Team Northern Ontario dissolved.

A change in FedNor's trade export strategy for Northern Ontario has resulted in the regional development agency disbanding its Team Northern Ontario (TNO) network and laying off their trade advisors.

The program's term was set to expire April 30, but FedNor opted not to renew the pan-Northern Ontario trade network in its present form.

Trade advisor positions in North Bay, Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie and Thunder Bay are being eliminated.

In an e-mail to their community host organizations, FedNor director general Louise Paquette states the regional development agency is embarking on a new trade strategy to market Northern Ontario to the world.

The new model won't be ready by the end of April.

"We believe this new approach will address the administrative challenges of pan-northern delivery and result in increased export sales for Northern Ontario firms," she says in her e-mail.

"You should also know that there may not be a position available for the current trade advisors under the new structure. I trust this is adequate notice should you choose not to keep your trade advisor employed within your organization."

Paquette was not available for comment.

Carmen DeMarco, FedNor's northeastern regional manager, says the decision was not politically motivated by the change in government, but was reached internally after months of study and evaluation. He says there were no issues with the network's results, but adds that not all of the organizations were working cohesively.

"We had a whole bunch of organizations we were trying to work through and they're not all on the same page. There was lots of activity going on and we were quite happy, but maybe they were not all heading in the same direction."

He explains the TNO structure was "too spread out" among five communities across the North. Under discussion is a proposal to scale back from five host organizations to two, one each in northwestern and northeastern Ontario, for better management and coordination purposes.

"Administratively, it would be easier to do it that way."

The number of advisors required for the new model is also under discussion.

The advisors were stationed with host organizations including the North Bay Chamber of Commerce, the City of Greater Sudbury, Sault Ste. Marie Economic Development Corporation and the Northwestern Ontario Development Network.

Last November, Team Northern Ontario received the Community Export Development Award from the Ontario Chamber of Commerce.

The network was established in 2002. Its members had organized trade missions in recent years to Sweden, Finland, Germany, Italy, Atlanta, Detroit and Chicago.

Jay Aspin, a North Bay-based trade advisor, says disbanding the network is killing some of the momentum they've created in their outreach programs.

"Our group really started to build a lot of momentum and a lot of tremendous economic business initiatives for Northern Ontario, and I certainly hope FedNor can develop a model to further international business development for Northern Ontario soon.

Aspin expressed gratitude to FedNor for the opportunity.

"I put my heart and soul into this," says Aspin. "I believe it's important for Northern Ontario (and) I think we really have to find a way to expand this and take advantage of international business opportunities in the 21st century."

Aspin says he feels the trade network made good headway by establishing contacts and organizing visits with several international trade representatives.

"We just got started and merely scratched the surface."

fednor.ic.gc.ca

By IAN ROSS 

Northern Ontario Business