I am very excited about our keynote speaker for this year’s Annual General Meeting on February 3rd at the Valhalla Inn. Mr. Frank Smeenk is a key individual in the development of the mining claims in the “Ring of Fire” area due north of Greenstone. While his company, KWG Resources, and its subsidiary, Canada Chrome Corporation, is one of the most talked about mining plays of the past year, most people in our community remain unaware of the activity that is taking place. An even bigger challenge, which has been mentioned to me, is “Why would our business community, especially our small business members, care about this development, and how could it help them?” OK, let’s go…

This mining development is one of many that are in an area of Northwestern Ontario that is still largely untapped. The Chromite deposit, described as one of the best high-grade bodies in the world, is an essential element in production of stainless steel. We were looking for a speaker who had three attributes: dynamic, knowledgeable; writes cheques; Mr. Smeenk covers those bases. In September, he commissioned an engineering firm to prepare for the construction of a 350 km rail line from Nakina north to the Ring of Fire. Many of us remember when, as a business community, we got largely scooped by other communities, including Sault Ste. Marie, when Hemlo opened up – we sat back and expected to reap the work. This time, we need to be a lot more proactive about ensuring that the resulting expenditures to develop these mining sites comes to Northwestern Ontario, and that Thunder Bay maximizes the benefits that will come. Billions of dollars of expenditures. This is new money that can flow into our economy, and this will find its way throughout our business community, regardless of where business fits in, including our mining suppliers, local retailers and also our not-for-profits.

This project and others surrounding it are huge opportunities for Northwestern Ontario. We all need to find out how to help. See you February 3rd.