’Abitibi-Témiscamingue et du Nord-Est ontarien.
Program leads women entrepreneurs to business success
Taking its name from the Latin word for “I am ready,” the PARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise helps women across Northern Ontario start, grow or build new business opportunities.
