Energy Task Force and CityOfficials meet withMinister of Energy

LakeheadUniversity Names

FormerCanadian

Ambassador asits Eighth

Chancellor Nishnawbe AskiDevelopment Fund

Introduces NewExecutive Director and

Initiatives for 2013

Do You Want anUmbrella or a

Parasol?

“MAKING ITHAPPEN”

Retiring a millionaire may be

easier than you think

HELPING WOMENENTREPRENEURS

SUCCESS INNORTHWESTERN

ONTARIO

NOSM FacultyMembers Honoured

by College ofPhysicians and

Surgeons of Ontario

February 2013

PAGE 2 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013

Greetings faithful readers, I am hoping thatyou find this new format helpful, informa-tive, useful and thought-provoking!

Making OpportunitiesUnder the leadership of Joe Moses of theRBC a new committee of the Chamber ofCommerce has been formed, the"Aboriginal Opportunities Group" whichhas been tasked with finding ways to seizethe potential from mining and other invest-ments happening in our community. This isnot your typical one-way street. Wealready should understand that if our Cityis to prosper then the entire Region has tobe part of the picture. Whether it is job-training to meet future needs or inclusionof our neighbouring communities in lobby-ing the Province and the Feds we willachieve presenting an united front. Thankyou Joe for your initiative.

Speaking OfWhen it comes to making commitments itreminds me of a business guy who came tothe Chamber demanding that they "dosomething" about taxes. A reasonablerequest for sure except that he had nevermade the step to become a Member of theChamber! It is one thing to complain, it isquite another to expect others to carry the

load. In spite of many predictions to thecontrary the Chamber remains an effectivevoice not only for business but for theentire community. Indeed regionally theNorthwestern Associated Chambers of

Commerce are articulate and focused inbringing our similar concerns to the fore.There was a time not too long ago whenthe politicians and business folks disagreedon just about everything and took theirdivergent cases to the other orders of gov-ernment. The Federal and Provincial gov-ernments just waited as the divided posi-tions delayed actions. I am really encour-aged by the new era of communication andcooperation.

Chiefs and MayorsIn October of last year an historic meeting

was hosted by the Fort Frances Chiefs'Secretariat. They invited the Mayors andReeves of the Rainy River District to talkabout issues of common concern. It wasmy honour to be asked to Chair the meet-ing which turned out to be a very honestand open groundbreaker. Last week it wasthe Rainy River District MunicipalAssociation's turn to follow-up on theplans of the initial session. Again, verypositive results in the formation of aWorking Group who will take the prioritiesand coordinate actions. This is such anexcellent example that, "Working TogetherReally Works" (good memory if yourecalled this as my second term Mayoraltyslogan!) BTW Obama used my first term'sslogan (Yes We Can)! The Chiefs andMayors will be appointing 1 rep and meet-ing in a few weeks. We are well aware ofthe strength of an united front using oursuccess when the First Nations joined ourlobby for a Full medical school. In fact Ihad a chance to thank former PremierErnie Eves at an interesting event inTarana (translation:Toronto"!

Thanking BombardierOn very short notice local business leaderand Past Chair of the Chamber took a verytimely initiative to assemble a group ofbusinesspeople to hop a plane and head

down to a special lunch meeting ofToronto's Board of Trade. The guest speak-er was none other that Bombardier'sInternational President Andre Nevam.Craig's idea was that we make our pres-ence known to publicly thank Bombardierfor their faith in our community and thegrowth from 157 to today's 1400 jobs atour plant.We received lots of recognition for makingthe effort and we (Mark Wright, Rob Bell,Tere MacDonald, Tim Heney and JohnAiken) were particularly pleased when theToronto Transit Commission acknowl-edged that it was not often that Cities cameto show gratitude. Thanks Craig and team.

Gastronomic ObservationIsn't it fantastic to see the number ofincredibly good restaurants investing inour community! Welcome All !

Respectfully submitted,Ken BoshcoffCouncillorCity of Thunder Bay

Retiring a millionaire

may be easierthan you think

(NC)—Reaching retirement with $1 mil-lion in your RSP portfolio is not just forthe wealthy. The reality is that if you aredecades away from retirement and havegood discipline, with the right financialplan and smart investments, retiring a mil-lionaire can be an achievable goal.“For young people with a steady andgrowing income, the amount that you needto start putting away to retire with a goldennest egg later in life may be smaller thanyou realize,” says John Tracy, a senior vicepresident at TD Canada Trust.Tracy provides his top tips on how to getyou on your way to retiring comfortably -and maybe even a millionaire:• Stat now –The biggest advantages youhave when you are young are time and thepower of long–term growth potential andcompound interest. When combined withthe tax-deferred growth within an RSP,these are effective wealth building tools.• Make saving regularly a habit – It can bedaunting to find a chunk of money to con-tribute to your RSP before the annualMarch deadline. Instead, set up a regularpre-authorized transfer of a portion of yourpaycheque into your RSP.

• Move from saving to investing – Oneeasy way you can invest in your RSP iswith mutual funds. Mutual funds offer awide variety of options aligned to yourpersonal investment style. An automatedplan allows you to buy more units whenprices are low and fewer when prices arehigh to take advantage dollar cost averag-ing. While it doesn't guarantee a profit, orhelp protect you against a loss, it can resultin a lower average unit cost over time.

www.newscanada.com

MAKING IT HAPPEN"

2013 Deadline, Printing and Distribution Dates

Issue Ad Copy Deadline Printing Deadline Distribution Date Topic4 pm Friday Tuesday Friday/Monday

February January 28 February 4 February 5 RRSP’s

March February 26 March4 March 5 Forestry/Mining

April March 26 April 2 April 3 Transport

May April 23 April 29 May 1 Construction

June May 21 May 27 June 3 Report OnThunder Bay

July June 25 July 2 July 4 Manufacturing

August July 307 August 6 August 7 Environment

September August 27 September 3 September 5 Education

October September 24 October 1 October 2 Native Business

November October 22 October 29 November 3 Health

December November19 November 25 December 1 Technology

January December 17 December 23 January 2 Fitness

Please contact our sales department at 807-623-2348 or Fax 807-623-7515 or email nspinc@tbaytel.netPlease note we use the Mac system and Quark Express as well as Photoshop. We can accept PDF, EPS, Jpegor Tiff files as well as Quark Files. Perhaps PDF is the best. Also we can build your ad using Quark. Pleaseprovide your images or orginal copy and allow 2 to 3 days to complete the ad and provide a proof to you. Inserts can be done as well. Please contact us for more information.

North Superior Publishing Inc. Thunder Bay, ON. P7B 5N3 • Phone 623-2348 • Fax 623-7515

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 3

The people of Quebec have a passion forthe sport of snowmobiling. It was fun forme to travel to the town of Saint Raymondfor three exciting days of riding on theircomprehensive trail system. It was veryeasy to fly to Quebec City from my home-town of Thunder Bay. You have yourchoice of many flights on Air Canada,West jet or Porter. After leaving at 8am Iwas in the beautiful Quebec City terminalbuilding at 12:30 and ready to begin myadventure.

Annie Martel of the Development Officeof Saint Raymond was there to meet meand we began our 40 minute drive east toSaint Raymond with lots of snow evidenton the ground. Our first stop was to theHotel Roquement which features 44 roomsincluding 17 brand new with an recentaddition, as well as dining area, bar andeven a gated compound to store yoursnowmobile. This hotel caters very muchto the snowmobiler and offers packagesthat feature breakfast and dinner included.This very nice property is located right onthe trail that allows you to explore 500 kmin Saint Raymond alone!

A few miles away is Quebec’s largestSki Doo dealer, Dion Moto. They offer 702012 and 2013 Ski Doo rental sledsincluding the GTX, MXZ Renegade andExpedition models featuring 600 ACE and1200 4Tec engines. You can also get allyour clothing if required from boots to hel-met.The cost to rent your Ski Doo can rangefrom around $200 to $288 per day and thatincludes all taxes,trail permit and insur-ance. There is what they call a franchisedeposit of $1500 to $3000 in case of anaccident. Dion Moto also has guides avail-able that will travel the whole trip withyou and show you the area in style.Another great feature of Dion Moto is theywill pick you up at the Quebec City airportand bring you to their location eliminatingthe need for a rental car.

Dion Moto is a very impressive snow-mobile dealer that sells 500 sleds per yearincluding 300 brand new and 200 used Ski

Doos. Their market is 60% from the areaincluding Quebec City and 40% from thenorthern regions. They have 35 employeesand operate from a 25,000 square feetbuilding. Very interesting is their buildingpreviously was a motel operation. Theypurchased the building and have made it

their own including large showroom, rentalarea, enclosed sled storage and even a usedshowroom in the basement. It is reallyquite impressive and great to see if you arean snowmobile lover. The rental side ofthe business sees 60% of their businessfrom Quebec and area and 40% Europeanpeople. The European audience rides dur-ing the week and weekends the renters arefrom Montreal and Quebec.

It was fun to talk to Mr. Dion with Annieas my interpreter. “ He likes to ride snow-mobiles but doesn’t have the time today.Mr. Dion used to do 5000 km a season butnot now. In Saint Raymond the snowmo-bile is much more popular than ATVbecause there are more trails for snowmo-bile,” said Annie Martel. “ We have 1300trail permit members in Saint Raymondand the trail system works only because ofvolunteers . We can start the season aroundDecember 15th and ride until March 15th.You can also travel a bit more north andride until April 30th.” The trail permitscosts if you bring your own sled is $280until Dec 8th and $340 after that. We hadour 2013 Ski Doo Expedition 600 ACEand were ready to begin our snowmobileadventure the next day.

Our first ride was to Lake Edward, 160kilometers one way up into the mountainsto Demain Lake Edward. The day wasbright and sunny, about -9 degrees Celsiusand our group of 11 was ready to put onsome kilometers! The first thing I noticedriding was the excellent marking of thetrails. You had signage everywhere youneeded and this makes you feel more com-fortable riding in a new area. Of course ourguide today was the local SnowmobileClub President who knew the trails like theback of his hand and also had a GPSmounted on his sled!

“ We are in Port Neuf Capital National,the 03 region which used to be calledQuebec. In Saint Raymond we have 500kms of trail and the district has 7 or 8clubs. The snow conditions have beenexcellent and were open before Christmastime. We can get 250cm to 400 cm of

snow per year,” said Christine Clouthier,General Manager of Development forSaint Raymond- Residential, Commercialand Tourism. “ The trails are groomed 4times a week and kept it in good conditionwith 10 volunteers and 4 groomers. In thetown the trail is on the old railroad track

and in the summer becomes a bicycle trail.We have people coming here to ride fromOntario, Vermont, Maine and New York.They come back year after year becausewe have lots of snow and they like theconditions. Also they can do some loopsand come back to the same hotel everynight if that is what they prefer. There iseven a storage location for snowmobilesyou can rent near our town offices. Wehave Americans who store their sleds thereand come here 5 or 6 times a year, buy atrail pass and ride.”

It was fun to stop along our ride in theclub shack that had the wood stove goingand made for an interior temperature of 92degrees Fahrenheit! The club has eveninstalled solar power with batteries here toprovide lighting. Our ride continued on avariety of trails some winding as well asmore open to our lunch stop at DemainLake Edward. The ride back was excellentas well with a stop at historic Relais de laMarmite in Portneuf National Park.Operator Clement Tardif, a former radio

announcer in Quebec City, served me hotchocolate and introduced a local trapperthere taking a break. The trapper showedme some of his recent catch including anotter on his I phone! Todays trapper is highteck! After this stop we hopped back on toour sleds to an ice condition. It has startedraining and made the remaining 50 kilome-ters ride back a little harder to see. Overallwe rode 325 kilometers on our trip and thiswas a great riding day. Rain in January inQuebec is pretty rare but I guess we mustexpect everything in 2013!

Our next day’s ride was to include anovernight trip to Lac St Jean and the MontValin but the rain meant we decided to staycloser to home. It was fun to ride the trailsnear Saint Raymond and one stop was toan ice fishing area, which is a passionhere. It was a carnival atmosphere on theice and the beaver tail sugary treat wasexcellent.

My last riding day included a ride toDuchnesnay Station Touristique that is a 5star hotel that used to host the famous ICEHotel operation in Quebec. Their buffetbreakfast is well known and was a realtreat to experience. The food options aregreat in Quebec and the people are verypassionate about their food.

My last night’s stay in Saint Raymondwould be at the historic La Bastide bedand breakfast. This 110-year-old propertyfeatures 7 rooms each with their ownbathroom and fine dining at it’s best. It islocated in the village setting of SaintRaymond and snowmobilers can ride theirsleds right to the back door. La Bastideoffers snowmobiler packages includingbreakfast and a 5-course fine dining expe-rience if you choose. It is a fun place tostay and offers a contrast to the traditionalhotel setting of today.

My trip to Saint Raymond was excellentand included 600 Kilometers of greatsnowmobiling. The people here were ahighlight of the trip. The small town natureof the area meant everyone you met wasvery genuine and ready to help at all times.Their goal is to make your time there spe-cial!I would like to thank Christine, Dave andAnnie for all their help during my visit andI hope to return again one day.

www.motoneigesaintraymond.comwww.villesaintraymound.cawww.dionmoto.comwww.bastide.cawww.roquemont.com

Great Snowmobiling at Saint Raymond,Quebec

Publisher’sNoteScott

Sumner

The Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerceis adding their support to the NorthwesternOntario Municipal Association (NOMA)following the release of the EndangeredSpecies Act Panel Report andRecommendations (ESA) Monday January21. The Chamber is also urging theOntario Government to take immediateaction to fulfill their commitment and toact on the forest sector recommendation3.5-3a of the ESA Panel report and devel-op a regulation under the ESA which rec-

ognizes the Crown Forest SustainabilityAct (CFSA) as equivalent to the ESA in itsprovision for species at risk. We also askthe government to disregard the contraryproposal 3.5-3b which would increasecosts to the industry unnecessarily.“The ESA has created a lot of uncertaintyfor the forest sector, and unless immediateaction is taken, this uncertainty willremain”, states Harold Wilson, ChamberPresident, adding, “Ontario’s forest sectoralready provides for the protection ofspecies at risk and their habitat under theCFSA and other provincial legislation.”

Forestry is in fact, one of only a few sec-tors in the province to have class approvalunder Ontario’s rigorous EnvironmentalAssessment Act (EAA). “By acting on thisspecific recommendation the provincialgovernment will be sending a clear mes-sage that Ontario is in fact “open for busi-ness”, adds Wilson, noting that the govern-ment had committed to developing such aregulation during the development of theESA.The Chamber was also very pleased withrecommendation 3.6-6: It is recommendedthat formal socio-economic assessments beincorporated into the process of the devel-opment of Habitat Regulations andGovernment Response Statements and that

periodic reviews of the broader impactsand benefits of the legislation be undertak-en. Such assessments should be sharedwith the public and stakeholders in a time-ly and transparent manner.The Thunder Bay Chamber successfullychampioned a similar resolution at theOntario Chamber of Commerce AGM May5 in St. Catherines which is now OCCPolicy:The Ontario Chamber of Commerce urgesthe Government of Ontario to: Conductand release publicly socio-economicimpact assessments of all legislation, regu-lation, and policies that could reduce theprovincial fiber supply and/or reduceaccess to the land base/natural resources.

Did you know?

OTTAWA, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - Jan.23, 2013) - The Government of Canadahas extended the Hiring Credit for SmallBusiness (HCSB) for 2012. The 2011 fed-eral budget created the HCSB to createjobs, grow the economy and support smallbusinesses.

If you are self-employed, you may be eli-gible for the hiring credit for small busi-ness. This credit gives small businessesrelief from the employer's share ofemployment insurance premiums paid in2012. The credit of up to $1,000 will beautomatically credited to your payrollaccount.

Facts about the HCSB-- The HCSB is a credit of up to $1,000.

-- The actual amount credited (up to$1,000) is equal to the increase in

the Employment Insurance (EI) premi-ums paid by a business in 2012 over

those paid for 2011.

-- The HCSB is available to employerswhose total employer EI premiums were

$10,000 or less in 2011. Employers whocreated a new business in 2012

may also be eligible.

-- The credit is automatically appliedwhen a business files a 2012 T4

information return. To be eligible, the2012 T4 return must be received

prior to January 1, 2016.

-- Eligible employers who have outstand-ing debt are still eligible for the

HCSB. The Canada Revenue Agency(CRA) applies the amount of the credit

to reduce any outstanding debt owed.

-- For more information, go towww.cra.gc.ca/hiringcredit.

PAGE 4 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013

(NC)—The days are starting to get longer,and you can feel that spring is right aroundthe corner. With spring, of course, comestax-filing season, so as “filing taxes” joins“spring cleaning” on your to-do list, hereare 10 ways to save you money—and evenland you that refund you've been hopingfor.

• Tax-free savings account: Using a TFSAis a smart way to save on tax. Generally,the interest, dividends, and capital gainsearned on investments in a TFSA are nottaxed—not when they are held in theaccount or when they are withdrawn.

• Registered retirement savings plan: Payless tax and save for your retirement at thesame time. Any income that you earn inyour RRSP is usually free from tax as long

as the funds stay in the plan.

• Charitable donations: Donations of cash,goods, land, or listed securities made to aregistered charity or other qualified doneemay be eligible for a tax credit.

• Parents: All those mornings spent at thehockey rink and afternoons spent at theballet studio can mean savings—with thechildren's fitness and arts tax credits. Childcare is also deductible, so gather up yourreceipts.

• Family caregivers: If you have a depend-ent with a physical or mental impairment,you could be eligible for an additional$2,000 this year with the new family care-giver amount.

• Student: Were you a student in 2012?

You may be able to claim tuition, textbook,and education amounts, as well as movingexpenses if applicable. And if you'verecently graduated, you can claim the inter-est you paid on your student loan.

• Public transit amount: If you are a publictransit rider, you may be able to save byclaiming the cost of your transit passes.You can get up to 15% of the amountclaimed.

• Seniors: If you receive income from apension, you can split up to 50% of eligi-ble pension income with your spouse orcommon-law partner to reduce the taxesthat you pay. You may also be eligible toclaim the age amount, medical expenses,and the disability amount.

• Home buyers: You may be able to claim

up to $5,000 if you bought your first homein 2012.

• Hiring an apprentice: Did your businessemploy an apprentice? An employer whopaid a salary to an employee registered in aprescribed trade in the first two years ofhis or her apprenticeship contract qualifiesfor a non-refundable tax credit.

Make filing your taxes this spring eveneasier by doing it online. It's fast, secureand you may be able to use cost-free filingsoftware. The Canada Revenue Agencyoffers step-by-step instructions atwww.cra.gc.ca/getready.

www.newscanada.com

10 ways to reduce your tax bill

Thunder Bay Chamber of Commerce Calls onGovernment to Take Action for Forest Sector

Tax Tip: The Hiring Creditfor Small Business Has Been

Extended

Ottawa, January 28, 2013 – The miningsector in Canada’s North is forecast toalmost double its output and employ-ment by the end of the decade – stag-gering growth compared to theCanadian economy as a whole.Achieving this outcome, however,depends on greater efforts by industry,governments and communities toaddress key issues including infrastruc-ture, regulatory uncertainty, skills short-ages and Aboriginal rights, according toa Centre for the North report, TheFuture of Mining in Canada’s North.

The Conference Board of Canada fore-casts that Canada’s overall northernmetal and non-metallic mineral outputwill grow by 91 per cent from 2011 to2020, a compound annual growth rateof 7.5 per cent. In contrast, theCanadian economy is forecast to growby an average of just 2.2 per cent annu-ally over this period.

The annual gross domestic product ofmining in the north, which was $4.4 bil-lion in 2011, is expected to reach $8.5billion in 2020 (both figures in constant2002 dollars).

Northern Ontario’s mining output willexpand by 66 per cent from 2011 to2020, a compound annual growth rateof 5.8 per cent. A number of new proj-ects will boost metal mining production.More than 11,000 Northern Ontario res-idents were employed in the miningsector in 2011, and an additional 7,000Northerners will be needed by 2020 dueto the growth forecast in metal mining.

HIGHLIGHTS• Inadequate or non-exis-

tent infrastructure is often the greatestdeterrent to mining development in theNorth.

• Skilled labour short-ages pose a risk to this growth.

• Aboriginal rights mustbe respected, and communities must beconsulted, for projects to be developedsustainably.

“Mining is the future economic driverof Canada’s North. To fully reap thebenefits of this potential, we must findthe right balance between risk andopportunity,” said Anja Jeffrey,Director, Centre for the North. “Forinstance, governments need to be con-scious of how changes to the regulatoryenvironment can affect communitiesand industry. Strong efforts to ensure afavourable business climate can leavecommunities feeling vulnerable. Goingtoo far in the opposite direction can actas a deterrent to investment.

“Equally importantly — and amplifiedright now by current Aboriginaldemands for greater self determination— is the need for trust betweenAboriginal communities, governmentsand industry. Many northern andAboriginal regions continue to worryabout the effects that mining projectsmay have on their lands and on theenvironment. Such issues can only beresolved through dialogue.”

Community engagement and environ-mental protection has improved inrecent decades, and the business climatein Canada has been stable. But impedi-ments to sustainable growth remain.The report identifies six main issuesand potential solutions.

Improvements to regulatory processes.A solution to cumbersome regulationsand duplication among governmentsmay be to conclude more transparentimpact and benefit agreements – allow-ing companies to accommodate localresidents’ needs and give communities achance to participate in negotiations.

Inadequate or non-existent infrastruc-ture. The lack of transportation, energyand communities infrastructure is thebiggest obstacle to northern miningdevelopment. Companies currently pro-vide much of their own infrastructure -public-private partnerships could relievethem of some of these costs.

Shortage of skilled labour. Women, newCanadians and youth are under-repre-sented in the mining industry. TheNorth’s Aboriginal population couldsupply many new workers, but

Aboriginal peoples will require educa-tion and training needed to work inmining.

Engagement of local and Aboriginalcommunities. Mining companies needto demystify their activities.

Communication that begins at the outsetof a project and continues through thelife of the mine is vital. So are the set-tlement of outstanding land claims andthe conclusion of resource agreements.

Environmental stewardship. Despite asubstantial improvement in the indus-try’s environmental performance inrecent decades, communities still havelegitimate concerns about the ecologicalimpact of projects on natural habitatsand traditional lands.

Clarity around mine closure. In addition

to implementing sustainable practicesduring production, the industry mustdevelop plans for mine closure, decom-missioning and reclamation – in collab-oration with the local communities.

The Conference Board of Canada’sCentre for the North works withAboriginal leaders, businesses, govern-ments, communities, educational institu-tions, and other organizations to pro-vide new insights into how sustainableprosperity can be achieved in the North.The Centre will help to establish andimplement strategies, policies and prac-tices to transform that vision into reali-ty.

Each year the College of Physicians andSurgeons of Ontario (CPSO) honoursmembers of the College who demonstrateoutstanding achievement. Candidates forthe CPSO’s Council Award are nominatedfor demonstrating excellence in the cate-gories of: Medical Expert/ClinicalDecision Maker; Communicator;Collaborator; Gatekeeper/ResourceManager; Health Advocate; Learner;Scientist/Scholar; and, Person andProfessional.

Recently, the CPSO released the names ofthe 2013 recipients of the Council Award.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicine(NOSM) is thrilled to announce that twoout of the four recipients this year areNOSM faculty members. It is with greatpleasure that NOSM congratulates Drs.Yvon Gagnon and Paul Mulzer on theiroutstanding achievement.

Since the School’s opening in 2005, sever-al of NOSM’s dedicated faculty membershave been presented with the CouncilAward, which honours “OutstandingOntario Physicians.” Past recipientsinclude:

Dr. Mark Dahmer Dr. David Marsh

Dr. George Freundlich Dr. MalvindaParmar Dr. Robert Hamilton Dr. JaniceWillett Dr. William McCready Dr. Diane Zielke Dr. Shelagh McRae

“It gives me great pleasure to congratulateDrs. Yvon Gagnon and Paul Mulzer as thisyear’s College of Physicians and SurgeonsCouncil Award recipients.” expressed Dr.William McCready, Acting Dean ofNOSM and Associate Dean of FacultyAffairs at NOSM. “It is exciting to see fac-ulty members at the Northern OntarioSchool of Medicine recognized for excel-

lence by the College. These faculty mem-bers are part of a vast network of Northerneducators and mentors of an entire futureof health-care providers,” he said.

The Northern Ontario School of Medicineis committed to the education of high qual-ity physicians and health professionals,and to international recognition as a leaderin distributed, learning-centred, communi-ty-engaged education and research.

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 5

NOSM Faculty Members Honoured by College ofPhysicians and Surgeons of Ontario

MINING IN CANADA’S NORTH EXPECTED TONEARLY DOUBLE BY 2020

Leaders and experts from the City ofThunder Bay, Northwestern OntarioMunicipal League (NOMA) and FortWilliam First Nation met today with theHonourable Chris Bentley, Minister ofEnergy and officials from Ontario PowerAuthority (OPA) to present and discuss thecomprehensive energy needs of the region.

“It’s encouraging that Minister Bentleytook time out of his busy schedule toattend this meeting. The Energy TaskForce and the OPA had a very engagingsession and have identified the areas wherewe are on the same page and where we dif-fer,” said Mayor Hobbs.

“We were under the impression that aresolve would not happen today and thatmuch more dialogue has to take place on aregular basis, and we intend to do that.”

Members of the Energy Task Force pre-sented an overview of the implications ofthe current and future supply of energyrequirements, the historical and projectedload analysis and comparisons of the num-bers that OPA is supplying compared to thetask force.

“The mining companies that are looking atNorthwestern Ontario need certainty in ourenergy for them to invest here and producetheir products,” said Councillor IainAngus, Co-Chair of the Energy TaskForce.

“From our perspective we want to makesure that we have the power we need whenwe need it, and the closure of the ThunderBay Generating Station will create a gap.”

The group’s requests included retaining theThunder Bay Generating Station (TBGS),immediately converting it to natural gasand operate the facility to full capacity.

They also want to develop supply plans tomeet several future deadlines, develop con-tingency plans for the full development ofthe Ring of Fire and develop and imple-ment transmission links to key communi-ties in the region.

Mayor Keith Hobbs, City of ThunderBay“ I want to thank the Minister of Energyfor coming to Thunder Bay. We had some

very engaging talks with the Energy Taskforce and OPA today as well as withMinister Gravelle and will work togetherand find some common ground. There aresimilarities when we talk but we have dif-ferent opinions on what the mining indus-try is going to need and we need to sortthat out. You have to be happy when youmeet face to face. The government is

engaged, OPA is engaged as well as thetask force. I am a half glass full guy andwill remain positive. My former career wasevidence based and we need to produce theevidence to justify the action.”

Chris Bentley, Minister of Energy.“ There has been excellent work done bythe Energy Task Force with a lot of verydetailed work. Our commitment from thebeginning has been to make sure that the

Northwest including Thunder Bay has theenergy it needs today as well as into thefuture. We have been encouraged to take aregional approach to the energy needshere. Infrastructure takes many years and alot of planning to get right and the moreinformation we get the better. This meetingwas crucial to gaining the informationneeded and in the coming weeks more dis-

cussion will take place to make sure theNorthwest achieves it’s full economicpotential. I am looking forward to the nextsteps. I was determined not to come inwith a conclusion until I hear from thepeople in the Northwest. After all theinformation is together we will produce areport. The OPA has done lots of study andanalysis for example on the First Nationsenergy needs, the Musselwhite Mine andgeneration station. The success of theNorthwest is to gain the best information.It is important to get the experts togetherand understand what the power require-ment may be.”

Michael Gravelle, Minister of Forestry“ This was the meeting that needed to takeplace. Everyone that spoke today stated theneed to get the OPA and Energy TaskForce together to listen to each other. Frommy perspective it is the commitment ourgovernment made and the commitment ofthe OPA as well, to meet the energy needsthat are going to be in the Northwest, par-ticulary with the exciting economic oppor-tunities coming forward. It was a wideranging and very honest discussion and Iam pleased this was a worthwhile meetingthat will lead to more complex discussionswhere we will work towards to the sameshared objectives.”

Iain Angus, Energy Task Force“ We got more agreement than not. The

biggest difference in on the load side.Through the work of John Mason of theCEDC, we have identified the mines com-ing on stream until 2020 and identified theload requirements. We are confident thosemines will come on stream when they saythey will but the OPA has a more conser-vative view of that, so part of the challengeis to give the OPA the confidence that themines will come on stream. We can’t builda mine on might, we have to build it onfacts and numbers.”

PAGE 6 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013

BY SCOTT A. SUMNERThunder Bay BUSINESS

Energy Task Force and City Officials meet withMinister of Energy

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 7

Lakehead University is proud to announcedistinguished former career diplomat,entrepreneur and political strategist, Dr.Derek Hudson Burney, as its eighthChancellor.

“Dr. Burney is an accomplished individualwith a national and international reputationand deep roots in Thunder Bay,” saidLakehead University President and Vice-Chancellor, Dr. Brian Stevenson.“Lakehead University is honoured that thisformer ambassador to the United Statesfrom 1989 – 1993 will now represent ourgreat university at home and abroad."

As Chancellor, Dr. Burney will use hisexperience, contacts and wisdom to fulfillvarious duties, including the promotion ofLakehead University’s diverse local,national and global interests. In addition,Dr. Burney will have the authority to grantdegrees at Convocation and represent theUniversity at special occasions.

“I am personally honoured to accept thisappointment and look forward to repre-senting Lakehead University as a beaconof academic excellence in my home town,”said Dr. Burney, an Officer of the OrderCanada.

“We are very fortunate to have as our newChancellor someone with so much energyand vast experience in diplomacy, busi-ness, politics and academe,” said Mr.Cameron Clark, Chair of the Board ofGovernors at Lakehead University. “Dr.Burney will help us achieve our strategicgoals and connect us to the world.”

Dr. Burney is Senior Strategic Advisor toNorton Rose Canada LLP. He is Chairmanof GardaWorld’s International AdvisoryBoard, a Director of TransCanadaPipelines Limited, a Governor of theOttawa Hospital Board of Governors and amember of the Advisory Board ofParadigm Capital Inc.

Dr. Burney was President and ChiefExecutive Officer of CAE Inc. fromOctober 1999 until August 2004. Prior tojoining CAE, Dr. Burney was Chairmanand Chief Executive Officer of BellCanada International Inc. (1993-1999). Dr.Burney’s assignment as Canada’sAmbassador to the United States culminat-ed a distinguished thirty-year career in theCanadian Foreign Service, during which he

completed a variety of assignments athome and abroad, including a period as aDeputy Minister of External Affairs.

From March 1987 to January 1989, Dr.Burney served as Chief of Staff to thePrime Minister. He was directly involvedin the negotiation of the Canada-U.S. Free

Trade Agreement. He was the PrimeMinister's personal representative (Sherpa)in the preparations for the Houston (1990),London (1991) and Munich (1992) G-7Economic Summits.

Dr. Burney, who was born in Fort William,married his Port Arthur sweetheart JoanPeden and together have raised four boys.

Dr. Burney will take on his official dutiesafter he is installed as LakeheadUniversity’s Chancellor in a special cere-mony at Convocation in June 2013.

The selection process for Chancellor ofLakehead University involved solicitingthe public and University community fornominations. Candidate nominations werereceived and reviewed by a Chancellor’sElectoral Board, who recommended theappointment of Dr. Burney.

Dr. Burney succeeds Dr. Arthur Mauro,who served as Lakehead UniversityChancellor from 2009 to 2012. Click hereto view Dr. Burney’s biography.

Chancellor Derek Burney

“ My commitment to education is why Iaccepted the position. I have been a longtime supporter of Confederation Collegefor more than a decade. This was a way Icould balance what I did at the college atthe level of the university. To me education

is the most important thing in life. Withoutit you can’t do very much and with it youcan do almost anything.” “ I realize it is primarily a ceremonial rolebut I know theat Dr Stevenson wants me tohelp with representing of the universityand with fundraising, bolstering the imageand attraction of the university.”“ Thunder Bay has always been a veryimportant part of my heritage as I grew upand went to school here. My mother was agreat believer in education and had veryrigid standards. She didn’t accept secondbest at any time. I like the idea of themore intimate campus. University's with50,000 students are not something I look atwith positive views. I hope Lakehead

University can maintain the intimacy.”“ If you are fortunate to run into one goodteacher in your educational journey youwill be blessed and never forget them. Iam committed to eduction because if wemaintain a good education system we openavenues for our children and grandchildrenthat very few other countries have. Where

else do you think a kid growing up in FortWilliam could become CanadianAmbassador to the US.”

President Brian Stevenson.“ We wanted to have a Chancellor to fol-low Dr. Arthur Mauro, who was a greatand wonderful Chancellor for LakeheadUniversity. We wanted someone who hadroots in the community and whom couldhelp us connect to the world with govern-ment, diplomacy and the corporate area.Dr. Derek Burney brings all these attrib-utes. The Chancellor also confers degreeswhich is an important role at the universi-ty.”

Lakehead University Names FormerCanadian Ambassador as its Eighth Chancellor

BY SCOTT A. SUMNERThunder Bay BUSINESS

MONTREAL, CANADA, January 31,2013 – Resolute Forest Products (NYSE:RFP) (TSX: RFP) today announced itsintention to build a new sawmill in thearea of Atikokan, Ontario. This invest-ment reflects Resolute’s ongoing commit-ment to the lumber business and will pro-vide significant economic opportunitiesfor First Nations in the region.

The Atikokan project will involve theconstruction of a single line randomlength sawmill with an annual capacity of

150 million board feet. Approximately 90people will be directly employed by theoperation, and additional indirect posi-tions will be created for hauling finishedlumber and residual chips. Final siteselection in the Atikokan area will becompleted in the next few weeks, andconstruction is anticipated to begin in thespring, with completion targeted for early2014. The capital cost of the project isestimated at C$50 million.

“We believe in our lumber business andwe’re taking action to grow and improve

it. The new random length sawmill willcomplement our existing lumber productmix in Ontario and will allow Resolute toimprove our product offering to cus-tomers in central Canada and key marketsin the United States,” stated RichardGarneau, President and Chief ExecutiveOfficer. “We are particularly excitedabout the active involvement of FirstNations in the project and the opportunityfor shared economic benefit that this rep-resents.”

When the Atikokan project is complete

and the Company’s upgraded Ignacefacility re-opens, Resolute will have threemodern sawmills in NorthwesternOntario, with a combined productioncapacity approaching approximately 600million board feet. In addition to produc-ing lumber, the sawmills will also con-tribute to the long-term competitivenessof the Company’s pulp and paper opera-tions in Thunder Bay through the supplyof residual chips, as well as supportefforts to reposition the currently indefi-nitely idled pulp mill in Fort Frances.

Today’s announcement was welcomed byOntario Natural Resources MinisterMichael Gravelle. “This is extremelygood news for the economy inNorthwestern Ontario, and specificallythe Atikokan area. I am particularlypleased to see Resolute’s proactive effortto involve First Nations in a manner thatcreates opportunities and shared benefit.Our Ministry has worked hard with FirstNations and municipalities to increaseopportunities for direct involvement inthe rebounding forestry sector, andtoday’s announcement is a real indicatorof the progress we have made,” saidMinister Gravelle. “We welcome theadditional investment by Resolute inOntario. Over the past 18 months, theCompany has announced over C$175million of capital infusion into theprovince, and I am certainly encouragedthat a new sawmill in Atikokan couldpotentially make a positive contributionas Resolute continues to look at viableoptions for its Fort Frances pulp mill.”

PAGE 8 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013

How to boost staff loyalty - without buy-ing it

by Jeff Mowatt

If you think you have staffing shortages,you ain't seen nothing! Come to my town,Calgary, Alberta and we'll talk. The econo-my of this boom town is so overheated thatmanagers and business owners are scram-bling to hang-on to even mediocre employ-ees. Far too many managers figure the onlyway to gain staff loyalty is to buy it. That'sa myth - and it's an excuse that youshouldn't accept of yourself or other man-agers. Of course money is important - butthere is another way to gain employee loy-alty that doesn't cost a thing.

I'm referring to employee recognition. Justhow important is this to employees?According to the landmark studies inemployee motivation spearheaded by Dr.Kenneth Kovach at George MasonUniversity, the second biggest motivatorfor employees is recognition. Number oneis interesting work- which requires aninvestment in staff training. Since I want tofocus on zero cost ways to increase staffretention, let's talk about recognition. Thequestion you need to ask yourself is, "Doyou recognize the performance of youremployees as much as you know youshould?" For most managers and businessowner the answer is a cold, hard no. Ithink the simple explanation is managersget so busy they tend to forget to expressappreciation to the people who deserve it.Although, this is generally an oversight, it

is an expensive oversight.Employee recognition is relatively cheap,yet it has a tremendously high payoff interms of morale, reduction in staffturnover, and most importantly customersatisfaction. I believe part of the problemis that when you work with employees fora long time, it's hard to find creative waysto recognize them. Plus, mangers tend toview employee recognition as being a scat-tering of random events rather than anongoing process. Fortunately, there is asystematic on-going process for recogniz-ing your employees that goes far beyond

an isolated slap onthe back.

Recognition inCAST Meetings©

I'm referring torecognition that hap-pens in a CAST

Meeting. CAST stands for CustomerService Team Meeting. CAST is a month-ly, 90 minute in-house forum where man-agers and front line employees discusshow to enhance the customer experience.Of five elements that are covered in aCAST Meeting, one of the most motivat-ing is the agenda item I call ServiceLegends. At this point in the meeting,managers point out specific incidentswhere certain employees have providedexceptional service. The employee is askedby the manager to share the details of theincident with everyone and why they didwhat they did. Then the whole group joinsin a round of applause for the person.

When you see employees literally cheeringeach other on for providing exceptionalservice, you know that the customer-focused culture is growing roots. That wascertainly the case with one of our clients, agovernment-run vehicle-registrationdepartment...

During the Service Legends portion of aCAST Meeting, a manager asked 'Richard,'a vehicle-registration clerk, to share withthe group what happened when a customerphoned and asked for a refund cheque.Richard explained to the group the dire cir-cumstances that the person was in. He real-ized that 'standard practice' was to mail thecheque and the customer would receive itin a couple of weeks. However, it didn't sitwell with him, so he drove the check overhimself that same day. He introduced him-self and said that he figured she could usethe refund right away. "You could see thattears were welling in her eyes as shethanked me. I was really glad I did it." Atthat point in the CAST Meeting the grouperupted in heartfelt applause for Richard.Richard's co-workers and supervisors weredoing more than expressing their supportfor what he had done; they were alsodemonstrating their pride in the way peo-ple in their department respond to the indi-vidual needs of customers. That story, andthe fact th at the manager brought it toeveryone's attention, provided a lot of les-sons about customer service that no policywill ever be able to convey.

That's recognition based not on seniority,

but service. And the approval doesn't justcome from the employees' supervisors, butfrom their peers. Most importantly the sto-ries that emerge become your own in-house parables that serve as wonderfullearning examples for everyone. In otherwords, the CAST Meeting's ServiceLegends piece transforms recognition intopart of your ongoing education processthat people learn from.

We all want to do well - and be recognizedfor doing so. Of course people need to bepaid market value for their services. Buthard cash is cold. You'll warm the heartsand the loyalty of your team memberswhen you take the time - and have aprocess - to recognize actions that merittalking about. It doesn't cost a thing and inthis marketplace - and with the impendingstaffing shortages that all the experts areforecasting - it just may make you theemployer of choice.

Customer service strategist and profession-al speaker, Jeff Mowatt is an authority onThe Art of Client Service . . . Influencewith Ease®. For Jeff's other tips, self-studyresources, and training services on thistopic, click Improving the Sales andService Culture.This article is based on the criticallyacclaimed book Becoming a Service Iconin 90 Minutes a Month, by customer serv-ice strategist and professional speaker JeffMowatt. To obtain your own copy of hisbook or to inquire about engaging Jeff foryour team, visit www.jeffmowatt.com orcall 1.800.JMowatt (566.9288).

Becoming the Employer of Choice

Resolute Announces Sawmill Investment inNorthwestern Ontario

The Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund(NADF) has introduced Brian Davey asthe new Executive Director of the organi-zation. Brian previously worked asNADF’s Special Initiatives Advisor, andhas a very strong background in economicand business development. “ We arepleased to have someone lead our organi-zation of such a high calibre,” said NADFBoard Chair Arlene Meekis. “ Brian bringsmany talents to our team, having spent thelast 30 years working on First Nationissues in both the private and public sectoras an independent business person and insenior management positions. He alsoserved six years as Deputy Grand Chieffor Nishnawbe Aski Nation.”

“ The Fund has been around for 22 yearsand has disbursed $30 million in loans,created 2000 jobs and maintained 545businesses with funding. Our job is to con-tinues to do that kind of business. We wantto create wealth and prosperity in our com-munities, that is what we are all about. Ourprimary purpose is to create wealth andprosperity in the Nishnawbe Aski Nation,”said Brian Davey. “ We do this throughproviding loans and business advisoryservices including business support withbusiness plans, some equity financing and

administering some of the governmentprograms. We are more tolerant of risk andfund small and medium businesses. A goalwe have is to establish as equity fund tohelp business access the loans.”

“ My goal is to grow our organizationfrom a $30 million asset base to $60 mil-lion in 5 or 6 years. We need to make

strong gains in taking advantage of thepending opportunities particularly as isrelated to mining. NADF needs to dowhat we can to be a part of the overallbusiness development. Most of our work isin the business opportunity side. We wantto strengthen the relationships with FirstNations business and others.” said Davey.

Currently the NADF has a staff of 15and are hoping to more than double that to30 in the upcoming months. “ The govern-ment is looking to us to develop capacityand promote the climate of entrepreneur-ship. We want to provide better opportuni-ties for our youth including at the Ring of

Fire. We need to gear up and get into over-drive.” noted Davey. “ We give advice onwhat we can do for the client. It could be ayoung entrepreneur who has an idea. Welook at management with some experience,a track record and committed customersand if they have done it before. We canhelp in expanding their markets. Our focusis small and medium business but there arelarger projects coming on stream as well.We could get a number of First Nationsinvolved and help in these projects.”

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 9

© 2013 Brian Babcock and FharaPottinger

Family law lawyers are frequently askedwhether getting legally married makes adifference anymore. Typically, the per-son asking assumes that common lawspouses are entitled to half of everythingeven if they are not married. That is notcorrect - marriage still matters.

Marriage and common-law relationshipsshare a lot of similarities but only someof the same legal protections.

A recent example is the Stieg Larssonestate. The author of the “Girl with theDragon Tattoo” series died shortly aftercompleting the third book.Unfortunately for his long term com-mon-law partner, he did not have a will.Therefore under Swedish law, she wasnot entitled to the bulk of his significant

estate.

Could something similar happen inCanada? Absolutely!

We like to compare marriage and com-

mon-law to an umbrella and a lacy para-sol. Marriage is an umbrella – the rightsand protections of each party are clearlydefined. The lines are straight and thespokes are sturdy. When dealing with alegally married couple in the event of adeath or a separation and divorce, all ofthe rights and obligations are spelled outby the law. There is a lot of protection.

A common-law relationship is more likea lacy parasol that people use to shade

themselves from the sun. The generalshape (the relationship) may be the sameas marriage and does offer some protec-tion, but not as much. If a common-lawspouse wants all of the protections andrights that are offered by legal marriage,they need to paper over those holes.

If a couple chooses not to marry, theyneed to legally “paper” over the gaps inprotection.

For example, they could:

1. hold all real property as joint ten-ants;

2. hold bank accounts and otherassets in joint names;

3. make certain that debt is also heldjointly;

4. name beneficiaries with respect to

pensions, RRSPs, TFSAs, life insuranceetc.;

5. ensure there are properly executedWills and Powers of Attorney; and

6. ensure there is a properly executedcohabitation agreement, which remainsthe best means of defining the financialterms and consequences of a relation-ship.

Or they could just get married…but thatis a decision each couple must maketogether.

We at Weilers have over 60 years ofexperience in helping couples ensuretheir assets and their rights are protected.Whether or not to marry is still up tothem.

Do You Want an Umbrella or a Parasol?

LegalMatters

OurNorthern Industrial Electricity Rate

program is creating jobs andprosperity.

Proud that our government hasextended its commitment to NIER

for another three years!

Nishnawbe Aski Development Fund Introduces NewExecutive Director and Initiatives for 2013

BY SCOTT A. SUMNERThunder Bay BUSINESS

(NC)—Are you putting off the annualtask of filing your tax return? With a lit-tle guidance it doesn't have to be diffi-cult and time-consuming. This year forexample, why not save yourself theheadache and file online? Just think: nomore broken pencils, no mountain ofpencil shavings, and no waste bin full ofcrumpled papers. Even if you've alwaysfiled on paper, you'll find that breakingyour routine will save you time.

Here are a few more benefits of filingonline:

• Filing online is fast: It cuts the process-ing time of your return from up to sixweeks to less than two weeks. Combineonline filing with direct deposit and youcould have your refund in your bankaccount in as little as eight days. Usingdirect deposit is also the quickest andeasiest way to get your benefit and credit

payments.

• Filing online is secure: The CanadaRevenue Agency, or CRA, uses the samehigh level of online security that yourfinancial institution uses to protect yourbanking information.

• You may file online for free: Find a listof certified online filing software andweb services at www.netfile.gc.ca.Thelist includes free and paid options.

• Filing online is simple: The certifiedsoftware package does all the work foryou. All you have to do is fill in theamounts, and the software does the cal-culations. No more worrying about miss-ing out on credits, benefits, and deduc-tions that you may be eligible for. Onceyou've filled out your forms using yoursoftware program, it creates a “.tax” filethat you then send to the CRA throughtheir NETFILE system. Once CRA

receives the file, you'll get a confirma-tion number and you're done.

• You may be able to make a paymentonline: If you have a balance owing, youmay be able to use online banking to payyour tax bill, the same as you wouldyour cable bill. Talk to your financialinstitution about online payments.

If you need help, check outwww.cra.gc.ca/getready for step-by-stepinstructions. Also, grab a copy of last

year's return—it will serve as a reminderof where to focus as you fill out yourreturn for 2012.

www.newscanada.com

(NC)—Have you started saving for retire-ment? No matter what your age, theanswer for most adults should be “yes”.

According to a recent study by the InvestorEducation Fund (IEF), more than four-in-10 Canadians (44 per cent) aren't saving orinvesting for retirement. On average, themost common reasons for not saving orinvesting were lack of income (48 percent) and too much debt (27 per cent).

“Many people seem overwhelmed by thedemands on their finances, but the realityis that the sooner you start saving forretirement, the better off you'll be,” saysTom Hamza, the president of IEF. “Even ifyou start small, investing over 30 years orlonger has a powerful effect on growth.”

The value of compound growth is that thelonger you save, even small amounts cangrow significantly. For example, if youinvest just five dollars a day for 30 years atan interest rate of five per cent, your sav-

ings will grow to just over $125,000 –including more than $71,000 in interest.

In addition to putting the power of com-pounding to work for you, Hamza addsthat saving in a Registered RetirementSavings Plan (RRSP) can give you addi-tional benefits. Any contributions youmake in an RRSP are tax-deductible, andyou don't pay tax on your earnings untilyou withdraw the money. “Together, taxdeferral and compound growth pack a one-two punch for growing your savings,” says

Hamza.

The compound interest calculator atwww.GetSmarterAboutMoney.ca can showyou how savings can grow over time.

www.newscanada.com

PAGE 10 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013

HELPING WOMEN ENTREPRENEURS SUCCESS INNORTHWESTERN ONTARIO

Mauro announces $178,500 to expandPARO microlending program

Women in remote communities will soonhave more access to small business loans,as the PARO Centre for Women’sEnterprise will receive $178,500 to expandand adapt its programs in NorthwesternOntario.

Through the Microlending for Women inOntario program, six not-for-profit organi-zations, including the PARO Centre forWomen’s Enterprise in Thunder Bay, willreceive funding to support low-incomewomen who are seeking to start their ownbusiness. These organizations will offerfinancial literacy training, entrepreneurialmentoring, skills development, and lifeskills support – and this new allocationwill allow PARO to expand its microlend-ing program into more remote communi-ties.

Women who become business-readythrough these programs will be eligible toreceive small loans, or microloans, to starttheir own business. Close to 400microloans will be given out across theprovince.

Helping women succeed in business is partof the McGuinty government’s plan to cre-ate new opportunities for jobs and growth.

QUOTES

“This program will help low-incomewomen in small communities by givingthem the necessary support and skills tosucceed as entrepreneurs. Getting a loancan help start new businesses that will con-tribute to Ontario’s economy.”

- Bill Mauro, MPP Thunder Bay-Atikokan

“Finding the financing to start a businessin remote communities is challenging tosay the least. This new Ontario fundingallows us to extend our successfulwomen’s peer lending circle model toremote communities to help meet thesechallenges. Because we know and under-stand the realities of starting a business inremote communities, PARO is raisingmoney from investors and donors to add asmall grant component to make this initia-tive even more valuable to women in thenorth.”

– Rosalind Lockyer, Executive DirectorPARO Centre for Women’s Enterprise

“Women are best able to support them-selves and their families when they areempowered to become financially self-suf-ficient. Microlending has been proveneffective in lifting women out of povertyhere in Ontario and around the world -

allowing women not only to survive, but tothrive.”

— Laurel Broten, Minister Responsible forWomen’s Issues

QUICK FACTS • Ontario is funding six

not-for-profit organizations across Ontariothat will support low-income women whoare seeking to start their own business.

• Microlending programshave been found around the world to besuccessful in lifting women out of poverty.

• Microloans are tradition-ally targeted towards low-income individu-als who lack the credit history or collateralto start their own businesses.

Start saving now and watch your nest egg grow

Save time by filing online

There are over

100 million websites.

Website design, development & hosting. Search engine optimization. Custom applications.

www.sencia.ca 1.888.817.3707 info@sencia.ca

corporate web solutions

THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013 PAGE 11

by MNP LLP - Grant Bazian, Presidentwith MNP's Insolvency Inc. ( based outof Edmonton Alberta)

1. Recognize the signs of financial dis-tress. The first step in dealing with debt is torecognize the warning signs that you arestruggling financially:

• continually going overyour spending limit, spending more thanyour earned wages;

• using credit cards as anecessity;

• living from one paydayto the next;

• borrowing money fromfriends or relatives to make ends meet;

• garnishment of wagesfor outstanding debts;

• only paying the interestor service charges on monthly bills;

• pressure from creditorsor collection agencies;

• utilities and serviceshave been cut off due to unpaid or latepayment of bills.

2. Goal setting The second step is to set goals that helpyou pay down debt:

• have a large debt-freegoal in mind, but break it into smallergoals that are easier and faster toachieve;

• use tracking tools tohelp you eliminate unnecessary spend-ing, stay motivated and keep on track;

• encourage yourself witha journal or pictures of what you want todo once you're debt-free.

3. Do your homework There are many resources to assist youwith managing your debt. Look into theoptions first to see what's right for yourunique situation:

• credit counselling com-panies are available and may assist youif you're having troubles making a budg-et and sticking to it. Note: services maydiffer from province to province;

• a government licensedTrustee can provide you with personal-ized advice on debt management andhelp you determine which strategy isright for you including filing a consumerproposal or declaring bankruptcy;

• beware of servicesoffering quick credit fixes or instantdebt removal as some of these are "toogood to be true" and may end up costingyou more in the long run.

4. Start taking action • set a budget and stay

within it; • begin paying bills on

time - paying bills late incurs additionalinterest charges and can affect yourcredit rating;

• eliminate impulsespending and evaluate "want to buy vs.need to buy" items.

5. Mini-rewards

Tackling your debt can be tough! Onceyou've started to manage your debt,build in mini-rewards so you don't feellike all you do is pay bills and neverhave any fun. Work mini-rewards in toyour monthly budget such as going to acoffee shop once per week, or a dinnerout once a month to give yourself a bitof a break from feeling debt fatigued. Find out More For more information on frequentlyasked questions about debt and bank-ruptcy, or to test drive our online DebtCalculator or Budget tracker workbook,visit MNPDebt.ca.

About MNP Ltd. For more than 50 years, MNP Limitedhas helped individuals resolve theirfinancial problems by offering life-changing debt solutions tailored to each

person's unique situation. With govern-ment licensed Trustees located in over70 offices in British Columbia, Alberta,Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Quebec andOntario, MNP Limited offers an unpar-alleled depth of Canadian consumer andcorporate insolvency expertise to thoseexperiencing financial difficulty.

About MNPMNP is one of the largest charteredaccountancy and business consultingfirms in Canada, providing client-focused accounting, taxation and con-sulting advice. National in scope andlocal in focus, MNP has proudly servedindividuals and public and private com-panies for more than 65 years. Throughthe development of strong relationships,MNP provides organizations with per-sonalized strategies and a local perspec-

tive to help them succeed. For moreinformation, visit www.MNP.ca.

Tips for Dealing with Debt

Thunder Bay, Ontario

Next Issue of

Thunder BayBusiness

Forestry & Mining

Ad copy DeadlineFebruary 20th

Contact Sylvia at 623-2348

www.northsuperiorpublishing.com

PAGE 12 THUNDER BAY BUSINESS FEBRUARY 2013