Feed the roots: economic development is a family affair.

Here is my strategy for economic development: let the kids do it.

The kind of development Northern Ontario needs can only grow out of the people of the North. The problem is that resource economies don't produce enough of the right kind of people.

Most northern communities were built on the "one, two, three" plan: first, resource extraction, then businesses to service the workers in the resource industry, and finally schools, hospitals and government services to service the first two.

A "one, two, three" economy creates a "one, two, three" community with a shortage of entrepreneurs in the traded goods sector. Economies grow by developing new and better products to sell to other communities. These are called "traded goods." The only traded goods produced in most Northern communities are natural resources.

In a resource town the branch-plant managers who run the vacuum cleaners called sawmills, pulp, mills and mines don't need to create new businesses to survive. The businesses in resource towns recycle the money brought in by the mines and mills. They don't bring in much new money, and almost never spin off businesses that do. The teachers, nurses and government officials in the third layer get most of their income indirectly from local taxpayers.

It is not easy to grow a new traded goods sector, but that's what we need. Part of the solution is to start with young people. Economic development is like hockey--to win at the international level you have to begin with kids at the community level.

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We have roughly 10,000 grade 12 students in Northern Ontario. If we could get just one in one hundred of these students into an Economic Development Youth Corps every year we would be on our way.

The Corps would be a team project where local Chambers of Commerce would show the kids what is involved in starting a business. Local politicians would explain economic problems and the plans they are working on. Economic development officers would explain government programs intended to promote growth. Towns could host students from other communities. One of our universities might provide a short course in economic development.

The kids could be brought together at the beginning, middle and end of the summer to build networks, talk about what they learn, and have fun. They could be taught to write an newspaper article about economic development and scheduled to make a speech when they return home. To encourage the best students, the Northern Ontario Heritage Corporation could give each kid a $1,000 scholarship.

A Youth Corps can be built quickly. United States President John F. Kennedy established the Peace Corps by executive order in March 1961 after six weeks of planning. By September they were dealing with requests from over 40 countries. In theory Minister of Northern Development and Mines Rick Bartolucci could get the provincial cabinet to issue an executive order as soon as he comes up with a plan.

Canada copied the Peace Corps in 1966 with CUSO for overseas projects and the Company of Young Canadians for domestic issues. It was replaced by Katimavik. It now has northern placements in Thessalon, Iroquois Falls, Blind River, Dubreuillville, Sault Ste Marie and Fort Albany.

Students in our Youth Corps would focus on economic development, not simple community service. Our goal is to plant the seeds of a smarter community in the minds of young people. We need our young people scheming to make our communities happier and richer.

Some effects of an Economic Development Youth Corps would have are easy to predict. More young people will stay in the North. Some will start businesses. Some will take programs to learn how to make northern communities richer. Municipalities will hire some committed young talent.

To help get the Corps underway I have been authorized by Dr. Derek Wilkinson, Director of Laurentian's Institute for Northern Ontario Research and Development (INORD) to issue a challenge to the Chambers of Commerce, the municipalities and the Directors of the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund. Indirectly it is a challenge to the Ministry of Northern Development.

INORD will supply the academic training and on-campus organization for the first year if the Chambers, municipalities and the Ministry can get together to do the rest.

The kids in the Youth Corps can't supercharge the Northern economy all by themselves, but the truth is we can't do it without them.

Dave Robinson is an associate professor of economics at Laurentian University. He can be reached at [e-mail].