ssmic

Northern Ontario Value-Added Agriculture (NOVA) Program Launches

Fri, 11 Oct 2024 13:10:35 GMT

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) has launched the Northern Ontario Value-Added Agriculture (NOVA) Program to empower agri-food entrepreneurs across Northern Ontario to develop new food products. By offering workshops, training sessions, networking events, and a mentorship program, NOVA aims to equip Northern entrepreneurs with the essential skills and knowledge needed for long-term business growth and sustainability.

Supported by $42,080 in funding from the Ontario Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness, NOVA will address the critical need for professional development in the agri-food sector. It focuses on enhancing entrepreneurial skills, improving safety and risk management practices, and providing strategies to expand market presence at home and abroad.

“The agri-food promise and potential of Northern Ontario is immense, and our government will continue to work with Northern partners like the SSMIC to help seize it,” said Rob Flack, Minister of Agriculture, Food and Agribusiness. “NOVA will help unlock more of the huge untapped entrepreneurial energy and ambition of Northern agri-food entrepreneurs to build strong local businesses, create good-paying jobs and strengthen Northern Ontario’s economy.”

Program goals include strengthened business capabilities, job creation, and increased economic activity, leading to a more vibrant and sustainable agri-food sector in Northern Ontario. By fostering public engagement with agriculture and local food, NOVA will also contribute to rural development and enhanced community well-being.

"Through the NOVA Program, we are excited to provide agri-food entrepreneurs with the tools and networks they need to thrive," said Peter Bruijns, Executive Director of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. "This initiative not only supports individual businesses but also strengthens our entire region's agricultural ecosystem."

For more information visit: https://rainalgoma.ca/programs/the-northern-ontario-value-added-agriculture-nova-training-program/

SSMIC would also like to thank FedNor the Government of Canada, and the Sault Ste Marie Community Development Corporation for their support in this exciting program.

Investing in Progress #IWD2024

Fri, 08 Mar 2024 18:34:01 GMT

Happy International Women's Day! ��

Celebrate International Women's Day 2024 with the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre as we spotlight the achievements of women-led businesses like Fit Bodies. Fit Minds. , Moon + Mana Candle Co. , and TrakrSuite Inc. !

Discover how these leaders are paving the way for a brighter future.

Video by DIG (The Digital Intelligence Group)

In the news: Harvest Algoma relaunches with a new look

Thu, 18 Jan 2024 21:52:48 GMT

By Mike McDonald and Dan Bertrand, CTV News Northern Ontario

Published Jan. 17, 2024 7:29 p.m. EST (Updated Jan. 18, 2024 12:08 p.m. EST)

The Sault Ste. Marie food security agency Harvest Algoma is starting the new year with an image makeover – but agency officials say their mission has not changed.

It was last year when the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) took over Harvest Algoma from the United Way and with new management comes a new logo.

Harvest’s general manager told CTV News they wanted a logo that better reflects the work the agency does.

That general manager is Jane McGoldrick, who was once the head chef of Harvest Algoma when it was under the United Way.

“We just wanted to give a refresh and come up with something that was creative and that kind of encompassed all of our vision as to what we see Harvest moving forward,” said McGoldrick.

“I love the new logo, I think it encompasses all of that. We got the rising sun in there, we got the farm, we got the connection to the land.”

The GM said there are many projects on the go at the agency, including a revamp of the kitchen facilities along with strengthening community partnerships – but stressed that Harvest Algoma’s mission of getting food to hungry people hasn’t changed.

“We don’t want to recreate services,” said McGoldrick.

“We’re not here to do a better job or the same job as Salvation Army, St. Vincent’s Place, the Soup Kitchen – but our role is to really, one, get the food up to the north, funnel it to those agencies that need it and so everybody can have access to good food.”

SSMIC officials said the agency is still actively fundraising as well.

“We have our ‘ Trails to Table ’ dinner event,” said McGoldrick.

“(It) is a five-course tasting menu, and an outdoor appetizer buffet, hosted at the beautiful Stokely Creek Lodge in Goulais River , and that’s one the 27th of January.”

Volunteers and staff at Harvest Algoma including McGoldrick said food prices are still impacting the agency’s operations, along with other local groups tasked with feeding the hungry. However, the GM added community support has remained strong and donations continue to come in.

View the original article on CTV News Northern Ontario here .

In the news: Research project looks to increase food production in northern Ontario

Sun, 17 Dec 2023 18:03:15 GMT

By Amanda Hicks, CTV News Northern Ontario

Published Dec. 17, 2023 3:31 p.m. EST (Updated 7:05 p.m.)

Sudbury's Collège Boréal has partnered with multiple non-profit organizations across northern Ontario to identify the barriers to local food production.

The study is supported through more than $350,000 in federal funding through the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada .

In addition to the college, the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance , the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), the Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council , and the Thunder Bay + Area Food Strategy have partnered on the project.

Boréal has been working in the agricultural research industry since 2018 and noticed the same concerns kept coming up when researchers were working with non-profit organizations.

"We noticed one of the topics that kept coming back was food security and local food procurement in the north," said Sabine Bouchard, the college’s manager of research and innovation.

"As we know in northern Ontario, food costs tend to be higher than southern Ontario due to transportation costs, but also because of the barriers and misconceptions around local food procurement."

Bouchard told CTV News that one goal of the project is to look at what is happening and understand what the barriers are on each level.

"So the producers, processors and consumers and try to see – can we connect them, is their issues in connecting them together? How can we really improve the local food procurement in northern Ontario?" she said.

The three-year project will include professors and students in the agricultural program , analyzing data collection. Questions will be answered regarding small and large consumers.

"Where do they get their food? Are they looking at local food, if not, why not? And can we help address that? Do we have the capacity to produce for ourselves and if yes what would that look like?" said Bouchard.

David Thompson, director of the RAIN said the project is exciting. RAIN focuses on building resilience in the agricultural sector in Algoma.

"So our project really aims at allowing northern producers to scale up, to the wider wholesale market for greater food security in our region, which is pretty big," he said.

Thompson told CTV News it is challenging for producers in the north to get food to market.

"Getting local food to market is tougher for producers in a region that’s three times larger than the United Kingdom," he said.

"Through the project, we see a lot of value in enhancing supply networks which we're seeing new innovations every day that can help get food to market more efficiently as well as more effectively."

While the project is still in its early stages, Thompson said the work has been successful so far.

"With the project and the growth of local food optimism, we're already starting to see some results from some producers and we're seeing some markets expanding," he said.

"We've already gotten to know producers who are successful entering the wholesale market."

The project will run until May 2026.

View the original article on CTV News Northern Ontario here .

Header image credit to Amanda Hicks/CTV News , 2023.

SSMIC 2023 Wrapped

Wed, 13 Dec 2023 19:03:54 GMT

Welcome to our 2023 Year In Review! ��

Catch a glimpse into the work that has kept all of us busy at SSMIC this year!

Some more notable milestones:

VPR presented at 11 events throughout the year and gained 89 registrants
Acorn Information Solutions attended or spoke at 9 events throughout the year and grew their team
KEyON is being used in 252 EarlyON centres throughout Ontario

A big thank you to our supporters, clients, collaborators, and our community for making 2023 a year to remember.

Tune in, turn up the volume, and let's celebrate the rhythm of innovation that kept us moving forward this year!

Concept credit to Spotify AB, 2023.

Director of Business Services Featured on CanadianSME Podcast

Fri, 17 Nov 2023 19:55:22 GMT

Exploring Opportunities in Northern Regions for Business Growth with Taylor Trecroce

By the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast

Published November 17, 2023

EPISODE NOTES

In this latest episode of the CanadianSME Small Business Podcast, we had the privilege of hosting Taylor Trecroce, a key figure in business development at the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. Taylor, as the Director of Business Services, brings a wealth of knowledge in supporting and nurturing small and medium-sized enterprises. His role is pivotal in reviewing business plans, offering strategic advice, and guiding businesses through the commercialization process. With a strong background in business administration, marketing, and economics, coupled with certifications in business modeling and incubation, Taylor is well-equipped to foster the growth of entrepreneurs in Northern regions.

KEY HIGHLIGHTS

Taylor discusses how the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre aids small businesses, focusing on the science, technology, and innovation sectors, and the unique strategies employed for their success.
Insights into the early stages of business development, with practical advice and resources available for entrepreneurs with innovative ideas.
The importance of creating communities of practice and the mutual benefits of nurturing relationships between start-ups and the broader community.
Effective approaches and strategies in business modeling that Taylor recommends to entrepreneurs for refining their business models.
An exploration of the unique opportunities for individuals and businesses in Northern regions and the contribution of the Innovation Centre to their growth.
Details about the upcoming event aimed at inspiring innovation among individuals and businesses, with a glimpse of what attendees can expect.

We extend our heartfelt gratitude to Taylor Trecroce for joining us and sharing his invaluable insights, and for the remarkable work being done at the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre in championing small businesses and fostering innovation, particularly in Northern regions. A special thank you to our partners, RBC, UPS, and Xero, for their unwavering support in making this podcast possible.

To our listeners, remember, small businesses are the pulsating heart of innovation. With the right guidance and resources, they possess the transformative power to shape our world. Keep dreaming, keep innovating, and until our next episode, stay tuned for more empowering conversations about the world of small business. Don't forget to subscribe for more inspiring content at https://canadiansme.ca/subscription/ .

View the original episode on Simplecast here .

Header image credit to CanadianSME Business Magazine , 2023.

RAIN & Acorn Partner with AgriTech North to Develop Digital Infrastructure for Regional Food System

Thu, 09 Nov 2023 21:55:41 GMT

AgriTech North on Mission to End Food Insecurity in Northern Ontario

By the Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI)

Published November 9, 2023

Food insecurity is a major and persistent problem in Canada, especially in northern regions. Approximately 7 million Canadians live in food-insecure situations.

AgriTech North is tackling this challenge head-on. The Dryden-based company runs a year-round indoor agriculture centre where it grows and sells food locally. AgriTech is addressing both the need for locally available healthy foods as well as the high cost of produce. The company says it can lower produce costs in North Indigenous communities by at least 25 per cent.

“There are some remote communities that haven’t had good quality fresh produce consistently and reasonably priced for so many generations that they eat out of a box or a can, out of necessity, which often becomes cultural and difficult to change later,” says Benjamin Feagin Jr., Co-Founder and CEO of AgriTech North.

Feagin says this has led to considerable health issues that are only exacerbated by a lack of quality healthcare in Northern Ontario. He argues that chronic dietary issues can quickly become terminal in such conditions. “As a result, the lack of affordable fresh produce causes far more significant issues in the North than it does in Southern Ontario,” he says.

To help address these issues, AgriTech North has joined a team of developers, including the Rural Agri-Innovation Network and Acorn Information Solutions , to develop digital infrastructure that would support a regional food system. The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) supports agricultural organizations, producers, suppliers, and agri-entrepreneurs in Northern Ontario. Its aim is to build a resilient farm and food sector in Northern Ontario through innovative research and agricultural development projects.

The Ontario Centre of Innovation (OCI) is supporting AgriTech North on this project through the Digitalization Competence Centre (DCC), which provides funding and programming to help Ontario SMEs better understand their technology needs and guide their digital transformation journey.

AgriTech North identified a substantial lack of digital and physical infrastructure for local food production throughout Northern Ontario, which has heavily contributed to food insecurity. AgriTech North argues that this lack of infrastructure has made it hard for local food producers to reach enough people. This differs from large urban areas where people and business have much more immediate access to each other. Throughout Northern Ontario, the cost of moving a product to a neighbouring town is more expensive, and there may only be a few thousand people at the end of that distribution chain. With DCC’s Digital Modernization and Adoption Plan (DMAP) program, AgriTech North is working to create digital infrastructure that can address these limitations.

“AgriTech North is addressing the technological limitations of ending food insecurity in the north with year-round growing,” Feagin says.

“There are a number of barriers that haven’t been addressed and manufacturers are claiming to have the solution already but, in reality, this industry still has a way to go and AgriTech North is addressing those gaps and barriers.”

Another way AgriTech North is addressing these challenges is through a different project with RAIN, Collège Boréal , and Truly Northern Farms. The team was recently awarded $1 million from the Homegrown Innovation Challenge , an initiative of the Weston Family Foundation . AgriTech’s team were one of 11 companies chosen to develop solutions that could future-proof berry and other food production in Canada.

AgriTech North is no stranger to winning awards, the startup won $100,000 from business pitch competition show Bears’ Lair on the Aboriginal Peoples Television Network . Feagin has also been named an Emerging Indigenous Entrepreneur through the RBC Rock My Business program and won $10,000 to support AgriTech North.

“AgriTech North is about more than just growing,” says Feagin. “It’s more than research and development. We are participating in a dramatic cultural shift towards healthier eating and the evasion of diet related disorders.”

View the original article here .

Photo credit to OCI, 2023.

In the news: FedNor provides funding for test kitchen for local agri product development

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 21:44:20 GMT

By Elaine Della-Mattia, The Sault Star

Published Oct 12, 2023

When Brittany Park decided to turn her personal Kombucha recipe into a commercial operation, she didn’t think it would take her a year to get off the ground.

Park, co-owner and brew master of Bloom Kombucha Co., said it was a long journey, with many obstacles and hiccups along the way, before getting her product to market.

Kombucha is a brewed, fermented tea with probiotic benefits that have health qualities to it, including aiding digestion, ridding body of toxins and boosting energy. It’s currently being sold in seven local locations, including the SooMarket.

Attempts to share corners of kitchen facilities were unsuccessful, so Bloom turned to renovating her own commercial kitchen space with the help of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) SNAPP program.

Purchasing equipment, raising capital, developing products and ensuring compliance with health regulations were slow and sometimes tedious, she said.

Product development, testing and receiving approvals were another hurdle and even finding bottles, having them shipped to Sault Ste. Marie and finding cost-effective labels were also difficult, Park said.

Those hurdles took about a year before the product was ready for shelves, she said.

“Our first obstacle was finding kitchen space and that’s why I get so excited about hearing about projects like this,” she said.

Sault MP Terry Sheehan announced Thursday that the Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (FedNor) would provide $450,000 to support the agri-food innovation sector in the Algoma District and North America.

“Not only was this work important and very much needed, but we’ve seen success after success. I’m extremely pleased to see this type of activity happen in the agri-food industry across Algoma and Northern Ontario,” Sheehan said.

The funding will allow RAIN to collaborate with agri-food partners across Algoma to provide training, mentoring and market development support, including trade show opportunities outside the region.

It will also be used to develop a shared commercial test kitchen at Harvest Algoma to support other organizations developing similar food distribution and commercial kitchen infrastructure.

The project is also designed to support innovation and improvements in packaging, processing and waste reduction, including use of up-cycled, cost-effective and sustainable products.

Sheehan said the project will create about 37 jobs, and maintain a further 44 jobs, among other things.

“The market and the people in agriculture areas are very conscious about what they purchase. They like to purchase local, because it tastes good, it’s good quality, it supports local jobs and it’s good for the environment,” he said.

Park said an incubator test kitchen would have simplified her start-up process and likely cut down on a lot of time to get her own commercial kitchen up and running.

She said she was thankful that RAIN’s SNAP and Innovation Accelerator Program were available for assistance but believes that by advancing this project, the journey will be for other entrepreneurs wanting to start their own agri-food products.

David Thompson, director of RAIN, said Park’s story is not unique and there are many other similar stories from entrepreneurs.

That’s what he wants to ensure a training-mentorship program will be created to join new entrepreneurs with more experienced ones to help guide them through the process and offer support.

Growing participation in tradeshows with area delegations at food trade shows is also important, he said, as is the establishment of the test kitchen.

He anticipates the new test kitchen will be operational next spring.

Thompson said developing the test kitchen paired well with Harvest Algoma.

“It certainly checked a lot of our boxes with things that we needed to get this started,” he said.

Thompson said Park may not have had to set up and run her own commercial kitchen at the outset, if this program had existed more than a year ago.

“She may have been able to start her prototype in the test kitchen so she could test her market. Then, after testing her market, she may have found a larger facility to create her product at an even greater scale,” he said. “What we want to help entrepreneurs do is not have to have all that up-front capital where they can be focusing on the working capital and product testing, marketing and sales.”

Thompson is confident there is a need for the test kitchen to help produce local products and ready them for market.

“There are a lot of people that are developing products in our community and our district. Some are doing things in their own kitchen . . . There is an opportunity to increase the kitchen capacity and this funding will help us get started, and help entrepreneurs get started,” Thompson said.

News Release: FedNor support will help continue development of the critical agri-food sector while strengthening the food supply chains for Canadians

October 12, 2023 – Sault Ste. Marie, ON – Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario – FedNor

Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Ministers of Labour and Seniors, today announced a FedNor investment of $450,000 in the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. The funds will help address the priorities of the Algoma district agri-food sector and promote food processing business development across Northern Ontario. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor.

Specifically, the project will help agri-food entrepreneurs in the region by providing training, mentoring, and market development support, including trade show opportunities outside the region. It will also help support a shared commercial test kitchen in Sault Ste. Marie and support other organizations developing similar food distribution and commercial kitchen infrastructure across Northern Ontario. The project will support innovation and improvements in packaging, processing, and waste reduction, including use of up-cycled, cost-effective, and sustainable products, as well as strengthening and expanding supply chain networks. Finally, it will support the development of new growing technologies including vertical farming and hydroponics prototypes.

As part of the project, RAIN will collaborate with agri-food partners in Algoma district and across Northern Ontario, including the Huron North Community Economic Alliance, Algoma University, the Algoma Community Pasture, Agri Tech North, Collège Boréal, Smart Indoor Farming, and other farming and municipal organizations. In addition to strengthening food supply chains in the region, anticipated benefits of this investment include the creation of 37 jobs and maintenance of 44 more, the expansion and modernization of 20 businesses, the creation of two strategic alliances and maintenance of six more, and the acquisition of a research greenhouse.

Quotes

“Today’s investment in the Rural Agri-Innovation Network will help small businesses grow, expand their production, reach new markets, and create good paying jobs in our region. By tapping into Northern Ontario’s entrepreneurial spirit, we are supporting communities across the region. We are also supporting a stronger agri-food sector, which ultimately means cheaper food prices for all families. We have a plan to grow and economy that works for everyone in Northern Ontario.”

The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister Responsible for FedNor

“Supporting farmers, producers, and agri-food entrepreneurs is important because they support communities, and we are proud to help create new opportunities for growth in Algoma district and Northern Ontario. This investment will help strengthen and expand agri-food sector supply chains, and it will also help ensure that good food is produced locally and remains available here at home.”

Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour and Seniors

“FedNor’s support helps make it possible for us to work with farmers and communities to build a resilient agri-food sector in Algoma region and Northern Ontario. These funds will help us develop and foster local expertise and to maximize agri-food opportunities and help our region meet its great potential.”

David Thompson, Director of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN)

Quick facts

The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) works alongside collaborators to undertake research and build relationships and capacity for producers of agricultural goods in the Algoma district and across Northern Ontario. RAIN’s team is composed of specialists with backgrounds in business, agriculture, environmental science, and marketing.

The RAIN project is a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) , a not-for-profit organization dedicated to economic development and diversification in the science and technology sectors in Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma region.

The investment announced today is provided through FedNor’s Regional Growth Through Innovation Fund (REGI) , which supports the growth of Northern Ontario businesses, their expansion into new markets, and their adoption of new technologies and processes.

VPR speaks to CBC Radio

Fri, 13 Oct 2023 14:21:00 GMT

VPR Coordinator, Shannon Maki, speaks to Information Morning - Cape Breton with Steve Sutherland

"Sault Ste. Marie was the first jurisdiction in North America to set up a Vulnerable Persons Registry, we find out how they're helping other areas including here in Nova Scotia, to set up their own."

Listen to the full clip here: Sault Ste Marie Vulnerable Persons Registry a model for others | Information Morning - Cape Breton with Steve Sutherland | Live Radio | CBC Listen

RAIN Takes the Lead at Harvest Algoma: Exciting Changes Ahead!

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 21:20:00 GMT

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's Rain division takes over Harvest Algoma

A press conference was held today to hand over the keys of Harvest Algoma from the United Way Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma District to RAIN .

See the full release issued by Elaine Della-Mattia with the Sault Star.

Weston Foundation awards $1 Million to Northern Collaborators on Berry Production Research...

Wed, 04 Oct 2023 13:41:15 GMT

spoiler alert...rain is a collaborator!

In a remarkable recognition of innovation and collaborative prowess, the Weston Foundation's Homegrown Innovation Challenge has provided a game-changing grant of $1,000,000 to 11 teams who are "future-proofing food production in Canada". At the forefront of this groundbreaking endeavor is the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's RAIN (Rural Agri-Innovation Network) division, and partners Collège Boréal, AgriTech North, and Truly Northern.

"RAIN is thrilled to join forces with our esteemed partners in pioneering an innovative, sustainable system for year round berry production in Canada," says David Thompson, Director of RAIN. " Our role centres on accelerating the development and commercialization of the these groundbreaking technologies, setting a new benchmark for environmentally responsible and economically viable agriculture."

Read more about the project: Pioneering greenhouse technologies to feed communities.

Read the full release from the Weston Foundation here .

In the news: Harvest Algoma receives good news

Wed, 20 Sep 2023 15:56:15 GMT

Algoma Steel joins with the city to rescue Harvest Algoma

Harvest Algoma is back from the brink of closure. The United Way's community food hub had been looking for another organization to take over operations for months, after growing "too large."

By Cory Nordstrom , CTV News Northern Ontario

Sept. 19, 2023 6:47 p.m. EDT

Harvest Algoma is back from the brink of closure.

The United Way's community food hub had been looking for another organization to take over operations for months, after growing "too large."

Now, the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) , a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, is set to take over.

Lori Huston, United Way's executive director, said this is a good thing for the Sault.

"With RAIN and the Innovation Centre being able to take this over it will be a huge asset to our community because they can build and expand Harvest to the capacity that we couldn't, and really built that social enterprise piece,” Huston.

RAIN director David Thompson said they want to have a wider impact on education and skills development in the community.

“And also to support the agri-foods sector, in terms of assisting agri-food entrepreneurs and producers to do product development," Thompson.

A major reason RAIN is in a position to take over is funding from the municipality and Algoma Steel, the area's largest private employer.

The City of Sault Ste. Marie recently approved $60,000 per year for the next three years towards RAIN operating Harvest Algoma. And Algoma Steel is giving $40,000 per year in the same time frame.

"With that, we're able to solidify its (Harvest Algoma) operations for the next three years," Thompson said.

Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said the decision from council was made easier because of the contributions from Algoma Steel.

"They were willing to put private dollars into it, and so the city really followed the lead of community organizations, and community enterprises,” Shoemaker said.

“This is something our community is committed to and so this is something we as council are committed to."

"In the past, the United Way had been ineligible to apply for some government funds at Harvest Algoma because of its status as a funder," Huston said.

That won't be the case going forward, said Thompson.

"We're a standalone, not-for-profit organization, and we've been very successful in the past with seeking additional funds from different levels of government, but also privately for the initiatives that we lead and support," he said.

Thompson said RAIN is in talks with other organizations for further funding commitments, and more announcements could be coming next week.

He adds that while the transaction isn't final just yet, he expects all necessary funding will be in place to take over Harvest Algoma by Oct. 3.

View the original article on CTV News here .

Header image from video with credit to Cory Nordstrom, 2023.

In the news: Harvest Algoma to receive financial support from community partners

Tue, 19 Sep 2023 17:58:41 GMT

UPDATED: Algoma Steel commits $120K over three years to support Harvest Algoma

City council unanimously voted to contribute $60K per year for three years to help Harvest Algoma transition from a charitable program into a self-sustaining social enterprise

Published by Kenneth Armstrong for SooToday

September 18, 2023

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre will go ahead with a takeover of the Harvest Algoma program with the financial support of the City of Sault Ste. Marie and a three-year funding commitment from Algoma Steel.

The Harvest Algoma program was put in place by United Way Sault Ste. Marie & Algoma District in 2017 as a way to address food insecurity in the city. Earlier this year, United Way began looking for a new home for the program, eventually landing on SSMIC and its Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) initiative.

On Monday, Sault Ste. Marie City Council was asked to commit $180,000 over three years to help the program transform from a charitable program under United Way to a self-sustainable social enterprise under RAIN — but not before the city's largest employer made a surprise announcement.

At the outset of tonight's meeting, Algoma Steel committed an additional $120,000 over three years toward the future of Harvest Algoma.

John Naccarato, vice president strategy and chief legal officer for Algoma Steel, announced the commitment at the opening of Monday's meeting, saying food security touches everybody.

“We recognize we are partners in our community," Naccarato told council."We have to help individuals, we have to provide a foundation for people to succeed and it’s our pleasure to be able to do this."

Speaking to SooToday, Naccarato said the funding doesn't come with any conditions.

“It’s really designed so they are stable with a sustainable future and some breathing room for them to figure it out,” he said.

Naccarato noted Algoma Steel was a founding member of United Way Sault Ste. Marie & Algoma District.

Later in the meeting, city council unanimously voted to support the new direction for Harvest Algoma with a $60,000 commitment per year over three years, for a total contribution of $180,000. That funding will be pulled from the city’s Community Development Fund, which holds a current value of over one million dollars.

David Thompson, director of RAIN , said there is a lot to do between now and the expected Oct. 3 takeover date. His first priority is securing funding commitments from some of the community partners that have been identified as benefiting from Harvest Algoma and can contribute to its future.

After the close date, the next priority is getting some trucks on the road to ship food up to the Sault from Second Harvest in southern Ontario. Harvest Algoma had been doing just that, but its warehouse floor has mostly been empty for months in part due to the costs of trucking and also because of the program's uncertain future.

“What we are really hoping to do is bring some trucks of food in as soon as possible because certainly the need is great out there," said Thompson.

The current skeleton crew that has been operating Harvest Algoma will be retained, said Thompson, and some additional staff will be added.

"They are the glue that is really making that place work with the volunteers," Thompson said of the current staff. "It’s important for us to maintain them."

Harvest Algoma supports as many as 70 organizations and agencies in the city to help address food insecurity. One of those agencies, SOYA, was out in force to cheer on the decision by council.

“This is good and our city needs good news," said SOYA founder Connie Raynor-Elliott, referring to both council's decision and the support from Algoma Steel.

Last Saturday, SOYA provided hot lunches to 258 people from its Gore Street depot, with much of the food provided by Harvest Algoma.

“They're seniors, they’re new Canadians, they’re students. It’s like: 'Pay your rent or eat.' That’s wrong," said Raynor-Elliott of SOYA's clientele, which they refer to as friends.

Last month, it looked like the planned takeover of Harvest Algoma wouldn't go ahead due to lack of support by community partners.

On Monday, United Way's president of the board of directors, David Gearing, said he is looking forward to his organization going from operator of Harvest Algoma to a funder.

“It was my five-year project. I was here when we bought the place and now I am here when we transfer it over," said Gearing. “We never decided to be in the food business, we just knew it was something that had to be done for the community but we could only foot the bill for so long."

"It’s still a project that we believe in, but we would rather be a donor than an operator,” he added.

Now that it will not be funding the entire operation, Gearing said it will allow United Way to concentrate on funding other initiatives in the community.

Prior to putting the city's funding commitment to a vote, Mayor Matthew Shoemaker said it isn't often that council can directly help with social problems that are usually under the auspices of the provincial Ministry of Health or Ministry of Children, Community and Social Services.

“For us to commit to its ongoing viability, to stabilize it over the next three years and see it develop into a self-sustaining or a sustainable model that is not necessarily dependent on municipal dollars going forward — it makes absolute sense to do so," said Shoemaker.

View the original article on SooToday here .

Header image credit to James Hopkin, 2019.

Vulnerable Persons Registry makes National News

Thu, 17 Aug 2023 13:23:14 GMT

Sault Ste. Marie's Vulnerable Persons Registry Adopted in Halifax

Shannon Maki; Vulnerable Persons Registry Coordinator with Acorn Information Solutions sits with CBC's "The National." Watch the full segment below. To learn more about the VPR please visit www.soovpr.com

In the news: NOHFC-Funded Internship Projects Boost Innovation in Sault Ste. Marie and Northern Ontario

Fri, 30 Jun 2023 16:23:05 GMT

Sault internship programs get provincial boost

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, Algoma University among those to benefit

Published by The Sault Star on June 29, 2023

The province is funding, through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp., 74 job placement opportunities in Sault Ste. Marie, which, the government says, will help businesses expand operations and develop Northern Ontario’s workforce.

Internship projects receiving NOHFC funding include $70,000 for the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to hire a data analyst to assist with health, social services and early childhood development projects , and a horticultural research assistant to lead activities and research to develop sustainable horticulture production systems in Northern Ontario.

The Invasive Species Centre will also receive $70,000 to hire a program development intern and a zooplankton diagnostics and research intern to conduct research and analysis that identify and prevent the spread of invasive species affecting Canadian lands and waters.

Algoma University receives $26,248 to hire a database coordinator to assist project research, manage and analyze data, and provide fundraising and administrative support.

“Creating opportunities for youth to explore new career avenues in their community is so important for our local economy,” said Sault Ste. Marie MPP Ross Romano. “The variety of companies and organizations taking advantage of the NOHFC grants includes small businesses, not-for-profits, post-secondary institutions and manufacturers, and shows the diversity of the program.”

Minister of Northern Development Greg Rickford said the province is is making “targeted investments” that create opportunities for local talent to gain essential skills and build “meaningful” careers in Sault Ste. Marie.

“Together with our northern partners, we are creating highly skilled, good-paying jobs that will boost economic growth and prosperity here in the North,” he said.

Since June 2018, NOHFC has directed more than $685 million into 5,656 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $2.3 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 9,000 jobs, the province says.

Learn more about our NOHFC-funded internship projects through Acorn Information Systems and the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) division pages.

View the original article on The Sault Star here . Header image © Ross Romano, 2023.

2023 Leadership Award - Paul Beach

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Thu, 25 May 2023 13:38:45 GMT

BeSpatial Ontario Recognizes Acorn Information Solutions' Paul beach

2023 Leadership Award - Paul Beach

Paul Beach has over 36 years of experience in the GIS and Information Technology fields. He began his career with the Ontario provincial government researching and implementing new technologies including GIS and GPS within the natural resource sectors. For the last 23 years, Paul has been General Manager of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre’s Acorn Information Solutions Group, which is a not for profit organization dedicated to promoting and establishing the means to share data, knowledge and tools among community organizations to create healthier, safer and more prosperous communities. Paul has also been a member of our Board and a long-time BeSpatial member as well. Congratulations Paul!

See all winners here

Client Chats- EZRide!

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Mon, 15 May 2023 15:32:05 GMT

We have a chat with Chris and Daniela from EZRide

Click the image above to watch Taylor Trecroce, Director of Business Services, chat with funding recipients and entrepreneurs Chris and Daniella, owners of Sault Ste. Marie ride share EZ Ride!

Learn what it was like for them to start a business in the north and hear their advice for others looking to become entrepreneurs.

ARTIE 2023

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 03 May 2023 14:07:08 GMT

As part of the Sault Ste. Marie Science Festival, the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) and YouLaunch, our Youth Entrepreneurship and Technology Skills Development division, hosted ARTIE (Advanced Research & Technology Innovation Expo) on Thursday, April 27, 2023.

ARTIE brought over 1100 elementary school students together for one day to gain hands-on experience from local exhibitors in the science and technology sector.

The goal of the event is to inspire students to explore further education in STEM programming by providing an opportunity for students to learn from and engage with local community organizations and businesses that can showcase “cool science.”

In the news: Northern farmers featured in RAIN webinar share tips on wholesaling in agriculture

Tue, 11 Apr 2023 20:08:12 GMT

Wholesaling in agriculture: ‘You’re selling yourself and your product’

Northern farmers share tips and suggestions for ramping up production

By Lindsay Kelly, Northern Ontario Business

When Mike Visser started producing veal 11 years ago, he was primarily selling his products from the farm, via home delivery, and at the Thunder Bay Country Market .

But if he wanted greater longevity in the local meat market, Visser realized, he would have to diversify his client base beyond the direct-to-customer route.

“Although these avenues are great ways to market product, they are also very time-consuming,” said Visser, the owner-operator of My Pride Farm in Thunder Bay.

“It became clear that in order to expand my production and sales, I would need to start selling products at a wholesale level.”

So Visser began initiating relationships with organizations he thought he’d like to do business with.

Sometimes they’d connect at a local food producers’ workshop or through word of mouth, and other times he’d cold call a prospective client to gauge their interest.

Across the board, cultivating and maintaining personal connections with people have been crucial steps in growing the business.

“You’re not just selling a product,” Visser said. “You’re selling yourself and your story, so that when people purchase products from you, they feel like they are also investing in you as an individual and the community.”

Today, he finishes 90 calves a year, the equivalent to 40,000 pounds of meat, which are sold and marketed to a mix of consumer, retail and wholesale clients — the latter of which makes up the largest percentage of his business at 55 per cent.

“When the pandemic hit, the institutional sales were the only part of the business that was not affected,” Visser said. “So that was a big benefit.”

Visser was one of a trio of Northern Ontario producers sharing their wholesaling tips and suggestions during an April 6 webinar hosted by the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN).

As producers seek ways to enter the wholesale market, experienced producers can provide valuable lessons to ease the process.

Like Visser, Jeff Burke found that personal relationships helped smooth the way for his entry into wholesaling.

His operation, Brule Creek Farms , located 40 kilometres west of Thunder Bay, produces fall rye, wheat, oats and canola on 400 acres. The rye and wheat are milled into flour, while the canola is pressed into oil. Since 2010, Brule Creek has also produced a line of value-added baking mixes, including pancakes, muffins, scones, pizza dough, cookies and cupcakes.

Burke cautioned producers that entering the wholesale market is a bit of a learning curve, especially for someone like him who didn’t have a background in food production.

“The first couple of stores that I approached, they were asking about what kind of markup, and what’s your suggested retail, and I had no idea how to really figure that out,” said Burke, who trained in biology and environmental sciences at Lakehead University.

“I had no idea of how to figure out my cost of production, but then I didn’t really understand the business model of some of these wholesalers.”

Burke wasn’t deterred, however, eventually learning how to price his products competitively.

In his personal relationships with clients, flexibility has proven an invaluable skill that’s come in handy when challenges arise.

There have been scenarios over the years in which he turned a “no” into a “yes” simply by listening to the client’s needs and working with them to fine-tune a product to something more tailored to their clientele.

Examples include developing a whole wheat pizza dough to meet the nutritional guidelines set out by a school food program, or producing a bran muffin mix with a lower sugar content for an institutional client.

“These relationships are a lot of back-and-forth,” he said.

At Three Forks Farms in Gore Bay, Peggy Baillie and her husband Eric Blondin produce organic vegetables, pasture-raised chicken, and seeds on the west end of Manitoulin Island.

They, too, employ a mix of retail and direct-to-consumer sales, with the veggies and seeds also sold via wholesale, primarily to grocery stores, restaurants and caterers.

Producing vegetables profitably can be a tricky business because of their seasonality, Baillie said, but moving to a wholesale model has actually helped increase their sales in other areas.

“What we found is that if we get our stuff in grocery stores, we get more brand recognition and it actually drives more people to our markets overall and our direct-to-consumer sales, which has really been beneficial for us both ways,” she said. “So we’re also able to move higher volumes.”

Baillie advised producers considering wholesale to familiarize themselves with their cost of production versus profit margins before making the leap, since the move has to be profitable in order for it to be worth their time and effort.

She also warned against betting on just one wholesale client, something she and Blondin learned through experience.

One year, two of the farm’s largest clients decided they weren’t selling local products anymore, but hadn’t notified the producers. Baillie and Blondin had to respond quickly in order to avoid a major loss.

“We really had to pivot on the dime at that moment to find new markets for our products,” Baillie said. “But we had a diverse marketing stream, and we were able to move that product without too much challenge.”

View the original article on Northern Ontario Business here .

Watch the recording of RAIN 's Wholesome Connections webinar here .

Innovation Centre, Sault College continue to team up

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 20:59:35 GMT

By: SooToday Staff

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre is continuing to offer part-time employment opportunities to second-year students in Sault College's Computer Programming.

Among the interested applicants, selected students will be eligible to work eight hours per week during their time with Sault College.

Innovation Centre Executive Director Peter Bruijins said the partnership with Sault College helps students develop their skills while building the technology community locally.

“We want to continue to help develop skills in the IT sector in the Algoma region and partnering with Computer Programming students allows us to help build a community of technology professionals,” Bruijns said. “Our Acorn Information Solutions division provides real world experience for students, making them more desirable in the job market, and we get the opportunity to build up the network of IT professionals though this partnership.”

For the students, the partnership takes on added importance as well.

“Our long-standing partnership with the Innovation Centre is incredibly important to us and our students,” said Dan Kachur, professor, Information Technology Programs. “This initiative will help our students gain real-world experience while also building relationships with industry professionals. We believe that this partnership will continue to benefit our students, our community, and the IT industry for years to come. We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Innovation Centre."

The initiative began in 2019.

The Innovation Centre also supports Sault College's IT programming thorugh it's IT Success Scholarship, which is available to students enrolled in their first year of an Information Technology studies program at the College and will be awarded to three local students annually. Each scholarship is valued at $1,500 and is renewable based on maintaining a minimum GPA.

To view the original article, visit Innovation Centre, Sault College continue to team up - Sault Ste. Marie News (sootoday.com)

In the News: Algoma-area agriculture group studying local buying habits

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 19:40:30 GMT

The Local Pulse survey was featured by CTV News Northern Ontario - click here to check it out: Sault news: RAIN looks to study local buying habits | CTV News

To fill out the survey for your chance to win a local prize pack, visit The Local Pulse Survey (surveymonkey.com)

SSM Innovation Centre Supports Student Learning Through Employment Program

Thu, 09 Mar 2023 15:56:15 GMT

(Sault Ste. Marie, ON March 9, 2023) – As a strong Sault College partner, the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre continues to support student learning by offering part-time employment opportunities to second year Computer Programming students. The initiative, which began in 2019, provides students with the opportunity to gain practical experience by applying their learning from the classroom on industry projects.

Interested students can apply for the part-time opportunities and those selected are eligible to work eight hours per week while continuing their studies at Sault College. The collaboration between Sault College and the Innovation Centre offers extensive benefits. Students get the opportunity to showcase their knowledge and foundational education, learn from industry professionals, broaden their skills and network, while the Innovation Centre gets assistance with industry projects and builds an expertise that could later lead to full-time employment upon graduation.

The Innovation Centre is always looking to hire locally and fill the labour demand in IT. Many Sault College students have had successful careers at the Innovation Centre with 10 Sault College graduates currently employed on their development team alone highlighting the value of initiatives, such as this, and Sault College’s programming.

“We want to continue to help develop skills in the IT sector in the Algoma region and partnering with Computer Programming students allows us to help build a community of technology professionals,” said Peter Bruijns, Executive Director of Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. “Our Acorn Information Solutions division provides real world experience for students, making them more desirable in the job market, and we get the opportunity to build up the network of IT professionals though this partnership.”

“Our long-standing partnership with the Innovation Centre is incredibly important to us and our students,” said Dan Kachur, Professor, Information Technology Programs. “This initiative will help our students gain real-world experience while also building relationships with industry professionals. We believe that this partnership will continue to benefit our students, our community, and the IT industry for years to come. We are grateful for the ongoing support from the Innovation Centre."

In addition to offering part-time employment opportunities, Innovation Centre also supports Sault College IT programming through the SSM Innovation Centre IT Success Scholarship. This scholarship is available to students enrolled in their first year of an Information Technology studies program at the College and will be awarded to three local students annually. Each scholarship is valued at $1,500 and is renewable based on maintaining a minimum GPA.

For more information about Sault College’s IT studies, visit Information Technology Studies | Sault College .

Help local farmers and processors and you could win a prize pack!

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:08:03 GMT

Assist the Rural Agri-Innovation Network by taking their online survey

The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), a division of Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC), is studying the buying habits of residents to help local farmers and food processors grow their businesses.

They have launched the Local Pulse survey to learn more about the community’s buying habits. Each person that completes the survey will be entered into a draw for the chance to win a prize pack of local products.

See the full article here

Free energy conservation incentives information series for business

Thu, 16 Feb 2023 14:49:00 GMT

Investing in energy efficiency is a smart and effective way for businesses to reduce operating costs, stay competitive and meet sustainability goals.

Sault Ste. Marie, ON (2022 02 16) – Investing in energy efficiency is a smart and effective way for businesses to reduce operating costs, stay competitive and meet sustainability goals. The City of Sault Ste. Marie and the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre have partnered to deliver a free two-part in-person luncheon information series on commercial and industrial natural gas and electricity conservation incentive programs. The sessions take place at the Ronald A. Irwin Civic Centre in the Russ Ramsey room (3 ^rd Floor) and lunch is provided.

The first session is on Tuesday, February 28 from 12 – 1 p.m. and focuses on natural gas incentives. Participants will gain an overview of Enbridge’s natural gas commercial conservation incentive offerings and the new energy-as-a-service line of business called Enbridge Sustain. This service offers dependable and convenient energy solutions to developers and commercial customers to help reduce greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and energy costs. Currently offered technologies include geothermal heating, solar photovoltaic, hybrid heating and electric vehicle chargers. Following the presentation, Enbridge will meet with businesses to discuss prospective projects and coordinate potential facility site visits. To register for this session, click here .

The second session is on Tuesday, April 11 from 12 – 1 p.m. and focuses on electricity. Participants will gain an overview of the Independent Electricity System Operations (IESO) electricity commercial conservation incentive programs. Inner City Fund, the IESOs Northern Ontario incentive program delivery partner, will be in attendance to meet with businesses to discuss prospective projects and facility site visits. To register for this session, click here .

“Developers, businesses and building owners face challenges in implementing low-to-no carbon solutions due to high capital costs” said Emily Cormier, Sustainability Coordinator with the City of Sault Ste. Marie. “Enbridge’s natural gas conservation incentives programs as well as the new Enbridge Sustain service, can help businesses big and small address these challenges and contribute to the clean energy transition.”

“The business community is a vital part of our city, and Sault Ste. Marie believes that informed decision-making is key to creating the best possible environment for businesses to thrive,” notes Graham Atkinson, Manager of Business Development with the City of Sault Ste. Marie. “Facilitating information sessions like these allow business owners/operators to stay current, giving them an opportunity to minimize operational barriers and be competitive in their markets.”

“These sessions allow our local business community to capitalize on cost savings available through incentive programs,” explains Taylor Trecroce, Director of Business Development at Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. “We are happy to partner with The City to provide a platform where questions surrounding the supports to reduce carbon emissions for businesses can be answered.”

Seating at each session is limited to 40 participants. For more information contact Emily Cormier, Sustainably Coordinator at 705-989-8748 or email at e.cormier2@cityssm.on.ca.

About the Speakers:

RAIN receives $1.8M for Agri-tech programming

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Fri, 20 Jan 2023 03:31:27 GMT

RAIN's receives funding for another 3 years to continue programming

January 19, 2023

Sault Ste. Marie ON- Terry Sheehan, Sault Ste. Marie MP and Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor, announced new FedNor spending of $3,172,320 to support five projects including $1.8M to the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's RAIN (Rural Agri-Innovation Network) division.

“What this funding essentially does is that it gives us grants that we disburse to our small businesses, which are farmers and food processors here in Algoma and across northern Ontario. Each of these projects that we review and look at to approve for funding are either creating a new innovative product on a farm or it’s a food processor that’s doing that work. They have a lot of needs, capital needs, equipment needs to get something started so this allows us to really grow the sector.” - David Thompson, Director of RAIN

Click on image above to watch coverage of the event from CTV News

Read full article by sootoday

SSMIC announces new strategy geared for growth

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 11 Jan 2023 15:50:35 GMT

New Multi-Year plan from Sault Ste. marie Innovation Centre

Sault Ste. Marie, ON - The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) announced its new multi-year strategic plan to expand its mission to support and initiate economic growth across the Algoma region.

“We share the responsibility to create more jobs within our region and our plan includes making significant investments into our programs and services to help accomplish that,’ explains Peter Bruijns, Executive Director at SSMIC. “We believe our region needs a strong core technology group to support the community and our Acorn Information Solutions team is well positioned to fill this need and act as an important talent development team for the region.”

The technology focused division of SSMIC, Acorn Information Solutions, will be expanding outside of Algoma to offer its award-winning geomatic services including leading edge utility network migration services, data analysis, and custom industrial and govtech software solutions to help generate revenues that will be invested back into our community.

“Part of our mandate is to encourage and develop technology talent locally and we plan to accelerate our service offerings so we can invest surpluses into our programming that serves not only the youth in our community, but the larger business community as well,” says Bruijns.

The multidivisional Innovation Centre plans for growth don’t end there.

The award-winning agricultural technology team, RAIN (Rural Agri-Innovation Network) will further expand its services to create and support a commercial kitchen and training services to help regional food entrepreneurs take their products from local to wider markets.

“We want to help build food processing businesses here and ultimately support up to six companies to build a new industry vertical over time,” explains Bruijns. “Work is already underway to source the location to implement this plan.”

As a Regional Innovation Centre, SSMIC has a core group of employees that work to help Algoma’s entrepreneurs from concept to commercialization and into growth stages of their business ideas. SSMIC’s business services team plans to continue to facilitate funding programs delivered on behalf of the province of Ontario and Fednor, as well support other SSMIC divisions with their growth goals. The team will continue to offer training opportunities for local businesses and youth in the region.

The SSM Academic Medical Association (SSMAMA) will continue growing medical and health research and training services within Algoma. Later in 2023, SSMIC with SSMAMA expects to launch a proposed new research initiative that aims to expand training, research, and commercialization in multiple health applications. SSMIC will be a key anchor partner in these initiatives.

A new event for the organization, Stir the POTential, planned for October 2023 aims to attract people to our community to ideate business ideas in multiple climate impact areas. SSMIC will bring 250 entrepreneurs, students, business service providers, engineers, research centres and more from across the country to discuss entrepreneurship in the north focused on business opportunities arising from the climate crisis. SSMIC has already secured a passionate speaker, Bob McDonald of CBCs Quirks and Quarks to share his thoughts on climate solutions.

“Sault Ste. Marie is well positioned to be a change agent in the climate space and SSMIC is here to be a catalyst of change in our community. As such, it is our responsibility to be a major part of stimulating and supporting more entrepreneurs into taking on global challenges from right here in Sault Ste. Marie.”

Bruijns continues, “Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma region can engage more aggressively into global competition for jobs and wealth. This strategic plan aims to boldly address this and will be executed by the strong management team we’ve established in recent years across the organization.”

SSMIC Year in Review

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Thu, 22 Dec 2022 16:17:12 GMT

see what we've been up to this year

Entrepreneurial Community of the Year: Rural Agri-innovation Network (RAIN)

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Fri, 09 Dec 2022 20:15:09 GMT

RAIN wins Entrepreneurial Community of the Year

Building a strong agriculture and agri-food sector in the North. That’s the sole focus of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. Among its achievements over the last decade, RAIN has facilitated crop trials in search of new varieties for Algoma farmers to grow; administered the Sustainable New Agri-Food Products and Productivity (SNAPP) Program, to help farmers fund new innovations in their operations; and established Buy Algoma, Buy Local, a regional marketing campaign designed to get more people purchasing from local producers.”

See full article here: https://www.sootoday.com/local-business/winners-named-for-the-36th-annual-northern-ontario-business-awards-6134934

Can hydroponics help food insecurity in the North?

Mon, 21 Nov 2022 20:54:20 GMT

Hydroponics, not just for Cannabis industry

Click on the image above to hear CTV News' coverage of a Hydroponics workshop that took place in Sault Ste. Marie on Friday November 18th, 2022. You'll hear from RAIN's Horticultural Research Assistant, Lauren Moran and Hydroponics Expert Adam Hayward as they discuss the viability of hydroponic growing systems.

Learn how to grow crops without soil

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 09 Nov 2022 17:04:27 GMT

upcoming workshop will teach you everything you need to know about how to get started with hydroponic growing.

Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Hydroponics is a method of growing plants without soil, and an upcoming workshop will teach you everything you need to know about how to get started.

Commonly associated with the cannabis industry, hydroponic growing systems use less water, and often allows for faster growth and higher yields than traditional soil-based methods. When paired with greenhouses, hydroponics can extend the growing season in northern Ontario while allowing for decreased pesticide and fertilizer use with no weeding required.

Hydroponics expert, Adam Hayward will be conducting a workshop to help shed some light on how people can use this growing system in their everyday lives.

Earlier this summer, Sault Ste. Marie City Council approved the motion to allot funds from the Green Initiative Programs to the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) to conduct a hydroponics research project and the associated workshop.

The project, done in partnership with Harvest Algoma and Lake Superior Living Labs Network, is looking at hydroponic growing systems in a local greenhouse to test different kinds of nutrients (organic vs. inorganic) on lettuce crops. Alongside the research, the project deliverables included offering a workshop to share some tips, tricks and base knowledge on how to set up your own hydroponic growing systems.

“The workshop is open to members of the community to attend in person and learn the basics of hydroponic growing,” states Lauren Moran, Horticultural Research Assistant with RAIN. “There are several benefits to using this type of growing system, including strengthening local food security and food sovereignty.”

Aimed at gardeners and growers alike, or those who like to experiment, the workshop aims to provide a foundation of knowledge around hydroponic growing. Topics covered will include an introduction to the necessary equipment needed, the main types of systems that exist, substrates (i.e., growing mediums), and examples of how the system can be modified.

Moran noted, “Our vision for the workshop is that participants walk away feeling confident that if they wanted to try something like this for themselves, they could do it and have the information on who to get a hold of if they need any further guidance or more information.”

Hayward is set to facilitate the workshop, which will be offered at $15 per person, on November 18 from 1-3pm at United Way Harvest Algoma (446 Second Line East, Sault Ste. Marie). Interested individuals can register here .

Research begins to improve strawberry production in northern Ontario

Tue, 30 Aug 2022 15:26:41 GMT

Collège Boréal, Rural Agri-Innovation Network looking to identify farms, greenhouses growing strawberries

Story by Angela Gemmill- CBC News - https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/sudbury/research-strawberry-production-northern-ontario-1.6565398

Research is beginning into what conditions are best to grow strawberries in northern Ontario.

The study is part of a partnership between Collège Boréal and the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) in Sault Ste Marie, Ont.

Strawberries are one of the most imported fruits in Canada.

"Specifically we're interested in looking at how we could really develop a strawberry production system that would allow a more consistent local supply in northern Ontario, but that could also be shared across Canada in similar climatic areas or regions," said Sabine Bouchard, project manager at Collège Boréal.

The team is currently in the first phase of the project, which is to identify northern Ontario farmers who have strawberry crops or use greenhouses to grow the berries.

"Really this first phase is to get a better understanding of challenges that strawberry producers or greenhouse producers currently face and then see how we can adapt those systems we're developing to help them find solutions," Bouchard said.

"We're hoping to really take this information and see how we can help current producers either adapt or tweak their current existing system for a more productive strawberry growing season," she added.

System that's tailored to northern needs

"What we're hoping to do with Collège Boréal is to devise a unique system that's tailored to the needs of northern producers that would essentially allow them to pursue strawberry production in an economically viable way," said Lauren Moran, horticultural research assistant with RAIN.

Moran said she'll get in touch with strawberry producers growing in fields and in greenhouses, to hear from them "what kind of practices they use and whether or not they would be interested in a system" like the one being developed at Collège Boréal.

"The idea was to kind of boost the domestic production of these berries because they're so popular, and because we are doing so much importing so that we can be a little more reliant on our own systems to provide," she added.

Phase one of the project is expected to wrap up by the end of this calendar year.

"I know the folks at Collège Boréal are looking to move into this next phase to secure a little more funding, and to hopefully prototype a system," Moran said.

"Moving forward from there to see whether it's economically viable, how much it produces and whether it's something that could be marketed to folks who are looking to expand their own production."

Phase one of the research project is being funded through the Homegrown Innovation Challenge, which is financed by the Weston Family Foundation.

They're also working with northern producer Stephane Lanteigne, a co-owner of Truly Northern Farms in Chelmsford.

Lanteigne works for Smart Indoor Farming Solutions, which helps producers who want to start indoor farming through hydroponics.

Collège Boréal has its own 2,250 square foot, high-tech, heated greenhouse that some experiments will be conducted in.

Bouchard said the college team will determine which type of strawberries grow best in a greenhouse setting.

Students will be involved with the data collection, and next steps of the project.

FedNor invests over $950,000 to grow and diversify the agri-food sector in Algoma region

Fri, 05 Aug 2022 19:16:53 GMT

"This investment represents an important step toward building a resilient farm and food sector in Northern Ontario."

News release

Government of Canada support will help strengthen food supply chains for Canadians while also supporting critical sector development

August 5, 2022 – Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario

Strong food supply chains are necessary to meet the needs of Canadians everywhere. Accordingly, the agri-food sector represents a critical means of creating both economic growth and supply chain improvements. Investments in the agri-food sector help create sustainable communities with strong, diverse economies across Canada.

Today, Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour, announced a FedNor investment of $951,530 in two projects designed to fuel growth and diversification in the agri-food sector of Northern Ontario. The announcement was made on behalf of the Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister responsible for FedNor.

The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC), will receive a non-repayable contribution of $721,530 to create and deliver a Responsive Advancement for Meat Processing (RAMP) program that would provide productivity assessments and management training to abattoirs and meat plants throughout Northern Ontario. The goal of the project is to expand and diversify the meat supply chain, critical to the agri-food sector in the region in response to the continuing high demand from consumers and farmers for locally-sourced meat products. As a direct result of this investment, RAIN expects to create 10 full-time jobs and to help maintain 35 more.

As part of the announcement, Penokean Hills Co-operative (PHC), will also receive $230,000 to undertake infrastructure expansion aimed at improving operational efficiency and capacity at the feed yard. The improvements achieved through this project will allow PHC to increase the growth and daily gains of the cattle, and to increase the overall number of finished cattle in the value chain. This project is anticipated to create one permanent and two temporary jobs while also increasing revenue for local stock farmers and local crop farmers providing feed.

Quotes

“Northern Ontario’s farmers and agri-food producers feed families across the nation. Today’s funding from FedNor of $951,530 will directly support the Rural Agri-Innovation Network and the Penokean Hills Co-operative in Saulte Ste. Marie as they work to expand and diversify production. Not only will this strengthen Canadian supply chains, but it will also help create and maintain good, local jobs.”
– The Honourable Patty Hajdu, Minister of Indigenous Services and Minister Responsible for FedNor

“The FedNor funds announced today will help good, locally produced food remain available while also supporting growth and diversification in the critical agri-food sector supply chain. We are proud to support our local farmers and producers with these projects that will help foster partnerships and create new growth and new opportunities for Northern Ontario.”
– Terry Sheehan, Member of Parliament for Sault Ste. Marie and Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Labour

“This investment represents an important step toward building a resilient farm and food sector in Northern Ontario. FedNor is helping support farmers and communities to enhance the agri-food sector in Algoma region through these funds, and in doing so is helping our region meet its economic potential.”
– David Thompson, manager of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN)

“We are happy that FedNor is supporting this infrastructure expansion, which will allow us to not only continue to create high-end, consistent products for market, but to increase our production. These improvements will benefit the farming community, our customers, and support many more restaurants, butcher shops, and other businesses across Ontario.”
– Chris Gordon, Owner and General Manager at Penokean Hills Farms

Quick facts

The funding announced today is provided through FedNor’s programs , which provide financial support of projects that lead to job creation and economic growth, and through which FedNor works with businesses and community partners to build a stronger Northern Ontario:
Penokean Hills Cooperative’s portion of the funding is provided by FedNor’s Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP), which supports projects led by municipalities, First Nations, and other organizations and institutions that promote sustainable community economic development, diversification, job creation, and self-reliant communities.
The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN)’s funding is provided by FedNor’s Regional Growth Through Innovation Fund (REGI), which supports the growth of Northern Ontario businesses, their expansion into new markets, and their adoption of new technologies and processes.

Source:

https://www.canada.ca/en/fednor/news/2022/08/fednor-invests-over-950000-to-grow-and-diversify-the-agri-food-sector-in-algoma-region.html

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to Support Student Learning at Sault College

Wed, 03 Aug 2022 14:36:52 GMT

I.T. Success scholarship available for three local students

Sault College & SSM Innovation Centre Media Release

For Immediate Release

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to Support Student Learning at Sault College

(Sault Ste. Marie, ON August 3, 2022) – Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) is supporting student learning at Sault College by establishing the SSM Innovation Centre IT Success Scholarship. This scholarship is available to students enrolled in their first year of an Information Technology studies program at the College and will be awarded to three local students annually. Each scholarship is valued at $1,500 and is renewable based on maintaining a minimum GPA.

SSMIC understands the value and importance of the Algoma region supporting local people in pursuing a career in the digital economy. This scholarship is one of the ways SSMIC can not only support our community, but also this critical, in-demand industry and the career possibilities it provides right in the Algoma region “Developing talent within our community is a necessity for our economy to thrive. The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre is committed to furthering the skills needed to support IT, technology and science-based sectors in Algoma. This scholarship program not only builds awareness in the program options at Sault College, but also aims to open doors for those wanting to benefit from the in-demand jobs in the IT sector,” said Peter Bruijns, Executive Director, SSMIC.

“The growth in IT jobs is outpacing the number of IT graduates across the country. SSMIC is committed to developing interest in IT careers and providing learning environments that grow a regional talent pool,” added Paul Beach, General Manager of Acorn Information Solutions.

“Sault College is honoured to add the SSM Innovation Centre IT Success Scholarship to its comprehensive Scholarships, Bursaries and Awards (SBA) program. Scholarships, such as this, complement our overall goal of increasing access to higher education and our commitment to student success,” said Dr. Ron Common, President, Sault College.

“IT is an in-demand field and our programming supports the employment needs in this critical area. We are grateful that SSMIC recognizes the value in our programming and has chosen to further assist students who want to pursue a meaningful career in this field,” added Dan Kachur, Professor at Sault College.

The three scholarships will be available beginning 2022-23 and will be awarded only to local applicants, including: one who identifies as female and one Indigenous. For more information about this scholarship and specific criteria, contact StudentFinancialAssistance@saultcollege.ca .

More about Sault College’s Scholarship, Bursaries and Awards program can be found by visiting Scholarships, Bursaries And Awards | Sault College .

New Audiobook Learning Platform Launches – ListenerU

Tue, 12 Jul 2022 16:02:18 GMT

A new Sault Ste. Marie startup could change the way you learn and read books, while making professional and personal development easy and rewarding.

Brent Rouble, a local geoscientist (P.Geo), entrepreneur, and member of the StartUP Sault Ste. Marie board of directors, is trying to make quality learning more affordable and accessible through ListenerU, a multi-platform app that provides education through audiobooks.

ListenerU combines the best aspects of Audible (a popular audiobook app) with Udemy (an app that offers short online certificate courses). The platform offers certificate courses based on a current library of over 10,000 audiobooks, with thousands more to come. As a certified Canadian educational institution, Canadian members could qualify for up to 50% cash back when they file their income tax, making ListenerU one of the most affordable audiobook/educational companies in North America.

Brent hopes this app will someday help thousands of people reach their personal and professional goals. “We are starting with just audiobooks, but we hope to partner with post-secondary institutions and other subject matter experts in the future who can contribute to our educational audio content and empower them to sell their own courses and audio content. As an example, an expert in health and safety could record audio content to create a Health & Safety course. If a college wanted to generate profitable, quality content to educate potential students about a program, ListenerU is a perfect fit”.

To complete a certificate, ListenerU subscribers simply join a course, purchase and listen to the audiobooks in the course, then write a short review for each audiobook. This means you can now take courses while commuting to work, walking the dog, or cleaning the house, among other daily activities.

“We are trying to expand the audiobook and educational spaces to make them more accessible to everyone, no matter what their situation is”, says Brent.

Audiobook courses are an affordable way for people with dyslexia, visual impairments, multitaskers, or busy professionals who love learning or need to complete continuing education hours, while getting recognition for that time spent, without breaking the bank or disrupting their daily life. Completing certificate courses in your spare time can also be a valuable way to show employers your commitment to continuous education.

ListenerU officially launched on the Apple and Google App Stores in July, and will be having giveaways and announcing charity donation goals throughout the summer. You can find them at www.listeneru.com , on LinkedIn , Facebook , and Instagram .

ListenerU was proudly created and developed in Sault Ste. Marie with the assistance of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Center’s Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP).

Subscribe through the website, www.listeneru.com , for special discounts.

Original story: https://saultonline.com/2022/07/new-audiobook-learning-platform-launches-listeneru/

Library offers $1 a year for 'micro-branch' space at new arena

Thu, 30 Jun 2022 15:38:26 GMT

If city council agrees with the plan, the 'micro-branch' will open six days a week and will be staffed

Check out how the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's data collection is making changes within our community

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/library-offers-1-a-year-for-micro-branch-space-at-new-arena-5520173

The Algoma Eat Local Challenge is looking to support local food businesses and promote healthier eating

Wed, 15 Jun 2022 18:33:12 GMT

With the assistance of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network, a nutritional practitioner created the contest in an effort to positively impact the local economy, the environment, and people’s overall health

As a certified nutritional practitioner at Fit Bodies. Fit Minds. , Jaime Brideau has always made a point of emphasizing the importance of eating locally-produced foods to her clients.

Brideau, who is a graduate from the Institute of Holistic Nutrition, says that there are many factors that go into a healthy body and mind, and one of them is the food that you put into your body, which is why eating local foods can be so beneficial in a number of ways.

“Local food is fresher, more ripe, and it’s generally picked a couple of days before you get it. There’s also a lot less chemical pesticides, herbicides, and residues involved, and the foods are more nutritious,” Jaime said.

“Eating more local foods is one of the easiest things I can tell people to do as far as making a simple change that will have a great impact on their lives.”

Inspired by the positive impacts of eating local, this was the catalyst that drove Jaime to create the Algoma Eat Local Challenge .

The Algoma Eat Local Challenge is a contest that, as the name alludes to, encourages residents in the Algoma region to discover food products from the great variety of local food businesses and producers in the community.

It accomplishes this by having participants check out one of the participating local food vendors, simply taking a photo of their purchased product and posting it to Facebook and/or Instagram with the appropriate tags and hashtag, which then enters them for a chance to win various prizes.

The contest, which runs between June 18th-25th, aims to motivate people to eat local so that they can see:

the positive impacts it has on their health (through fresh and nutritious food products)
the local economy (connecting with and supporting local vendors and producers in the community)
and the environment (less pollutants and plastic packaging)

After coming up with the idea for the contest, Jaime decided to seek out someone who could assist with putting the contest together. This led to her contacting the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (also known as RAIN) to collaborate on the challenge with.

RAIN is a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre that supports agri-food businesses and organizations through “innovative research and agricultural development projects”.

David Thompson, the RAIN manager, says that RAIN was happy to collaborate on the contest with Jaime, and felt that they could really help contribute to the challenge by utilizing their resources and past experiences with similar contests.

“Jaime came to us with the idea of the challenge, and we were happy to collaborate and provide support because we’ve hosted a few social media driven contests before, and so we have been promoting the contest through our social media channels to bring awareness of it to the community,” David said.

“We also have a regional branding and marketing program called Buy Algoma, Buy Local that promotes local food and drink in Algoma. The program consists of 60 members that makes up the diverse local food system that we have. And so, we were able to connect Jaime with those 60 members to take part in the challenge, and also contribute awesome prizes for the contest as well.”

Jaime says that RAIN and the Buy Algoma, Buy Local have been very helpful in ensuring that the process of putting together the contest was as smooth as can be.

“RAIN has been wonderful in putting together everything that they have, including a lot of the marketing materials and moving forward with that,” Jaime said.

“And then of course, the Buy Algoma, Buy Local members have been super generous with their donations for the prizes for this. We have gift certificates and products from different places, and it’s been fantastic. It’s been a great response from everyone every step of the way, and has made this contest fun and easy to put together.”

Among the Buy Algoma, Buy Local members who are participating in the Algoma Eat Local Challenge is Red Roof Honey , a family-owned business located in Thessalon, Ontario.

Lisa Spence and Jeff Spence originally started Red Roof Honey five years ago in Innisfil, Ontario. They ultimately made the decision to move their business to the Algoma region just over a year ago, in which they were able to make their dreams of purchasing and owning a farm a reality.

Born out of Lisa and Jeff’s immense passion for beekeeping, Red Roof Honey specializes in bee-produced goods like fresh raw honey and beeswax candles, as well as an assortment of beekeeping equipment.

Being newer to the Algoma area, Lisa says that she was originally uncertain about how the transition would go, but she says the community has been incredibly supportive of her family’s business.

“It’s been a really great experience moving up here. We knew it was going to be kind of a transition year, and we thought that trying to get our name out there and getting people to know who Red Roof Honey is was going to be difficult. But the community has really embraced us, and they have been really excited about getting to know us,” Lisa said.

“The Buy Algoma, Buy Local community has been fantastic with helping to get our business out there. They share your information through social media so that people in the community can get to know you better. And we are a transparent company. We want people to know the faces behind our products.”

And so, when Lisa and Jeff heard about the Algoma Eat Local Challenge and how it was looking to connect communities with local food businesses and producers, Lisa says that participating in the event was a no-brainer.

“It was never a question. When the information came out about the Eat Local Challenge, we definitely wanted to be a part of it,” Lisa said. “The Algoma district has so many amazing producers and businesses, and it’s just so nice that the Eat Local Challenge is putting all of these local producers and businesses at the forefront.”

“It’s encouraging people to eat local, and we love that, because eating and buying local is definitely a passion of ours, and you can tell that everyone involved in the challenge is very passionate as well!”

For more information on the Algoma Eat Local Challenge and how to enter, you can check out the contest page online .

If you would like to see the full list of vendors—including Red Roof Honey —participating in the contest, you can find the list here .

And for information about the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) and how they support agri-food businesses and organizations, you can find out more on their website here .

Original Story posted by Village Media and written by Kyle Pura

Manitoulin Brewing Company creates an innovative app to promote Manitoulin Island and local businesses

Fri, 03 Jun 2022 14:55:08 GMT

With the assistance of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, the craft brewery was able to successfully develop their Manitoulin Adventure Map app

It was almost ten years ago when Nishin Meawasige and his business partner, Blair Hagman, came together and had the idea of starting up a craft brewery, an idea that was born out of a strong passion the two of them shared in regards to craft brewing.

Seeking out a suitable location to settle into and start up their small nano brewery, Meawasige says that he was drawn to Manitoulin Island for a number of reasons that made it the perfect place to start up the craft brewing company.

“What really drew me to Manitoulin Island is that it has a lot of history and culture, as well as a very rich heritage,” Meawasige said.

“It prides itself in being the largest freshwater island in the world, and it has a diverse community, as there is an almost even split between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people that reside in the communities here. Blair and I just knew we wanted to start our brewery here.”

Meawasige has resided in Manitoulin Island for about eight years now, and in that time he successfully started the Manitoulin Brewing Company , a craft brewery that Meawasige wanted to differentiate from other breweries by really contributing to and showcasing Manitoulin Island itself.

“We wanted to make sure that when we started this brewery, that we would be more than just the craft beer we produce. We also wanted to be a significant contributor to the local economy. We are working with other businesses, and we are wanting to do our part in helping to really drive opportunity and prosperity to Manitoulin Island,” Meawasige said.

“When you look at our products, the majority of them are named after landmarks from Manitoulin Island. They are real places, real stories, and have real history, and we want to let people know about these places so that they may have the opportunity to visit them in-person themselves.”

Because Manitoulin Brewing Company distributes its landmark-inspired products throughout Ontario, the craft beers have acted as a form of advertisement to potential tourists who may not be very familiar with Manitoulin Island.

Not wanting to strictly rest on the laurels of their already established ideas though, Manitoulin Brewing Company strove to come up with an even more innovative idea that could more effectively encourage locals and tourists alike to explore the variety of local businesses and experiences that they may not be aware of.

And this is what led to the creation of the “Manitoulin Adventure Map” smartphone app.

The app is a tourism marketing app that the Manitoulin Brewing Company has worked on since August of last year, with the purpose of being an engaging tool that tourists and locals can utilize to discover all of the different businesses and experiences that Manitoulin Island has to offer, as well as providing both prosperity and growth to the local businesses in the process.

And so, how does the smartphone app work?

“The app is centered around location-based marketing,” Meawasige said. “Essentially, each business that signs up to be a part of the app has its GPS coordinates tagged with their profile. A geofence is then created around that business, and when tourists or visitors visit a particular business, they will receive a notification that they have collected points.”

“As they accumulate points, they are then able to redeem those points for rewards, which includes discounted products, free promotional items, etc. It’s through this system that we want to encourage visitors to learn more about our local businesses, and the culture behind these businesses. We want to help build stronger relationships between Manitoulin Island’s businesses and the consumers who visit them as a result of our app.”

Being new to the world of smartphone application development, Meawasige admitted that he needed help along the way to ensure the app would be put into a position to succeed.

468 Communications were the tech developers for the Manitoulin Adventure Map app, and they helped the Manitoulin Brewing Company get the smartphone app in place by being a turnkey solution for the project.

The other organization that Meawasige says offered significant assistance to the Manitoulin Brewing Company, and the development of the app, was the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre .

“We pitched the app to the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. They have a program called the Innovation Accelerator Program , and after I pitched the idea to them, they were really excited about it right off the bat! Since then, they’ve been so supportive and so great, and our relationship has continued to grow” Meawasige said.

Katie Goodall, the Innovation Accelerator Program (IAP) specialist for the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC), says that the IAP program is a helpful funding tool that the Innovation Centre provides to a variety of businesses, which can help these businesses in many different areas.

“The program provides funding to small and medium sized businesses, to assist with the development and commercialization of an innovation (new product, process, or service),” Goodall said. “The funding (provided by FedNor and administered by SSMIC) can cover up to $10,000 in project costs.”

“The areas that can be covered are planning and development, sales and marketing, and business management and enhancement. Most frequently though, we see businesses come through for projects relating to product development and testing, intellectual property protection, and marketing/communications.”

Goodall says that the IAP funding was able to support Manitoulin Brewing Company with their app, the utilization of innovative marketing technology, as well as the “marketing plan and branding completed to support the launch of the app and their Manitoulin Adventure Kit product”. The Manitoulin Adventure Kit is a six pack of craft beer (which will launch alongside the app) that has a QR code on it that will allow consumers to scan the code and download the app.

Having seen firsthand how the Innovation Accelerator Program was able to help Manitoulin Brewing Company with their app, Goodall says that it makes her happy to see businesses successfully progress in their innovative ventures as a result of the IAP program.

“Watching the IAP program and its funding make an impact for businesses is a really rewarding experience. It’s so fulfilling knowing that our services—and the funding we administer—aid in starting businesses, growing businesses, and supporting innovation within Northern Ontario.”

With the app set to launch soon, there are currently open spots available for local businesses to sign up and be a part of the app’s inaugural year, although there are limited spots available, meaning it is on a first-come, first-served basis.

Meawasige says that businesses can participate in the app program for absolutely no cost in the first year.

The reasoning behind that decision is because the brewing company realizes that there are local businesses that are bouncing back from the challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic, and didn’t want to create another challenge on top of that.

The other reason is because it is the app’s pilot year, and Meawasige says that Manitoulin Brewing Company will be extensively analyzing what works and what doesn’t throughout the app’s pilot year, and will be looking for ways to constantly improve the app as a result.

“With the app, we want to contribute to the success of the collective businesses in Manitoulin Island,” Meawasige said. “Because, it is through that overall collectiveness and support of one another that will set us apart as a unique tourism destination.”

If you would like to learn more about the Manitoulin Brewing Company, as well as the products/services/events they offer, you can check them out here .

And, if you are a Manitoulin Island-based business that would like to sign up for the Manitoulin Adventure Map app, you can register here .

For more information on the services (such as the Innovation Accelerator Program) that the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre provides for innovative businesses, you can find them here .

Article written by Kyle Pura and published by Village Media can be found here

Restaurant Canada Show to feature Ukrainian business owner who saw opportunity in northern Ontario

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Mon, 09 May 2022 19:12:34 GMT

Restaurant Canada show has northern Ontario representation

Dimitry Korotkin and Oleksandr Zahrebelnyi of Canada Meat Group at the Restaurant Canada Show Monday May 9, 2022

Sault Ste. Marie, ON, May 9, 2022 – After having established Lans Trans Ltd; a meat processing plant, abattoir, and a fully-fledged cattle operation in Kiev, Ukraine, Oleksandr Zahrebelnyi saw an opportunity to establish in North Bay, Ontario. As a highly regulated supplier of high quality, halal-certified Canadian beef products, Canada Meat Group operates a meat processing plant and cold storage facility out of the northern Ontario location. Their goal is to increase availability and sales of high-quality meat, Kosher meat products and Halal meat products in Ontario, across Canada and globally through exportation to countries in the Middle East and Asia.

Despite facing challenges presented by the conflict in Ukraine and the onset of Covid-19, Canada Meat Group has reached great success in obtaining new customers across Ontario, especially with northern Ontario businesses who are excited to work with the new start-up.

“Finding skilled employees has been a challenge,” says Tia Dave, Finance Manager of Canada Meat Group, “We welcome the opportunity to hire skilled candidates from Ontario and the Ukraine. Ukraine is home to many skilled people in the meat industry but due to the war, immigration procedures have become more difficult.”

The company places emphasis on direct cooperation with farmers, producing environmentally friendly products, that uses the latest technology to create a superior product. More recently, the company has been exploring the establishment of an abattoir in the North Bay region that would fit into Canada Meat Group’s value chain.

“Having a complimentary abattoir in the region is a great opportunity for Northeastern Ontario famers,” says David Thompson, Manager of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) . “We wanted to bring Canada Meat Group to the Restaurant Canada Show to help promote their business and share the opportunity for others to work with CMG (Canada Meat Group), and to highlight their latest endeavour, Near North Meats , that offers people the option to shop for clean, locally sourced meat products online.”

The Restaurant Canada Show will host thousands of people in the food industry between May 9-11 and will give business owners like Zahrebelnyi a chance to showcase their products and potentially create new partnerships. Tia Dave shares, “we hope to connect with the retail sector at the show and provide all those interested in learning more about products a chance as we will be featuring products like steaks and burgers.”

Put on your Packsack!

Thu, 31 Mar 2022 20:22:21 GMT

The Packsack Project

New podcast focuses on the journey of community leaders, entrepreneurs and people who make Northern Ontario a great place to live

Today a new podcast launched that explores the resilience of Northerners in a rapidly changing world, The Packsack Project . It brings together people, businesses, and organizations who are adapting to change in ways that are reflective of Northern Ontario’s culture and geography.

The podcast is a collaboration between NORDIK Institute , a community-based research hub affiliated with Algoma University, and the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) , an initiative of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre.

David Thompson, RAIN Manager shares, “we want to share stories from northern farmers, entrepreneurs, researchers and community leaders because they are the innovators that northern Ontario needs to overcome its challenges”.

"Communities large and small across the North face unique challenges, but often the people of this region have come together to build made-in-the-North solutions to these challenges,” explains Sean Meades, Director of NORDIK Institute. “Too often these efforts get overlooked, while they have so much to share with other communities in the North and around the globe."

The first episode gives a preview for what’s in store for the first season with guests:

- Chief Dean Sayers, Batchewana First Nation

- Gerry Brandon, CEO of L’Autochtone Hospitality

- Dr. Catherine Cervin, Vice Dean Academic with Northern Ontario School of Medicine

To listen to The Packsack Project, you can tune in at http://packsackproject.buzzsprout.com , on Apple iTunes and Spotify.

You can also follow progress on Facebook and Instagram .

Can the city’s new plaza become a hub of youth entrepreneurs?

Wed, 23 Feb 2022 19:58:41 GMT

If you are a youth in Sault Ste. Marie, you have undoubtedly heard (or maybe even uttered) the notion, “There’s nothing to do in the Sault.” According to the City’s website , the proposed Downtown Plaza will be a community hub, offering a skating rink, an event space, an outdoor stage, a play zone and, notably, a market area. Another notion circulating on the list of things that people have to say about the Sault is the encouragement of entrepreneurship, particularly among youth. So, what if we combined these two utterances and channeled our thoughts and energy to solve two issues?

While some have frowned upon the plaza development, perhaps, like a Field of Dreams , we need to embrace the philosophy that, “If we build it, they will come!” The plaza has the potential to not only become a community hub, but a youth hub, where youth can engage in exercise, various events, a vibrant space and yes, even a market that embraces their entrepreneurial spirit. Our community is home to some very creative and entrepreneurial youth. Stories abound in the news about youth creating products and services and several of them are making a mark with their small businesses and products– jewelry, pottery, woods crafts, pillows, clothing printing and even bath soaps. The “shop local” mantra has become popular and many are seeking to spend their money locally.

Additionally, many students take courses in high school and produce beautiful wood products. One local school board is creating a secondary school focused on the Trades and Technology, which could provide a whole new world of opportunities for students to demonstrate their innovation and creativity through creating products. Wouldn’t it be incredible to have a youth area at the downtown plaza where youth could come to showcase and sell their products? To promote the idea, perhaps the city could waive any fees for youth, to support their entrepreneurial endeavours.

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre supports entrepreneurs of all ages through various workshops and by offering mentorship opportunities and access to funding programs. The Innovation Accelerator Program provides funding to support small projects with the development and commercialization of new innovations (i.e. service, product or process). Eligible activities range from product testing/development, feasibility analysis, sales training, website enhancements and even branding development. Our team is always willing to discuss how we can help entrepreneurs start or grow their business.

As a youth living in this community, I see a world of opportunities that the Downtown Plaza could bring, including the idea that the market could become a learning space. Perhaps other local entrepreneurs could use the market space to offer classes for youth and/or the community, such that the space becomes a place to offer classes or to engage community members in “make and take” workshops. The possibilities are endless for this newly proposed space and I for one, believe that youth entrepreneurship opportunities should be a part of this market space. So, Sault Ste. Marie youth, what do you want to create, learn, sell, or teach?

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Northern Ontario Hertiage Fund provides $1.5 million for agriculture projects in Sault area

Fri, 18 Feb 2022 19:11:32 GMT

The investment should create 33 new jobs in the agriculture sectoR

Peter Bruijns, Executive Director for Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre attends funding announcement at Thomson Farms with MPP Ross Romano, Brad Morley (Thomson Farms), and Brian Ehnes (Lallemand Plant Care).

Article sourced from https://www.sootoday.com .

To view the video announcement, click here .

The Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation will provide $1.5 million for four agriculture sector projects in Sault Ste. Marie and the surrounding area.

The projects include creating and upgrading agricultural technology and inoculations, as well as drainage projects to create more farmland.

For more details, please see the included press release below.

The Ontario government is providing more than $1.5 million through the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation (NOHFC) to four agriculture sector projects in the Sault Ste. Marie area. This investment will help create good-paying jobs, boost economic growth and improve quality of life in northern communities.

“These four projects represent a combined $1.5 million investment on a variety of projects that will add jobs, expand businesses, and encourage their economic growth,” said Ross Romano, MPP for Sault Ste. Marie. “The agriculture sector is incredibly important in the overall economic picture of Northern Ontario, in our community and region, and I am happy to advocate for continued support to strengthen it.”

The following funding is being delivered through the NOHFC:

$683,725 and $429,910 for the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to complete two tile drainage projects on more than 2,000 acres of farmland in the Algoma and Manitoulin regions. The project will create 14 new jobs and benefit 21 area producers.
$360,000 for Lallemand Inc. to establish a specialized bacteria inoculation facility and provide plant care solutions to agribusinesses. This project will create 16 jobs and benefit soybean and pulse producers across Canada.
$99,032 for Thomson Fruit Wines to renovate its facility and purchase new equipment to expand its business and offer new products, creating three jobs.

“Supporting the growth and prosperity of the agri-food sector and employment in rural communities throughout Northern Ontario is a priority for our government,” said Lisa Thompson, minister of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs. “These investments build on other actions contributing to the many stories of innovation, growth and success emerging in the Northern Ontario farming and agri-food sector.”

“The agricultural sector is a key driver of economic growth in Northern Ontario and we are proud to make investments that create jobs and keep the North competitive,” said Greg Rickford, minister of Northern Development, Mines, Natural Resources and Forestry. “These investments will help our agriculture sector grow and thrive, providing good job opportunities for northerners.”

The NOHFC promotes economic prosperity across Northern Ontario by providing financial assistance to projects—big and small, rural and urban—that stimulate growth, job creation and skills development. Since June 2018, the NOHFC has invested more than $432 million in 4,025 projects in Northern Ontario, leveraging more than $1.4 billion in investment and creating or sustaining over 6,200 jobs.

Quotes:

“The Regional Tile Drainage Program funded through NOHFC has increased crop yields and helped producers be more prepared for climate change in Algoma and across northern Ontario. This funding will further encourage increased investment in the agri-food sector to produce quality crops for decades to come.” - David Thompson, RAIN Manager

"On behalf of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre’s Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) we thank the Province of Ontario for investing in Algoma’s agri-food sector through the Regional Tile Drainage Program. Our changing climate has seen more intense weather, droughts and flooding that has severely impacted Northern producers. The investments in tile drainage have not only led to a more productive growing season, but it has also helped producers be more prepared for climate change. Since the program started, we have seen amazing results that include infrastructure investment in processing and increased production of cash crops, beef cattle, and berries produced here at Thomson Farms. While tile drainage is one part of the puzzle to address infrastructure challenges, we are excited about emerging opportunities in processing and vertical farming that will be part of RAIN’s agri-food growth strategy." - Peter Bruijns, Executive Director Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to Support Student Learning at Sault College

Thu, 10 Feb 2022 16:57:16 GMT

(Sault Ste. Marie, ON February 10, 2022) – Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) is supporting student learning at Sault College by establishing the SSM Innovation Centre IT Success Scholarship. This scholarship is available to students enrolled in their first year of an Information Technology studies program at the College and will be awarded to three local students annually. Each scholarship is valued at $1,500 and is renewable based on maintaining a minimum GPA.

“Developing talent within our community is a necessity for our economy to thrive. The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre is committed to furthering the skills needed to support IT, technology and science-based sectors in Algoma. This scholarship program not only builds awareness in the program options at Sault College, but also aims to open doors for those wanting to benefit from the in-demand jobs in the IT sector,” said Peter Bruijns, Executive Director, SSMIC.

More about Sault College’s Scholarship, Bursaries and Awards program can be found by visiting Scholarships, Bursaries And Awards | Sault College .

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A little bit about SSMIC

Mon, 07 Feb 2022 14:25:08 GMT

Empowering and providing solutions for innovative businesses/entrepreneurs in the Sault

Story published by Village Media - Sootoday.com here

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre also seeks to uplift and support their own community through a number of different initiatives.

"At its most basic, innovation is about making things better in a way that benefits everyone," writes Canada's Ministers in their report, Innovation for a Better Canada .

One company that strives to empower the ideas and provide solutions for innovative entrepreneurs/local businesses is the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC).

SSMIC is a non-profit organization that is based out of Sault Ste. Marie, and according to Peter Bruijns, SSMIC’s Executive Director, the innovation centre’s inception began as a need to diversity our Sault Ste. Marie’s economy over time.

“We are one of 17 Regional Innovation Centres ( RIC ) in Ontario that help entrepreneurs and innovators succeed by helping them develop their ideas to make them marketable and attract talent, capital and customers,” Bruijns said. “We are here because of a need to expand our industry verticals to include more prominent positions in the science, technology, and information technology sectors to keep the city relevant and moving in the right direction.”

When SSMIC first began, the organization’s initial focus was solely on its Community Geomatics Centre division, which specialized in geographic information systems (GIS) and mapping.

The Community Geomatics Centre division would transition into Acorn Information Solutions ( AIS ), and this division of SSMIC provides crucial services such as the aforementioned GIS mapping (the ability to analyze and present data based on geographical information to generate solutions), data infrastructure, business insights, custom software solutions, a range of information technology (IT) related services, and much more to assist in creating solutions for the businesses, organizations, and entrepreneurs that the SSMIC serves.

Alongside the Acorn division, SSMIC also offers solution-creating programs that are more specialized to specific sectors. These programs include the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (focused on innovative research and the development of agri-food businesses/organizations), the Sault Ste. Marie Academic Medical Association (focused on researching and developing ideas/projects related to healthcare and how to improve it in the community), as well as the Vulnerable Persons Registry (started by the Acorn Information Solutions division, the VPR focuses on creating safety improvements for higher-risk residents during emergencies while living at home).

And while SSMIC offers a vast assortment of programs and experts that specialize in coming up with unique solutions for a multitude of different business sectors, Lori McDonald, SSMIC’s marketing and communications manager, says that the overall goal of SSMIC is simple, yet important to the organization and what they do.

“We want to be there to uplift individuals and businesses that are also solutions focused, innovative, and have a growth mindset. We are going to help you succeed as best that we can in the realm of what we do,” Lori said. “We want to drive businesses/individuals forward.”

SSMIC is not only looking to support local businesses/entrepreneurs, but the organization also wants to support the Sault Ste. Marie community as well, and Lori says that SSMIC has done so with its array of community-based initiatives.

In an effort to inspire future generations of young entrepreneurs and business leaders, SSMIC created the YouLaunch division, which offers workshops, camps, and training experiences to youth who are under 29. The goals of the program are to help advance the students’ skills, as well as preparing them for innovative jobs and entrepreneurial endeavours.

Another educational offering that SSMIC provides are e-Learning courses. The courses teach interested learners about technology and entrepreneurship, and SSMIC offers the courses online for free upon registration for anyone (including beginners).

And Bruijns says that these educational programs are only just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the SSMIC’s community initiatives.

“We encourage people to have a conversation with us,” Bruijns said. “We want to work with partners across the community to find solutions and empower change.”

For more information about the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and all of the programs/services that the non-profit organization provides for innovative businesses/entrepreneurs, you can visit their website at www.ssmic.com .

Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone takes home two Algoma Visionary Awards

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 19 Jan 2022 15:13:08 GMT

Dr. Ho-Tassone welcomes collaboration on projects that will help community

Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone started working for the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's RAIN (Rural Agri-Innovation Network) division just under a year ago. Since then, she's completed her PhD in Social and Ecological Sustainability (specializing in Integrated Water Management) from University of Waterloo and took on the role of Project Coordinator at Lake Huron North (through RAIN.)

Not only does Dr. Ho-Tassone have a long list of credentials, qualifications, interests, and experiences, she has a contagious passion for learning and sharing her knowledge. Being in a meeting with Elaine, or having a conversation with her, means that you will walk away learning something . It comes as no surprise that she is also part-time faculty at Algoma Universit y. These are just some of the reasons that we at the Innovation Centre knew she would stand an excellent chance of winning the Strive YPG Algoma Visionary Award for Young Professional of the Year and the Environmental and Natural Resources Industry Award.

Being drawn to community collaboration, and achieving meaningful results are things that Dr. Ho-Tassone feels passionately enough about to welcome viewers to join her in working towards a common goal of water sustainability while making her speech at the SYPG Algoma Visionary Awards Gala .

In response to winning these awards, Dr. Ho-Tassone commented:

"Since relocating to the Sault in early 2020, I have been consistently awed and inspired by the collaborative spirit of everyone I have encountered. The work we have accomplished together is entirely owed to the immense support, interest, and commitments others have contributed. Therefore, the recognition I received at this year's Strive gala truly belongs to the large team of passionate collaborators who have made these projects possible!

Watching the awards ceremonies and hearing about all the fantastic work that is being done in our community was extremely humbling, as there are so many people out there making a real difference in the lives of people all around us. Some of these people received recognition through nominations or receipt of awards, but many others have not! I recognize all those persons and organizations, including those giants who came before us and paved the way for all of us to be engaged in the ways we are.

I am honored to have accepted the Environmental and Natural Resources Industry Award and the Strive Young Professional of the Year Award; however, I am even more grateful to be a part of a community of peoples that include many past, recent, and future nominees and award recipients. I look forward to continuing to collaborate on various projects across our region (reach out if you're interested!) and I hope to honor those who have put so much into collectively making Baawaating an even better place for all. Thank you, miigwech, and congratulations to all our team members, collaborators, and to SSMIC's hardworking and impactful community for all that you do!"

Congratulations Dr. Ho-Tassone! Continue the great work that you are doing to make lasting, meaningful impacts for the betterment of our natural environment and for you commitment to sharing your knowledge to those around you.

Check out Dr. Elaine Ho-Tassone's website to learn more about the type of work she is doing and to learn more about how she is bridging gaps between various disciplines and making connections that lead to results: https://www.e-h2o.ca

Perennial Possibilities

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 19:31:56 GMT

Evaluating perennial legume options for northern Ontario.

What are the best options for perennial legume forages in northern Ontario? To answer that question, the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) and the Lakehead University Agricultural Research Station (LUARS) partnered in two projects.

These two agricultural research agencies serve regions where forage production is a priority. “Forages are an integral part of the farming systems in the Thunder Bay area and northwestern Ontario, and they are an important part of our research at LUARS,” notes Tarlok Sahota, director of LUARS.

Research technician Mikala Parr with RAIN, which serves the Algoma District, says, “Hay grown for livestock feed is the most common crop in Algoma, making up about one-third of the total land and over three-quarters of cropland in current use. Algoma is also particularly invested in the raising of cattle. Since hay is such a vital crop in our area, we focused on projects looking at how to introduce new legumes to the area and how to improve stands.”

The two three-year projects, which both started in 2018, were funded by the Canadian Agricultural Partnership and FedNor.

Alternative legumes project

One of the projects compared five perennial legume forages: alfalfa, red clover, sainfoin, birdsfoot trefoil and galega, a fairly new crop for Northern Ontario. The project took place at two field sites, one conducted by RAIN and the other by LUARS.

“This project was a way to show what other forage options are out there for our producers,” Parr says. “Alfalfa is one of the most popular legumes in our area. Although there are not many pure alfalfa stands, most growers have alfalfa mixed into their hay stands. Red clover and trefoil are next in line in popularity. Sainfoin and galega are definitely not common.”

All five legumes have been tested before in the Algoma region, but this experiment was the first time that all were grown at the same location, allowing for direct comparisons of yield, quality and winter survival.

Over the years, LUARS has done quite a few trials with various alternative legumes, especially galega. The station has a galega stand, seeded in 2011, that is still producing great yields and quality. “Once galega gets established, it can overpower even perennial weeds such as dandelion and Canada thistle. The only negative point is that it cannot take competition in its establishment year. And if the stand is weak in the establishment year, then it will not produce a good crop in the next year,” Sahota says.

“Generally speaking, in our area, sainfoin can yield up to 90 per cent of alfalfa. However, it is not as persistent as alfalfa; after a few years, the sainfoin stand’s productivity will go down. The big advantage with sainfoin is that it doesn’t cause bloating. [Studies have shown that] if you have 25 or 30 per cent of sainfoin in an alfalfa stand, the bloating problem with alfalfa could be overcome.”

The RAIN experiment was conducted at the Algoma Community Pasture in Thessalon, and the LUARS experiment was at the research station. At both sites, the plots were plowed down in the fall, disked in the spring and then sprayed with Roundup (glyphosate) right before planting. The plots were fertilized according to the provincial recommendations for alfalfa.

The galega inoculant (Rhizobium galegae) is difficult to obtain and was not available for this project. To provide a consistent comparison, none of the legumes were inoculated.

At both sites, the plots were seeded at the following rates: alfalfa at 13 kilograms per hectare (kg/ha); galega at 35 kg/ha; red clover at 11 kg/ha; sainfoin at 30 kg/ha; and birdsfoot trefoil at nine kg/ha.

The plots were not harvested in the establishment year. Forage yield and quality data were collected in the second and third years of the experiments.

RAIN’s alternative legumes results

Parr summarizes the key findings for the RAIN project: “Red clover, trefoil and alfalfa were definitely the top legumes in yield quantity and forage quality. Galega’s performance wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t as great as the alfalfa, trefoil and red clover. Galega is known to be a poor competitor when it is becoming established, so that could be a factor in its lower yields. Sainfoin did not overwinter very well [in the 2019/2020 winter] and had a pretty poor yield in 2020.”

“Red clover, trefoil and alfalfa are used all over Ontario for a reason,” Parr concludes. “This project shows that those legumes are the top contenders for yield and overwinter survivability. My advice to growers in the Algoma area would be to have at least one of these three legumes in your hay mixes, depending on your end-goal.”

See IMAGE 1 BELOW

LUARS’s alternative legumes results

At LUARS, the plots were seeded on poor soils in 2018 and the weather was dry, so none of the plots did very well that year, which affected the 2019 results.

“In 2020, the dry matter yields were best for alfalfa followed by red clover and birdsfoot trefoil,” Sahota says. “First-cut protein content was greater than 19 per cent in birdsfoot trefoil, sainfoin and red clover and was close to 19 per cent in alfalfa. The other treatments had 13.4 per cent or lower protein content. The relative feed value was highest in alfalfa, birdsfoot trefoil and sainfoin.”

Sahota and his team also decided to conduct this field experiment again in 2020, this time using relatively normal plot land. They will be analyzing the 2021 yield and quality data for these new plots this fall.

His advice on alternative legumes for growers in the Thunder Bay region: “Continue with alfalfa and experiment with other legumes, especially galega, in a small area – perhaps 20 to 30 acres – and expand the acreage if you get good results.”

“Our area has had successes and failures with alternative forages at the farm level over the years,” he adds. “Farmers can be reluctant to give an alternative forage a second try if it runs into a problem like winterkill. But winterkill can happen in any perennial forage, even alfalfa.”

Weed control in new galega stands: RAIN
The other project compared weed control options for new galega stands, but with some differences between the RAIN and LUARS experiments.

“The objective of the RAIN project was to find the optimum seeding time of galega in the establishment year in terms of weed control and yield,” Parr explains. “Since galega is a new forage to the Algoma area, we also wanted to see if it could be added into producers’ rotations or into their hay mixes.”

The RAIN plots were planted in 2018 at Bruce Mines. Using alfalfa as a check plot, the experiment compared two planting time treatments. In one treatment, galega (seeded at 30 kg/ha) was planted as early as possible, which was mid-June. Before seeding they disked the field and, if any weeds were present, sprayed them with Roundup, providing a clean seedbed. In the other treatment, galega (seeded at 30 kg/ha) was planted in mid-July, after allowing the weeds to come up and spraying them with Roundup.

In 2019, the early planted treatment had much higher yields but also a much higher percentage of weeds than the late-planted treatment. In 2020, the early planted treatment yielded 3,566 kilograms of dry matter per hectare (kg DM/ha) while the late-planted treatment yielded only 710 kg DM/ha. She concludes, “Seeding galega in the spring as early as possible was an effective method of producing much higher yields with lower weed pressure.”

Weed control in new galega stands: LUARS

The LUARS experiment not only compared different planting times but also assessed the effectiveness of various herbicides.
Sahota explains that no herbicides are currently registered for use in galega in Canada, so he wanted to test several possibilities to see which ones would work well enough in galega to make it worthwhile to pursue registration.

All the plots were disked in the previous fall. Alfalfa was seeded at 15 kg/ha as a check plot, and all the galega plots were seeded at 30 kg/ha. The treatments are listed in the table.

In the establishment year, the best weed control was provided by treatments 4 (seeded after barley), 5 (seeded in mid-July) and 9 (Basagran Forte, post-emergence), although 9 also caused some crop damage.

“The effect of the herbicides on galega yields was seen mainly in the first harvest year (2019),” Sahota notes. In 2019, the top dry matter galega yields were: 6 (Rival) with 3,784 kg DM/ha; 9 (Basagran Forte) with 3,664 kg DM/ha; and 10 (Pursuit) with 3,533 kg DM/ha. Due to hot, dry weather in 2020, only one cut was taken, so the yields were low for all the treatments including the alfalfa check; 6 (Rival) and 10 (Pursuit) had the best galega yields.

Sahota is following up on the possibility of registration for Rival, Basagran Forte and Pursuit in galega.

Among the other treatments, all had statistically similar dry matter yields in 2019: 2 with 2,594 kg DM/ha; 3 with 3,149 kg DM/ha; 4 with 2,873 kg DM/ha; and 5 with 2,981 kg DM/ha. In 2020, 2 produced the highest dry matter yield (2,052 kg DM/ha for the first and only cut).

Sahota’s longer-term experience with galega is very positive. On average, LUARS’s 2011-seeded galega stand has outperformed alfalfa in both yield and protein content.

“I would encourage farmers to try galega on a small scale and see how it goes,” he says. “As long as you take care of the weeds in the establishment year, galega is a good crop. It has a lot of foliage and a high protein content. It has softer stems than alfalfa, making it more palatable. It starts growing earlier in the spring than alfalfa, which is how it is able to smother dandelions. Galega also has a wider window for harvesting; galega harvesting can start earlier than alfalfa, and if you need to delay harvest of galega, the forage quality doesn’t decline as quickly after the first bloom.”

If you are thinking of trying galega, both Parr and Sahota strongly recommend growing it as a pure stand, not as a mix, and planting it in a field with relatively low weed pressure. Sahota adds, “Galega is best seeded after cereal crops where the weed pressure will be less, and definitely do not plant it in fields with herbicide-resistant weeds.”

Story by Carolyn King. Source: https://www.topcropmanager.com/perennial-possibilities/

SSMIC: Year in Review

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Tue, 21 Dec 2021 18:27:15 GMT

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre Wraps up 2021

And the winners are....

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 15 Dec 2021 21:25:03 GMT

The Hour of Code up for the challenge winners are announced

It is with great pleasure that we share that student, Sebastien Haapala from Central Algoma Secondary School won the “Student” Prize for the recent SSMIC Up for the Challenge contest as part of Hour of Code and Computer Science Education Week . Sebastien is the lucky participant that won a $50 Amazon gift card .

Mme. Ellis' 8A Class from F.H. Clergue won the "Class" Prize for participating in the Hour of Code activities during last week's Computer Science Education Week and will be awarded a pizza party for the whole class.

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre invited youth in Algoma to join over 100 million students in celebrating computer science with an Hour of Code. In the “Up for the Challenge” contest we asked elementary and secondary school students to share their participation in the world-wide Hour of Code event. It was a hugely successful campaign and we had over 300 students participate across 14 local schools including:

H.M. Robbins P.S.

River View Public School

Parkland Public School

White Pines C&VS

F.H. Clergue

R.M. Moore School

Mountain View P.S.

Queen Elizabeth P.S.

Central Algoma Intermediate School

Echo Bay Central School

Elliot Lake Secondary School

Holy Cross

St. Mary's College

Korah C&VS

Through participation in the Hour Of Code, we are hopeful students gained valuable knowledge and recognized the importance of preparing for jobs of the future. Hopefully this activity has sparked an interest in technology that will continue .

Congratulations Sebastien and Mme. Ellis' 8A class!!

Join in Hour of Code

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 24 Nov 2021 21:02:29 GMT

Join over 100 Million students for an hour of code

Computers are everywhere, changing every industry on the planet. But only 51% of all high schools teach computer science. Good news is, we’re on our way to change this! If you've heard about the Hour of Code before, you might know it made history. More than 100 million students have tried an Hour of Code.

With the Hour of Code, computer science has been on homepages of Google, MSN, Yahoo!, and Disney. Over 100 partners have joined together to support this movement. Every Apple Store in the world has hosted an Hour of Code, and leaders like President Obama and Canadian Prime Minister Justin Trudeau wrote their first lines of code as part of the campaign.

This year, let's make it even bigger. Please get involved with an Hour of Code event during Computer Science Education Week, December 6-12.

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) would like to encourage participation from students across the Algoma region. We’d like to provide a little incentive to the schools with the most students participating. Stay tuned for more details.

Get more information about Hour of Code

Lori McDonald talks SSMIC with ONNtv First Local

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 20 Oct 2021 15:13:35 GMT

What is the Sault Ste. marie Innovation Centre all about and what's coming

Watch the full video at https://saultonline.com/2021/10/first-local-tue-oct-19-2021 / (Lori starts around the 17:15 mark).

Retirement means living life to its fullest for Frank Sarlo

Thu, 14 Oct 2021 19:50:47 GMT

Retired from a 40-year legal practice, Saultite decides to pursue doctorate in community organization from the University of Bristol - uses SSMIC services to improve community

At the age of 66, Frank Sarlo retired from a 40-year career as a lawyer in Sault Ste. Marie and started a new life.

In 2009 he applied to the University of Bristol under a special PhD program that offered applicants from around the world a chance to enroll and complete their doctorates under the tutelage of the university's esteemed faculty. Only 20 candidates are accepted each year.

What Sarlo didn't know at the time was that they chose candidates based on how much they liked the candidate's thesis idea.

"I was the only Canadian selected that year."

His thesis on the topic of community organizing was 350 pages by the time he finished.

"When I arrived I found out I wasn't just the oldest student, I was older than all of my professors," Sarlo said. "But I found that all the professors were at least as interested in my life as I was in taking the courses."

His experience as an attorney served him well as he typically wrote prolifically, thoroughly supporting his assertions in the course of his work.

His thesis research led him to interview 31 community leaders in the Sault in 2010 and finding what made them a success in their endeavours.

"It was one of the best times I had in my life," he said. "Doing (my doctorate) was a joy. In fact, I had a big letdown when I finished."

He earned his doctorate in philosophy from the University of Bristol in Bristol, England, on the topic of community organizing in 2013.

Several of the people Sarlo interviewed for his thesis were so taken with his ideas that they joined him in his pursuit of cultivating community leaders to help organize his beloved community and nurture its growth to the benefit of all.

Together they are bringing Sarlo's thesis to life.

"I didn't want to waste all the work that we had done," Sarlo said. "When we started the centre (Centre for Social Justice and Good Works) it was to create the leadership program and through the leadership program do good works and create a sense of social justice."

Fast forward 12 years and we find Sarlo helping to shepherd a flock of up-and-coming leaders in the city as a founder, past president and board member of the Centre for Social Justice and Good Works whose aim is to transform society for the greater good through works of charity and social justice.

The centre was the birthplace of several programs directly benefiting our community including I Love to Move, ACTion SSM (an entrepreneur/employment program) and Sweet Change (a chocolate business that strives to create change through an interactive and hands-on learning environment).

It also traces its roots back to a project Sarlo and other community leaders undertook in 2013, something Sarlo says picked him up again after he completed his doctorate at the University of Bristol and was looking for something else fulfilling and joyful to do.

Sarlo joined a group intent on creating a gathering place for Catholic people at Precious Blood Cathedral on Queen Street where they could learn more about the the area's past and the role of the Catholic church in its history.

Father Hamish Currie chaired the committee and Sam Biasucci, Bob Barbeau, Gerry McGuire, Jerry Dolcetti, Marie Bruno, Gary Dumanski and Joanne Dumanski were also members with Sarlo.

They called it The Journey and it included The Gathering Place, where the Centre for Social Justice and Good Works was conceived and born.

"We were concerned about young people and about passing on messages to them about our history," said Sarlo.

After moving the centre out of The Gathering Place to its current home at 3 Queen Street East, Sarlo and the board decided to focus their efforts more on a non-denominational approach to involving young people in the community.

They wanted to take the values and lessons from the church out into the community and make them real and livable for the next generation; to nurture a new generation of community leaders.

It all started with an initial leadership training course put together and delivered by Sarlo, Peter Vaudry, Brenda Kurczak and Mary Anne Amadio.

Ten students graduated and some returned to work with the centre later. In the course, students chose a project to undertake that would both benefit the community and be a vehicle for them to learn leadership skills.

"There was a study that came out shortly after we formed the centre," Sarlo said.

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre came out with a report indicating children in five marginalized areas of the city were in the poorest physical health of the province.

The leadership students decided to take their direction from that study and bring recreation to children in one of the areas of the city the study identified as marginalized.

That first year, in 2016, they started the program in partnership with the Community Resource Centre on Gore Street, dubbed it I Love to Move, and started a weekly recreation session for kids in the gym at the Tech.

"It ranged from 25 to 40 children at a time coming out on Saturday mornings," Sarlo said. "We had all kinds of different community groups come in from different recreation areas and teach the kids. Through the kindness of Canadian Tire, we were able to get some sports equipment like soccer balls and provide them to the children and encourage them to keep moving at home."

"The program really worked well in its first year," Sarlo added.

In the second year, it grew to a second location, at Holy Family School in the city's west end. Later, it expanded to four locations covering all five marginalized areas identified by the Innovation Centre report.

In 2019, the centre partnered with the Sault Ste. Marie YMCA which took over programming at two of the four locations while the Centre For Social Justice and Good Works continued to operate two locations.

All the programming has always been offered and supported by volunteers in the community and that didn't change during COVID-19, but everything else did.

"We had to go online," Sarlo said. "We're running the (I Love to Move) program out of The Gathering Place one evening a week."

The centre is now also working with the City of Sault Ste. Marie's Best For Kids program and social services, looking to expand the program over the next year to cover all the social services hubs in the city.

In the summer of 2020, Sarlo and the group at the centre decided to add another element to its I Love to Move program and kicked off The Sweet Change Good Deeds Program, which he said is an invitation to people of all ages, to participate together in social action that improves people's lives and the life the planet.

"Children (6-13) are invited to submit a description of good deeds performed by them for family and friends, our community and/or the environment," Sarlo said. "Those children selected will be invited to a Sweet Change Good Deeds Awards Event at which their good deeds will be recognized and they will receive a number of prizes."

The centre even had a mascot created to help let kids know that they could be rewarded for doing good deeds.

Sarlo says partnerships are vital to building a healthy community for everyone from the youngest children to the oldest seniors.

"We're really happy because we knew we couldn't do this by ourselves," he said. "We have a motto at the centre and that is to create positive change together and the together is through partnerships."

"We've been really fortunate in the relationships we've had with different organizations."

He doesn't think that's an isolated phenomenon, either.

Sarlo cited the example of how former Sault politician of note, Tony Martin, worked with community partners to start a soup kitchen on Cathcart Street in the basement of the former Blessed Sacrament Church. Many community partners came together to build it into the Sault Ste. Marie Soup Kitchen Community Centre which has since become a hub for social service.

"Sault Ste. Marie, throughout its history, has had that feeling," Sarlo said.

In addition to his work with The Centre for Social Justice and Good Works, The Journey, The Gathering Place and his activities fostering community partnerships, Sarlo has also written a book.

Hound Town: One of the Best Hockey Towns Anywhere, published by FriesenPress on Nov. 1, 2016, can still be had in hard copy at Amazon.ca, but only if fans are willing to part with a minimum of $65. For just $9.95, the Kindle edition can be downloaded, but it's dreadfully difficult to get a Kindle book autographed, no matter how kind and accommodating the author is.

"They sold a lot more than I expected," said Sarlo. "It's an amazing thing to be considered an author. It was a joy to do."

His path to publication was a bit winding and led him to another passion in his retirement but he got there through his love for hockey and his hometown.

"I was a lawyer for 40 years so the year before I retired I read everything that I could get my hands on about retirement," Sarlo said. "I had always worked extremely long hours, between my law practice and the community work. I was going constantly. So, I said, 'when I retire, what am I going to do?' I'm going to have to keep busy somehow."

He was inspired by one book in which a lawyer and physician chronicle their progress from retired professionals to authors.

"I thought, 'now that's something I could do for the rest of my life - I could write.'", Sarlo said.

So he went to see Celia Ross, then President of Algoma University, who referred him to the program at the University of Bristol, which ultimately led him to the Centre for Social Justice and Good Works while he was on a quest to become a writer.

Full article published by Carold Martin with sootoday.com and can be found here.

Northern Ontario COVID-19 Heroes

Wed, 13 Oct 2021 18:19:03 GMT

some local businesses have risen to the challenge, demonstrating their ingenuity and flexibility to join the fight against COVID-19

October 13, 2021

Full article sourced from https://fednor.gc.ca/eic/site/fednor-fednor.nsf/eng/fn04605.html?open&wt_src=twsuccess

The coronavirus pandemic has tested people, businesses and communities across Northern Ontario, the country and around the globe. Eager to help, some local businesses have risen to the challenge, demonstrating their ingenuity and flexibility to join the fight against COVID-19.

Take Maker North in Sault Ste. Marie, for example, which quickly pivoted to make face shields for healthcare and essential workers. With some financial assistance received through the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre’s Business Technology Improvement Fund, supported by FedNor, Joseph Bertrand invested in injection moulding equipment. Partnering with Rynz Innovative Tooling of Seguin, Ontario, it started producing face shields.

“We ordered four to five new 3-D printers to assist with the demand,” said Joseph Bertrand, Founder and Director of Maker North. “We were printing 24 hours a day, seven days a week for two solid months. Hundreds went to the Sault Area Hospital, the Fire Department, First Responders and frontline workers such as Sault Transit Operators.” Bertrand, who was motivated to save lives because his wife had spent her career working at the Sault Area Hospital, distributed his face shields locally and across Northeastern Ontario with some going as far as the Yukon. He says that so far, all recipients of his shields have remained COVID-19-free.

MetricAid is a technology company based in North Bay whose physician scheduling software matches capacity with demand while anticipating the ebb and flow of patients. The result is reduced patient wait times, improved patient outcomes and increased physician satisfaction. Giving doctors remote access to the web-based platform enables them to specify how many shifts they want to work and where. This technology, funded in part by FedNor, has been instrumental in staffing the emergency departments in North Bay and Sudbury, as well as two of the largest mass COVID-19 vaccination clinics in southern Ontario.

“There are doctors who might want to pick up a couple of shifts so we build a schedule upon that,” explains Lora Webb, Chief Administrative Officer, MetricAid. “Our system can also incorporate volunteers who would assist, telling everyone exactly where and when they are to show up, and can be adjusted daily based on the number of patients and available vaccine. It simplifies an incredibly complex task involving countless moving parts.”

At a time when healthcare workers are dealing with exhaustion, Webb says the software ensures that they have the human resources they need when they go on shift.

Meanwhile Sleeping Giant Brewing Company is one of several Northern Ontario businesses that has jumped in to meet the need for hand sanitizer.

“The City of Thunder Bay asked if we could help,” revealed Drea Mulligan, CEO and Co-founder of Sleeping Giant Brewing Company. “We put our whole company on the line to source the ingredients. Because we were not a distillery, we did not produce alcohol. It was a huge capital investment and very risky dealing with new suppliers. We couldn’t afford to interrupt our own production so our employees agreed to work six days a week so we could produce hand sanitizer on Saturdays.”

Mulligan, who has benefited from the Women Entrepreneurship Fund through FedNor, says the outpouring of gratitude from the community was overwhelming. Ornge Air Ambulance took all of the first batch.

“Our employees were very proud to deliver it to the airport tarmac and see it being loaded for delivery across the North. I can’t begin to describe how much the community’s thank you meant to us.”

The closure of the brewery’s taproom and the shuttering of its event portfolio and licensees across the province resulted in a revenue loss of $1.5 million. Persevering, the company implemented numerous public health safety measures and switched from selling hundreds of thousands of kegs to canned beer, implementing same day delivery and curbside pickup. Everyone’s hard work paid off and Sleeping Giant came out ahead. Initially 24 of its 35 employees were laid off. All but four have returned.

The family-run and oriented business also adapted to help meet some of its employees’ needs, many of whom had young families. That’s why Mulligan and her husband Kyle, co-founder and head brewer, opened a daycare centre, believing that if they were in a position to help, they should. Nearly a year later, the small centre has found a permanent home across the street from the brewery and a larger licensed facility that will accommodate 39 children from the community once it opens in July 2021. The childcare and early childhood education workers are employed by the craft brewery.

In a time of need, these Northern Ontario businesses and many others just like them have proven that serving their community and beyond is just as important to them as serving their clients and customers.

These companies are truly Northern Ontario heroes and FedNor is proud to have been able to help!

Truth and Reconciliation; interview with Chief Sayers

Tue, 28 Sep 2021 20:24:08 GMT

SSMIC talks with Chief Sayers about Truth and Reconciliation

Listen in as Executive Director Peter Bruijns, and RAIN Manager David Thompson hear from Dean Sayers, Chief of Batchewana First Nation, about the National Day of Truth and Reconciliation, what it means, and things we can do in our community.

This Thursday, September 30th, we encourage you to take part in Truth and Reconciliation Day, by wearing an orange shirt, participating in local events honouring this day, and reflecting on Chief Sayers' words.

Thank you, Miigwech to Chief Dean Sayers and Alex Syrette for sharing your words with us.

7 Canadian technologies that will impact your life in the not-so-distant future

Wed, 15 Sep 2021 14:54:15 GMT

From levitating trains to insect farming and AI-based hiring, local entrepreneurs are carrying on Canada’s legacy of innovation.

By David Paterson

Innovation is an essential part of Canada’s story. The world’s first telephone call rang out here. We discovered insulin and created the alkaline battery and the zipper. The Canadarm remains an icon of engineering prowess.

Now, as the pandemic accelerates the shift toward digital technologies and the need to build back better becomes acute, Canadian companies are rapidly making advances that will touch every part of our lives. They are leveraging our status as the birthplace of modern artificial intelligence and our deep expertise in health and clean technologies to innovate across the board, tackling everything from existential matters like climate change to reducing the friction points in our day-to-day lives.

Here are seven new technologies that will have a major impact on how we live, eat and work.

Farming the future: Growing insects with AI

On a 12-acre site in London, Ont., Aspire Food Group is building the world’s largest cricket farming facility. Bristling with sensors and artificial intelligence to maintain optimal conditions, the plant will produce 12,000 metric tonnes of food-grade crickets annually. Aspire turns its crickets into nutritious powder to enrich foods for human consumption, including a recently launched Loblaws protein bar. (It is also a common ingredient in pet foods aimed at owners conscious of their furry friend’s carbon paw print.) Mohammed Ashour, the company’s co-founder, says insects will have to become a larger part of the diet if we are to feed the growing global population sustainably. “We’ve tended to embrace certain foods remarkably quickly,” he says. “If you look at sushi, 25 years ago the idea of eating raw fish for most Canadians was preposterous. We think a very similar development will occur with insects and other alternative proteins.”

A new way of getting around: Magnetic levitation vehicles on demand

Futurists have long dreamed of magnetic levitation trains hurtling between hubs like Toronto and Montreal. Magnovate is taking that further with technology that enables entire networks of autonomous vehicles to glide around cities on frictionless magnetic tracks. It envisions a flexible system of on-demand vehicles that could take users from door to door while reaching near-aircraft velocity on high-speed sections between cities. It is working on test projects around the world, including building a people mover at Toronto Zoo that is slated for completion next year, a commuter project in Texas and a rail line in Saudi Arabia.

Shopping redefined: Your personal digital catwalk

To see the future of retail, look in the mirror. That’s where Calgary-based Nobal has embedded interactive technologies that turn mirrors into digital shopping assistants. Its iMirrors can be found in stores such as Selfridges in the U.K. and Puma’s flagship location in New York, where they create digital avatars of shoppers, enabling them to virtually try on different styles and sizes. It can also make outfit recommendations and let you know what products are in stock. Nobal CEO Bill Roberts says products that blur the lines between the brick-and-mortar and digital worlds will help retailers get people back in their stores. “The pandemic was a very dark cloud, but there is a silver lining,” he says. “It trained consumers to open up their horizons in terms of styles and choices.” The company is now expanding into the hotel industry with interactive mirrors in lobbies and rooms that allow guests to order room service, explore the facilities or book a show. One of its iMirrors is in use at the Four Seasons in Whistler, and Nobal has just signed a deal with U.S. hotel chain Caesars to provide mirrors for its innovation centre.

Boosters for shots: Delicate vaccines get bodyguards

Pfizer’s vaccine was the first COVID shot approved in the Western world. But it wouldn’t have gone far without Acuitas, a Vancouver biotechnology company. Using mRNA strands instead of the whole virus allowed Pfizer to develop a vaccine at unprecedented speed. But mRNA is fragile. To protect it, Pfizer turned to Acuitas, which creates highly complex lipid nanoparticles that surround the mRNA like a protective bubble until it gets into the body’s cells. Before COVID, manufacturing a few grams of these nanoparticles was considered an enormous task. To vaccinate the world, two metric tonnes of them are now being produced. This rapid scaling up of the technology opens the path to faster vaccine development, not just for variants of COVID but also potentially against some cancers and other diseases.

S marter buildings: The end of desk fans and office blankets

BrainBox AI is answering the perennial grumble of office workers everywhere: Why is it always too hot or too cold in here? The Montreal-based startup makes air conditioning systems more efficient by using AI to predict daily temperatures fluctuations around a building and making tiny adjustments to correct them. By integrating internal data such as occupant densities with weather forecasts, BrainBox AI says it can improve workers’ comfort levels by 60 percent while cutting a building’s carbon emissions by 40 percent. Its technology is used at more than 160 sites, including a Holiday Inn in Quebec where it has cut energy use in common areas by one third.

Reimagining home renos: Taking the headache out of finding a contractor

Unable to travel because of the pandemic, half of Canadian homeowners are planning renovations this year, according to Scotiabank. That means about half of Canadian homeowners will be stressed from trying to find a reliable contractor. Bidmii is taking the hassle out of the process. Instead of chasing down the person who once repaired a friend’s deck, homeowners can post details of the work they need on Bidmii’s platform and let contractors bid on the job. Each comes with reviews from other Bidmii users, and the platform won’t release payment to the contractor until the owner confirms the work has been done — meaning there’s much less chance of your home reno turning into a home wreck.

R etiring the resume: The intelligent route to a dream job

There’s a mountain of evidence that traditional hiring based on resumes leaves companies with plenty of square pegs in round holes. Plum is helping take the randomness out of recruitment with a platform that uses techniques based on psychological research to assess an applicant’s personality traits, social intelligence and problem-solving abilities. It then maps them to a company’s available opportunities and highlights the best-fitting candidates for each role. Plum has an eye for matching candidates with their dream job — people hired through the platform are four times more likely to be successful than those picked from resumes alone. Plum’s system is also deliberately blind to factors such as race, gender and disability status, helping make the process fairer for everyone.

Source: https://www.marsdd.com/news/7-canadian-technologies-that-will-impact-your-life-in-the-not-so-distant-future/

From Ms. to Dr.

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 28 Jul 2021 15:49:58 GMT

Dr. Elaine Ho, RAIN’s Project Coordinator for the Lake Huron Collaborative, successfully defended her PhD

On July 14, 2021, Elaine Ho successfully defended her thesis making her the first female (and second person) in her family to earn this degree.

Her award-winning research, Democratizing water quality monitoring processes for the lower Grand River and nearshore Lake Erie , focused on broader, more meaningful collaboration with diverse persons (e.g., Canadian and First Nations community members), and was the most transdisciplinary research project her department had ever seen.

As Elaine moves on to the next chapter in her career, she has been building her professional and community networks across the District of Algoma. As a Postdoctoral Fellow (Biology, Algoma University), she is leading the development of a community-based water quality monitoring program at Garden River First Nation – a project funded jointly by the Government of Ontario, Eco Canada, and Mitacs. In addition, she was recently appointed to the special task force aimed at spearheading the Sault's bid to become the home of the future Canada Water Agency. As part of her role on this task force, the Lake Huron Collaborative has partnered with the City to lead an upcoming public engagement series that will collect and report upon community member feedback regarding the Canada Water Agency and their vision for a secure water future for our region. Stay tuned for updates, or email Elaine ( eho@ssmic.com ) if you’re interested in attending a session!

Congratulations Dr. Elaine Ho!

New Vaccine Availability Tracker

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 14 Jul 2021 15:21:28 GMT

Know where you can make an appointment to be vaccinated

Sault Ste. Marie vaccine availability tracker

The Algoma Ontario Health Team and Algoma Public Health have partnered with the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's Acorn Information Solutions and local clinics to create a new SSM vaccine availability tracker .

This tracker is an easy way for community members to identify which participating clinics have vaccines available, any eligibility requirements, and booking information. Check back regularly for vaccine availability!

Survey reveals need to develop technology talent

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 16 Jun 2021 18:12:47 GMT

struggle for local technology talent continues

Sault Ste. Marie, ON – The Sault Ste Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) and the Algoma Workforce Investment Corporation (AWIC) released the 2021 Algoma ICT (Information Communication Technology) and Technology Workforce joint survey results. The results revealed that the struggle for local technology talent continues and that finding applicants with appropriate work experience remains a challenge. The survey validates that the opportunity for local youth to consider an ICT career continues to be an excellent choice.

Fifteen local employers who staff technology related positions provided feedback on a range of workforce issues including projected vacancies, hiring, recruitment strategies and challenges, as well as perspectives on candidate skills, education, and training. The organizations that participated in the survey represent a strong majority of the Algoma employers who currently staff skilled technology workers. Survey respondents employ approximately 3,330 individuals and of those individuals employed, approximately 518 specifically work in Information Communication Technology and Technology roles in Algoma and hold full-time positions.

Respondents revealed plans to hire 51 full-time, 2 part-time and 3 contractor positions in the next 12-24 months. The main reasons for new hires reported by participating employers were 73% due to expansion and growth. Survey results also concluded that:

• 73% reported that local supply of technology talent is inadequate

• 64% reported applicants do not have the required work experience

• 82% reported applicants have the required technical skills

• 73% of local technology employers feel they have opportunities for advancement

• Two-thirds of the technology workforce is under the age of 44

The feedback from our local employers on future skills in demand show that there is considerable overlap in the predicted required critical hard skills of the future as listed by the local Information and Communication Technology Council (ICTC) .

Skills in the Cybersecurity, Networking and Cloud Computing technology areas are highly sought-after to meet current and future demands.

Employers reported that they launch their recruiting campaigns locally and provincially and only rarely nationally or globally. When we asked employers if they recruit technology employees and allow for full-time remote working; 55% reported “No” and 45% reported “Yes.”

AWIC and the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre plan to use the survey results to develop future programming to help mitigate some of the challenges local employers are faced with in the local technology sector. Please contact SSMIC or AWIC for the detailed Survey Results Report.

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About the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre

science knowledge-based sectors in Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma region. SSMIC’s mission is to drive business growth, facilitate research and commercialize innovation in globally significant areas of science and technology through partnerships, expert advice, community development, business incubation, youth outreach and sector development activities. Key SSMIC business divisions include Acorn Information Solutions (AIS), Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), Business Support Services, and YouLaunch. www.ssmic.com

About AWIC

The Algoma Workforce Investment Corporation (AWIC) is a community-based, non-profit corporation. It is one of 26 Workforce Planning Boards in the Province of Ontario, funded by the Ministry of Labour, Training and Skills Development (MLTSD). AWIC is a trusted community partner in Algoma, providing data and insight in support of a diverse and talented workforce that contributes to prosperous communities. Our work prepares Algoma’s communities for the workforce challenges and opportunities of today and the future. www.awic.ca

The top online tech events for June 2021

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 15:30:59 GMT

Here are the can’t-miss online tech events this month

Jordan Adams outlines the top online tech events for the month of June in his article featured in MaRS Discovery District Magazine. Check them out HERE

Incentivizing innovation: How entrepreneurs are Canada’s answer to solving the climate crisis

Wed, 02 Jun 2021 15:23:42 GMT

For Canada to realistically meet its ambitious net-zero carbon emissions goal by 2050, new technologies and ways of thinking will be required.

By Simon Lewsen - June 01, 2021

First, the good news: It seems that we’re no longer hurtling toward a climate apocalypse.

Five years ago, we were on pace to see four or five degrees of warming, a development that would make most of the planet unfit for humans. Today, writes the climate journalist David Wallace-Wells, “thanks to the rapid death of coal, the revolution in the price of renewable energy and a global climate politics forged by a generational awakening, the expectation is for about three degrees.” The apocalypse has been called off — or at least deferred.

Now, the bad news: On the ladder of calamity, the rung below “apocalypse” is “dystopia.” With three degrees of warming, we could find ourselves in a world of ever-intensifying floods, famines, and fires, where coastal and equatorial cities are uninhabitable and climate migration brings mass dislocation and war. To get down to two degrees, according to the research platform Climate Action Tracker, governments worldwide would have to honour all of their current emissions-reductions pledges.

And to hold warming to 1.5 degrees — the ultimate goal — we’d have to do a whole lot more than that. This conundrum has some activists reconsidering opinions they used to espouse. If it was once fashionable to support a kind of abstinence-only approach to climate change (stop emitting, and the world will fix itself!) it now seems that such measures aren’t going to cut it. Efforts to reduce pollution are critical, but they do nothing about carbon that’s already in the air: tomorrow’s reductions, after all, can’t possibly cancel yesterday’s emissions. That’s why, according to a recent report from the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, we must find ways to actually remove carbon from the atmosphere — an endeavour known as negative emissions or climate restoration.

This is, inescapably, a business proposition. Entrepreneurs must invent negative-emissions technologies and bring them to market, something they won’t do without the proper incentives. To that end, market interventions, like carbon pricing and clean-fuel standards, are immensely useful. They incentivize innovation, by transforming the economy into what we need it to be — an engine for decarbonization. Since the Industrial Revolution, we’ve found ever-more-ingenious ways to extract carbon from the ground and put it into the atmosphere. Now, we need to extract it from the atmosphere and put it back in the ground — or, if not the ground, then somewhere equally safe.

A few Canadian entrepreneurs — Planetary Hydrogen, Carbon Engineering, and CarbonCure, recent winner of the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE, a prestigious $7.5-million (USD) award — have figured out how to do just that.

Where credit is due

When it comes to decarbonization, the most game-changing — and potentially lucrative — innovations are in the area of carbon capture. Most carbon-capture operations happen on industrial sites: smokestacks are outfitted with pipes that catch CO2 in the exhaust and siphon it into a tank. But a few companies have gone further, inventing technologies that scrub carbon from the wind. Others still have found profitable ways to store carbon, so that once it’s captured it doesn’t go back into the air.

What most of these entrepreneurs have in common is that they depend on the carbon-credit market. The logic of carbon credits is simple: if you come up with a new way to produce negative emissions, other companies will subsidize you, and, in return, they’ll get credit for the work you do. To understand why such a system is necessary, you have to understand one basic fact: some companies can decarbonize quickly and others simply can’t. If you’re a mining company, you can reduce your carbon footprint by electrifying your operations. If you’re a trucking company, you can introduce no-idling policies, whereby drivers must turn off their engines whenever they’re not moving. And if you’re in manufacturing, you can stop relying on fuelled-based backup power and instead buy cheap electricity during off-peak hours, which you can store in on-site batteries.

But what if you’re an airline company? Can you sub out your petroleum-burning planes and sub in electric planes instead? Nope, those don’t exist, and even if they did, where would you find the capital to replace your entire fleet? What you can do, though, is buy credit. In effect, you’d be paying other companies for their negative emissions — and then counting those negative emissions against your positive emissions, thereby decreasing your carbon footprint. Under such a scheme, everybody pitches in, either by decarbonizing or subsidizing somebody else’s decarbonization. “Climate change and climate policy is forcing energy productivity across the economy,” says Lisa DeMarco, founding partner of DeMarco Allan LLP, a Toronto law firm specializing in climate change. “That’s why business leaders who were resistant to emissions reductions in the past are less resistant now. They’ve realized that there’s an opportunity here.”

Putting carbon to good use

For Jennifer Wagner, president of the Dartmouth, Nova Scotia company CarbonCure Technologies, that opportunity lies in the carbon itself. Once CO2 has been captured, either from smokestacks or from the air, it can be put to good use. “There’s no environmental benefit to capturing CO2 and storing it in bottles,” says Wagner. “You can’t have an infinite number of bottles. You have to transform the carbon into something else.”

CarbonCure’s clients are concrete producers. If you’re in the concrete business and you’re looking to decarbonize, you don’t need to radically retool your factories or overhaul your supply chains. Instead, you can call CarbonCure, who will arrive with a microwave-sized unit and install it onto the side of your mixer. You can then feed CO2 — which you purchase from a carbon-capture company — into the unit. The unit, in turn, will inject the carbon into your mixer at exactly the right moment so that it reacts with the cement in the concrete and forms tiny deposits of limestone. These deposits will fortify your concrete, enabling you to make a stronger, more durable product, available to consumers at normal market prices. (Wagner says the money from the NRG COSIA Carbon XPRIZE — awarded to two international companies who find new industrial uses for carbon — will go toward CarbonCure’s goal of pulling 500 million tonnes of carbon out of the atmosphere each year by 2030.) “Effectively, we take CO2 that would go into the atmosphere and turn it into limestone,” says Wagner. “Our technology offers both environmental and economic benefits.”

Such canny strategizing is also essential to the work of Planetary Hydrogen, a startup with offices in Ottawa-Gatineau and Halifax. The company does two things: it produces hydrogen, a clean fuel source, and it deacidifies the oceans. The production process involves a number of phases. The first is a standard chemical reaction, whereby water, salt and electricity come together to form oxygen, which the company vents into the atmosphere; hydrogen, which it sells; and hydroxide, a strong base with a PH level of 14. (It’s nasty stuff, used in mining and pulp-and-paper operations.) The company then subjects this noxious hydroxide to a second, proprietary chemical process, which converts it into a milder base that can be safely added to the ocean.

In fact, it’s not just safe; it’s restorative. Due to climate change, our oceans are more acidic than they should be, a malady that causes, among things, the bleaching of the Great Barrier Reef. “When you put our hydroxide base into the ocean, it will get neutralized with the only acid that’s around,” says Mike Kelland, CEO of Planetary Hydrogen. “And the only acid that’s around in any quantity is CO2.” And so, thanks to an infusion of low-PH hydroxide, the ocean becomes less acidic, and it pulls more carbon out of the atmosphere. “The ocean is already the largest store of carbon on the earth’s surface,” says Kelland. “We’re further increasing its carrying capacity.”

Accelerating change

What both CarbonCure and Planetary Hydrogen have in common is that they’re not only selling a product. True, CarbonCure gets most of its money by licensing its technology to concrete producers, just as Planetary Hydrogen aims to turn a profit by selling hydrogen, a by-product of its chemical process. And yet, these two companies have a second revenue stream: carbon credits. In short, other companies pay them for their negative emissions. For instance, Shopify, the Canadian e-commerce giant, has pledged — along with many other multinationals, including Amazon, Unilever, and Microsoft — to get to net-zero in the next few decades. To help achieve this goal, it is buying credits from CarbonCure, Planetary Hydrogen and other negative emitters. In March, it announced it was also purchasing 10,000 tonnes of carbon removal from Carbon Engineering.

“Our goal is to produce the cheapest hydrogen fuel in the world,” says Kelland of Planetary Hydrogen. The company will do this by subsidizing its hydrogen production with the money it gets from the carbon-credit market. CarbonCure, meanwhile, has a revenue-sharing arrangement with everybody who licenses its equipment. “We give some of our credit revenue back to our customers,” says Wagner. “The more money we put in their pockets, the more they’ll want to use our technology — and the more CO2 they’ll reduce.”

Mining, in reverse

If it were true that carbon pricing and other emissions-reduction strategies are deadly for business, then British Columbia would be a have-not province by now. In 2008, the government of Gordon Campbell became the first in Canada to introduce a broad-based carbon tax. The province has since added other policies, like motor-fuel taxes and a clean-fuel standard, which forces companies to either decarbonize or buy credits. Did these constraints transform British Columbia into an economic wasteland?

On the contrary, they were a spur to innovation. “Much of Canada’s clean-tech sector has located in British Columbia,” says Tom Green, a policy analyst with the David Suzuki Foundation. B.C. has leading companies in clean fuel, clean building materials and even clean apparel. And it has clearly benefited from a first-movers’ advantage. “Part of the reason we’ve done so well in clean-tech,” says Green, “is that we started carbon pricing before most other provinces.”

Perhaps the biggest B.C. success story is Carbon Engineering, one of the world’s leading innovators in direct-air capture — that is, technology that scrubs carbon from the wind. Currently, the amount of carbon in the air is 400 parts per million. In climatic terms, this is perilous: never in the history of our species have we had such a dangerously carbonated atmosphere. But when it comes to carbon capture, 400-parts-per-million is still a relatively low ratio. “It’s like a drop of ink in a swimming pool,” says Steve Oldham, Carbon Engineering’s CEO. “We have to somehow find that drop and get it out of there.”

The firm uses a kind of distillation process. At its flagship plant in Squamish, B.C., giant industrial fans pull air into a PVC filter, which is coated in potassium hydroxide. That chemical mixes with the carbon in the air, creating a 4 percent CO2 solution, which drips down into a trough at the base of the filter. That solution, in turn, is mixed with a second chemical, calcium hydroxide, producing little pellets of limestone, which are 40 percent CO2. Those pellets then go into a calciner — that is, a large cylindrical furnace — which heats them until the CO2 gas escapes. The gas can then be buried underground, sometimes in abandoned oil wells — a symbolic inversion of the fossil-fuel-extraction process. (You can think of direct-air capture as mining, but in reverse.)

Carbon Engineering’s flagship plant is an industrial site — a wall of massive fans, resembling a speaker tower for a Brobdingnag rock festival. (The next facility, to be built in the Permian Basin in the southwestern United States, will be much bigger still.) Nothing about these sites are green or rustic or wild. But it’s hard to imagine a solution to climate change that doesn’t include such feats of large-scale engineering. “People often ask, ‘So, you’ve invented a technology to remove carbon from the atmosphere? Isn’t that just a tree?’” says Oldham. “I tell them, ‘Trees are great. But they require a lot of land area and they’re not permanent. At Carbon Engineering, our Permian Basin plant will capture a million tons of CO2 every year. That’s the equivalent of 40 million trees.’”

Carbon Engineering is the kind of company that garners effusive op-eds in magazines like Fortune and Forbes. It’s backed by billionaires and is closing in on $100 million in private funding. Its success rebuts both the fear that decarbonization is bad for business and the fantasy that we can somehow avoid catastrophic climate change simply by consuming less, switching to renewable energy and regreening the landscape. Such goals, of course, are well worth pursuing, but they’re not going to single-handedly get us to where we need to be within the time we have left. “Going from fossil fuels to renewable energy is necessary,” says Oldham. “But it’s going to take decades. And we can’t wait that long.”

There’s no way around this fact: to create a net-zero world within a narrow time frame, we’ll have to permit some emitters to continue emitting. And that’s OK, so long as those emitters are forced to pay, via the credit market, to subsidize an equal number of negative emissions. In other words, net zero isn’t synonymous with no emissions. It can’t be, at least not right now.

“The good news,” says Oldham, “is that one plus minus-one also equals zero.”

Original article by MaRS Discovery District. Find it HERE

WINNERS of the Up for the Challenge "Tell Us Your Stance: Remote Learning" challenge

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Tue, 01 Jun 2021 15:54:31 GMT

These students told us their stance and won some cash

June 1, 2021

Six local students will be taking home cash prizes thanks to their submissions to the “Remote Learning: Tell Us Your Stance” essay competition that challenged Algoma students to write an essay either in support of remote learning or against it.

The local challenge is a part of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre’s (SSMIC) “Up for the Challenge” project that encourages Algoma residents and businesses to share their innovative solutions by participating in challenges on a local, regional, national, and global level.

“This was our first local challenge that we initiated, and we will continue to offer opportunities for people in the Algoma region to showcase their innovative ideas and encourage other organizations in the community to submit their local challenge ideas,” said SSMIC’s Executive Director, Peter Bruijns.

“The winning essays were thoughtfully written, offered interesting perspectives, and stood out among the 60 entries received.”

Prizes were awarded to students from elementary, secondary, and post secondary levels choosing one winner for the “against remote learning” category and one winner from the “for remote learning” category.

Congratulations to all the winners:

ELEMENTARY (Prize is $100 for each student):

Against - Niyati Patel - Grade 8 - Pinewood Public School

For - Kavi Giroux - Grade 8 - Korah Intermediate

SECONDARY (Prize is $200 for each student):

Against - Abigail Peake - Grade 12 - Korah C&VS

For - Layla Grawbarger - Grade 10 - Superior Heights C&VS

POST-SECONDARY (Prize is $400 for each student):

Against - Makenna Firman - First Year - Sault College

For - Emily Johns - Third Year - Algoma University

“We want to give a shout out to Mrs. Boniferro’s Grade 2 students at Holy Cross as our youngest contributors to this competition,” added Susan George, ICTN Lead at SSMIC and one of the members of the organization’s judging committee.

“These essays were fun to read, and we applaud these young students for sharing their stories with us. The rest of the judges and I were fascinated that students shared their many personal experiences and insights with remote learning. In sharing these experiences, we often laughed out loud in how the elementary students presented their experience. It was obvious that despite the challenges, many students could see the humour in these struggles.”

Regardless of their stance on remote learning, the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre would like to recognize all students for their resiliency and adaptability during these unprecedented changes to our education system.

You're Invited

Sat, 29 May 2021 03:54:01 GMT

Business Process Development Digital Certificate Workshop

On behalf of Canadian Manufacturers and Exporters (CME), we are delighted to share the next event in our Manufacturer Growth Series, in partnership with the Toronto Region Board of Trade and The Scale-Up Institute Toronto’s Recovery Activation Program (RAP).

Manufacturers are invited to attend our free virtual Business Process Development Digital Certificate Workshop next Wednesday, June 2nd from 9:00 am – 12:30 pm , which will cover:

Business process improvements and how to identify appropriate and affordable digital technologies
Systemic approaches that pave the way for operational excellence and eliminate non-value-added activities
Improving your customers’ journey and delivering a great experience through all stages of the sales funnel

Upon completion of this workshop, manufacturing businesses will be awarded with a RAP Certificate of Completion to demonstrate their commitment to improving their business processes and productivity.

We ask that businesses that are interested in participating take 15-20 minutes to complete a Digital Needs Assessment here to learn more about their digital transformation needs. Once they complete their assessment, they will receive an invitation to register for the event within 24 hours via email.

While completing the assessment, businesses should select CME as the referral Industry Association to be given priority access to the event. Spots are limited.

For more information, please see the two-pager on the upcoming RAP Digital Certificate Series .

CANADIAN COMPANY, DAPPER LABS RAISES $305 MILLION TO EXPAND NBA TOP SHOT PRODUCT TO OTHER SPORTS LEAGUES

Tue, 13 Apr 2021 04:17:45 GMT

CANADIAN COMPANY, dAPPER LABS RAISES $305 MILLION TO EXPAND NBA TOP SHOT PRODUCT TO OTHER SPORTS LEAGUES

Vancouver-based blockchain startup Dapper Labs has raised $305 million USD in financing as the company claims to see success from its NBA Top Shot product. This investment brings Dapper Labs’ total funding to date to $357 million.

VIEW FULL ARTICLE HERE

Remote Learning: Tell Us Your Stance

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Fri, 09 Apr 2021 13:27:05 GMT

Remote Learning: Tell us your stance

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) has launched its first local challenge for students in the Algoma region.

The “Remote Learning: Tell Us Your Stance” essay competition is a part of SSMIC’s “Up for the Challenge” project that encourages Algoma residents and businesses to think and compete for innovative solutions to challenges on a local, regional, national, and global level that are compiled on the SSMIC website.

The first local challenge is an essay-style competition that invites students from elementary, high school, and post secondary schools to pick a position on remote learning – whether they are for or against it. Students should formulate their opinion through their personal experience with remote learning over the course of the pandemic using external research to support their position. Participants are welcome to draw conclusions on how remote learning may affect students and society over time and are also encouraged to suggest innovations that could improve the state of remote learning.

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre is sponsoring this challenge, awarding prizes to two entries at each level – one for remote learning and one against.

The following cash rewards will be awarded:

• Elementary School: $100 to the selected ‘For’ winner, $100 to the selected ‘Against’ winner

• Secondary School: $200 to the selected ‘For’ winner, $200 to the selected ‘Against’ winner

• Post-Secondary School: $400 to the selected ‘For’ winner, $400 to the selected ‘Against’ winner

In addition, winning entries will be featured on the SSMIC website, social media accounts, and in the SSMIC newsletter.

“We wanted to run a challenge like this to get the youth in our community thinking in innovative ways, while also providing a platform that would allow students to voice their opinions about something that affects them now or in the future,” says SSMIC Executive Director Peter Bruijns.

The challenge opens on April 7th, 2021 and submissions will be accepted until May 7th, 2021.

To review the full submission requirements and how to enter the challenge, please visit www.ssmic.com/up-for-the-challenge

An Innovative Leap: Amanda Hall's secret to sustainable success

Tue, 23 Mar 2021 13:40:29 GMT

“I worried that leaving my corporate job would ruin my professional reputation. Instead, it gave me the chance to build a game-changing company from the ground up.”

By: Kate Rae on March 8, 2021 - https://www.marsdd.com/news/an-innovative-leap-amanda-halls-secret-to-sustainable-success/

Amanda Hall is the founder and CEO of Summit Nanotech, a company that has developed a more sustainable way of extracting lithium. Here, she talks about her decision to become an entrepreneur.

“I never thought of myself as entrepreneur, but I knew in my gut that the corporate world wasn’t for me. For six years, I worked for the biggest gas producer in North America. As a geophysicist, my job was to work with a team to find oil and gas, drill wells, study the basin and optimize it, extracting as much as possible from each reservoir. I worked with good people and good teams, and there was always a mystery to solve — I loved the challenge.

I’m also a single mom to three daughters who are now all in their early 20s. One of my girls started having a tough time when she was about eight. At first, we thought it was a learning disability because she was having a hard time keeping up at school, but soon we realized that terrible anxiety was wracking her mind and body.

As she became a teen, things got harder for her, and the anxiety paired up with depression. Social media made things so awful for her — it’s impossible to watch everyone having these seemingly perfect lives while you are struggling. Leaving her alone for hours and hours a day so that I could go to work was agonizing. I had no way of keeping her safe, and I became one of the countless other moms breaking down in boardrooms and office bathrooms. The oil and gas sector is traditionally male — I was one of the only three women geophysicists out of 50 in my company. And the company tried, I think, to support me as a mother, but first you use up your vacation days and then you use your sick days and then you worry about your job.

I read everything I could to find ways to support my girl. I took her to doctors’ appointments and therapy appointments and she tried medication after medication — all which made her terribly sick, and none seemed to help.

One day I watched a TED Talk about addiction that recounted an experiment with rats who were given the choice between two water bottles — one laced with heroin, and one without. Of course, the rats quickly became addicted to heroin. But then they conducted a second experiment where they changed the environment, turning it into a rat heaven. And not one of those rats went for the heroin. I instantly knew that was what I had to do for my daughter to break the cycle of anxiety and depression — I needed to create a rat heaven for her. I walked out on my job that week.

I knew my exit would mean being able to be more present for my daughter, but I left worrying that three things would happen: I would ruin my professional reputation, I would have no money and I would lose my friends. I was so wrong. Instead it gave me a chance to overhaul my entire life.

Helping my daughter also allowed me to rethink what I wanted to do with my years of resource extraction experience. I could see the tides of change coming and I wanted to be part of the cleantech sector to help the planet, too. I quickly found an entrepreneurial community who supported me as I started my own company, Summit Nanotech. As a geophysicist, the traditional methods of extracting lithium never made much sense — you pump salt water to the surface, where it’s left in evaporation ponds for the sun to do its thing for 18 months, and then you extract lithium from what is left. I sat on my couch with a pencil and blank pad of paper and invented a better way to extract lithium. With my method we get the lithium first, not last. We can extract twice the amount of lithium in a way that’s much gentler on the planet and produces 90 percent less waste. Plus, we can do it all in one day, not 18 months.

I worked 16 hours a day at the beginning, but I was with my kid. And I created her rat heaven. We went horseback riding and got a puppy. We went to group therapy and did tons of hiking. We found a chiropractor who managed to take away a subtle underlying pain she’d been in since a car accident years before. She slowly started to get better.

Today she’s doing so well. She’s home now because of COVID, but before that, she went off to college and travelled to New Zealand by herself. She knows that home is a safe place for her to recharge and that I am always here for her.

I’m so proud that I built Summit Nanotech to be a kick-ass company that is doing ground-breaking work and developing innovations that will help the planet. We’re about to launch a pilot project in South America and we’re seeing incredible traction. Last year, we tripled our staff and we’re looking to grow our team further.

But that’s not all. We’re also a family-first company. That’s been a credo from day one. I am completely transparent about my situation, and if I need to take a day off at the drop of a hat, I do so with no worries. And the people I work with know that if they need a mental health day, they take it. No moms will be breaking down in our boardrooms — including me.” — as told to Kate Rae

The Innovator: Covid-19 Special Edition

Fri, 12 Mar 2021 20:49:38 GMT

the innovator: Covid-19 special edition

As we enter March 2021 – one year after entering our first COVID-19 lockdown – we reflect on how the last 12 months has provided an unprecedented new set of challenges, but also on how the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre was able to help local businesses, entrepreneurs, and innovators in Algoma. COVID-19 pushed many small and medium businesses into digital transformation and many of these transformations are here for the long haul!

View full newsletter here .

SSMIC's RAIN division welcomes Elaine Ho

Wed, 24 Feb 2021 16:14:41 GMT

new hire spotlight: Elain ho

This week we welcome Elaine Ho, a new Project Coordinator with RAIN. She looks to bring positive energy, a passion for ‘bridging’ to build on existing partnerships (e.g., to bring in more partners from across the region and in different sectors), broad networks in natural resource-based academia and practice, project management skills, long-term/future thinking, and collaborative ideation to the organization. She looks forward to building lasting community relationships that implement projects that influence or directly result in positive change. When she is not at work, Elaine enjoys Hiking with the family and dogs, spending time ‘unplugged’ at her camp, weekend trap shoots (pre-COVID; ranges are closed now), homesteading, and leisurely drives in vintage vehicles (sometimes visiting the local car shows).

Elaine is in the final months of her PhD in Social and Ecological Sustainability (specializing in Integrated Water Management) at the University of Waterloo.  She is passionate about building bridges between people and organizations, building social-ecological awareness, and exploring innovative, sustainable solutions.  She has collaborated with people from a variety of industries and sectors, e.g., construction, engineering, public education, tourism, natural resource management, renewable energy, academia, government, businesses, and non-profit organizations.  Elaine has delivered dozens of formal talks and has designed/delivered workshops in settings that range from small community events and corporate meetings to international conferences, and she has been a driving force in the growth and development of several social-economic ventures. A believer in lifelong learning, Elaine frequently pursues personal development opportunities - e.g., leadership summits, subject matter workshops, professional certifications, field exercises, and international conferences - expanding her network of thought leaders and changemakers at each one.

She is a certified Project Management Professional (PMP) as of 2014 and is a member of the Climate Reality Leadership Corps, having trained with Al Gore in 2015.  Current volunteer positions include sitting on the Board of Directors at the Long Point Biosphere Reserve and representing North America (Canadian representative) on the global Action for Sustainable Development Facilitation Committee.  She also continues to be involved in various volunteer initiatives which she previously began in a remote Maasai community in Kenya, including a women's bead cooperative. Over the next year, she looks forward to building community relationships for the Lake Huron Collaborative while also starting a small homestead.

Tenaris is now accepting applications

Thu, 18 Feb 2021 18:47:42 GMT

Interested in a career in manufacturing?

** Article provided by Tenaris**

Tenaris is looking for individuals who are willing to take on challenges and work in a dynamic and high-performance environment. As a leading global manufacturer, Tenaris supplies steel pipe products and related services for the world’s energy industry and other industrial applications. Across Canada, we have operations in Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, Estevan, Saskatchewan, Calgary, Red Deer, Grande Prairie, Ft. Saskatchewan, and Nisku, Alberta, offering many opportunities for personal and professional growth. With a local focus inside a global organization, we are committed to delivering value to customers that range from large established oil and gas companies to exciting new entrants to the market.

Advance your career with Tenaris! Currently seeking candidates for the following positions:

Production Workers

Review the Job Posting and Apply Online

Industrial Millwrights

Review the Job Posting and Apply Online

Industrial Electricians

Review the Job Posting and Apply Online

Laboratory Technician

Review the Job Posting and Apply Online

Summer Students

Careers Portal

Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we have a Resume Drop Box accessible outside the Tenaris Algoma Tubes facility to ensure safety measures are taken into account.

Tenaris is an equal opportunity employer, valuing diversity in employment. Tenaris is committed to providing accessible employment practices that are in compliance with the Accessibility for Ontarians with Disabilities Act (AODA). If you’re selected for an interview and require an accommodation for a disability during any stage of the recruitment process, please advise the Human Resources Department.

If your experience and knowledge match our requirements, please apply! We accept applications online and in-person. Due to Covid-19 restrictions, we have a Resume Drop Box accessible outside the Tenaris Algoma Tubes facility to ensure safety measures are taken into account. We thank all candidates for their interest, however, only those that match the criteria required for the desired profile will be contacted.

Thank you for your interest.

Starlink’s Better Than Nothing Beta in Algoma

Wed, 27 Jan 2021 15:10:22 GMT

Starlink’s Better Than Nothing Beta in Algoma

If you live in a rural or remote area in the Algoma district, you may want to consider applying to join Starlink’s Better Than Nothing Beta Test currently underway in Canada. Depending on where you live, some Northern Ontario residents can now sign up for Starlink’s satellite internet service.

Check out the full article, by Susan George, ICT Sector Lead HERE .

Algoma residents have access to one stop guide for outdoor activities

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Fri, 22 Jan 2021 18:33:22 GMT

Outdoor winter activities Directory

Sault Ste. Marie, ON - If quarantining has you searching for activities you can do safely outside of the walls of your home, then check out the Outdoor Winter Recreation Activities Directory .

The City of Sault Ste. Marie and Acorn Information Solutions have partnered to create a one-stop guide to help you plan your outdoor winter activities. The directory will show you locations, hours of operation, and other important details of outdoor activities including:

- Cross Country Skiing Trails

- Fat Bike Trails

- Outdoor Skating Rinks

- Snowshoe Trails

- Tobogganing Hills

- Winter Walking Trails

Users can simply choose to view all activities or individual activities listed above and icons will appear on a map. Once the icons are clicked, information about the activity locations will pop up.

Under the provincial government shutdown, outdoor recreational facilities remain open as a method of physical activity. Users of any outdoor site should plan their visit accordingly. No groups larger than 5 people are permitted and; those outside of your household must maintain a physical distance of at least two metres. Masking is recommended at all times, even outdoors.

Free Coaching for Women-led Social Enterprises

Wed, 06 Jan 2021 15:30:16 GMT

Free coaching for women led initiatives

For immediate release

Free Coaching for Women-led Social Enterprises

January 6, 2021

A free coaching program for women-led initiatives that address a social, cultural, or environmental concern is launching through NORDIK Institute’s Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (SEE) initiative. The program provides tailored one-on-one coaching for individuals or organizations at various stages in their entrepreneurial journey, from startup, to pivoting in response to COVID-19, to scaling. Program participants will be coached by experienced women social entrepreneurs from Northern Ontario.

“Research indicates that women are a key component of community economic recovery and regeneration; however, it also reveals that the gender gap between men and women in access to education, finances and technology is negatively impacting women’s potential,” states

NORDIK Institute’s Social Innovation and Community Developer, Maureen Strickland, referring to recent studies undertaken by the Women’s Entrepreneur Knowledge Network, the Ontario Chamber of Commerce and the Diversity Institute.

“Helping women entrepreneurs succeed is essential to ensuring a strong and sustainable economic recovery for all Canadians,” says the Honourable Mary Ng, Minister of Small Business, Export Promotion and International Trade.

“Our government’s Women Entrepreneurship Strategy, as well as the collaborative efforts between Pillar Nonprofit Network

and WOSEN, are crucial to helping women entrepreneurs to overcome the challenges they face – giving them the tools and support they need to rebuild and succeed for years to come.”

The laser focus of a one-on-one coaching program supports women’s unique needs in advancing their part-time or full-time entrepreneurial initiatives. Participants select a coach with the expertise they are seeking and schedule the sessions’ duration and frequency according to

their availability.

The program allows for up to ten hours of coaching that must be completed by March 31, 2021.

The program is part of the Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network (WOSEN) project that supports women and gender non-binary people, typically underrepresented in business, to create and grow enterprises that embed social values into their business model, such as

through cooperative, non-profit, as well as both for-profit and not-for-profit social enterprises.

WOSEN is a collaborative led by Pillar Nonprofit Network in partnership with NORDIK Institute, the Centre for Social Innovation and Social Venture Connexion (SVX). NORDIK’s SEE is the lead for the Northern Ontario region. Pillar Nonprofit Network is supported through the

Government of Canada’s Women’s Entrepreneurship Strategy Ecosystem Fund , delivered by the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario (FedDev Ontario) .

NORDIK (Northern Ontario Research, Development, Ideas and Knowledge) Institute is an innovative community-based research hub that has evolved from the Community, Economic, and Social Development (CESD) program and research at Algoma University. It is committed to the practice of holistic community development and has established strong links with other research institutes, universities, and colleges. NORDIK is committed to the practice of holistic community development and building local research capacity by working closely with its

community partners and providing mentorship to new researchers and community development practitioners.

For more information, please visit www.nordikinstitute.com .

Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (SEE) is an initiative led by NORDIK Institute to support the development of the social economy through the building capacity of social entrepreneurship by strengthening the ecosystem. For more information please visit www.seethechange.ca .

Pillar Nonprofit Network supports over 610 nonprofits, social enterprises and innovators by sharing resources, knowledge and connections across the three pillars of nonprofit, business and government.

Centre for Social Innovation Toronto is home to 1,000 nonprofits, charities and social ventures and provides these members with the spaces, knowledge, tools, resources and connections they need to grow their impact. For 15 years, CSI has been female-led.

Social Venture Connexion (SVX) is a non-profit financial services firm that designs strategies, manages funds, and mobilizes capital for social purpose organizations and investors. We work across sectors that deliver meaningful social impact to society, including cleantech, health, education, food, and social inclusion. SVX has operations across Canada, the United States, and Mexico.

FedDev Ontario works to advance and diversify the southern Ontario economy through funding opportunities and business services that support innovation and growth in Canada’s most populous region. The Agency has delivered impressive results, which can be seen in southern Ontario businesses that are creating innovative technologies, improving their productivity, growing their revenues, and in the economic advancement of communities across the region.

Learn more about the impacts the Agency is having in southern Ontario by exploring our pivotal projects .

-30-

Media contact: Maureen Strickland, NORDIK Institute’s Social Innovation and Community Developer

Phone: (705) 207-1913

Maureen.Strickland@algomau.ca

SSMIC Business Services team welcomes new staff

Wed, 16 Dec 2020 18:27:59 GMT

OUr newest Member of the SSMIC BUsiness Services team: Katie Goodall

Check out Katie's profile here

WOSEN emphasizes social entrepreneurship for women

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 18:32:33 GMT

Press release

PRESS RELEASE

For immediate release

WOSEN emphasizes social entrepreneurship for women

Temiskaming Shores, Tuesday 24 November, 2020 - The passion for entrepreneurship is growing every year , but what about the place of women in Ontario’s economic landscape? The Cooperation Council of Ontario (CCO), in partnership with the Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network (WOSEN), is organizing workshops around the introduction to social entrepreneurship for women.

And what if you become an entrepreneur? Are you a French-speaking woman in Northern Ontario with a business idea? Does this idea have a cause or the community at heart? If this describes you, the CCO will provide an opportunity to talk about and to get answers to questions about the feasibility of their entrepreneurship project.

‘’This four-module program is designed to raise awareness among Francophone women in Northern Ontario about social enterprise, including the development of ideas, the mental preparation required and the exploration of her environment in order to determine if there is a market for her business idea‘’ emphasizes Annie Joyal, Manager in Temiskaming Shores.

We recognize the support of the Government of Canada through the Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario. This project contributes to a thoughtful, women-centered approach to serving all Francophone women who wish to start a business in Ontario.

In the North, the first module will start on Thursday, December 3. Registration will be open from November 12th to the 29th and the registration form will be available on WOSEN’s website. The link to the registration form will soon be available on the CCO’s and on WOSEN’s websites, as well as through a variety of social media.

It should be noted that our partners mécènESS and ACFO SDG are also placing Ontario women at the heart of Francophone entrepreneurship issues and are organizing their own programming in southern and in eastern Ontario

‘’We will also adjust the schedule as best we can to accommodate the availability of participants in order to allow for their full participation” adds Paula Haapanen, Northern Manager for the Cooperation Council of Ontario.

Encouraging women’s entrepreneurship means addressing the issue of equality between women and men, breaking down stereotypes and promoting economic growth.

-30-

About the Cooperation Council of Ontario The Conseil de la coopération de l’Ontario uses cooperation as a development model for Ontario’s francophone and bilingual communities. It ensures the development and growth of cooperatives and social enterprises, strengthens community collaboration, produces high-level research, manages high potential organizations and connects collective enterprises in Ontario and around the world.

About WOSEN The Women of Ontario Social Enterprise Network (WOSEN) is a network led by Pillar Nonprofit Network alongside the Centre for Social Innovation (CSI), Social Venture Connexion (SVX) and NORDIK Institute’ Social Enterprise and Entrepreneurship (SEE).

For more information, please contact:

Paula Haapanen

Northern Manager

Cooperation Council of Ontario

paula.haapanen@cco.coop

705-560-1121 ext. 101

Annie Joyal

Manager

Cooperation Council of Ontario

annie.joyal@cco.coop

705-560-1121 ext. 115

SSMIC Welcomes New Staff

Wed, 02 Dec 2020 17:50:11 GMT

Check out our new hire profiles here

Local tech company proves you can dream big and find success in Sault Ste. Marie

Wed, 04 Nov 2020 15:15:47 GMT

The common narrative among young people growing up in Sault Ste. Marie is if you have big dreams, you have to leave the small community behind and move to a bigger city to be successful.

When you’re a high-school student aspiring to be an entrepreneur, or aiming to pursue a career in tech, the misconception you’ll hear most often is there are few jobs and a slim chance at sustainable employment opportunities.

For local software developers Brenda Saunders and her husband Robbie Saunders, moving back home to Sault Ste. Marie provided an opportunity to grow their trakrSuite company while developing a mobile app known as saniTrakr, a time-saving COVID-19 screening solution for businesses and employees.

The saniTrakr app has been launched for about two-and-a-half months, and has sparked interest from hotels, nursing homes, hospitals, restaurants, manufacturers, breweries, security companies, and offices both locally and nationally.

“(If you’re a business owner) saniTrakr is an application that consolidates all your protocols for COVID-19, including employee screening, maintaining cleaning of washrooms and public spaces as well as COVID tracing,” Saunders told SooToday in an October article.

Brenda, a Sault-native, had previously lived in Elmira, Ontario, which is located in the Kitchener-Waterloo area. Her husband Robbie was an employee of Blackberry, and about eight years ago he suggested moving back to Sault Ste. Marie to open a Canadian office for their hardware company called Infinite Peripherals.

Once they moved back to the Sault, Saunders explained they were only able to sell their hardware to retail companies due to fact that their customers had their own developers creating their own software. They decided to shift to the software development world after discovering a market they felt they were missing out on.

From that point, their software development company called trakrSuite was created. Their first development was an inventory app, which was being developed over the past two-and-a-half years and was nearing an official launch after some beta testing.

Once COVID-19 made its way to Sault Ste. Marie, Brenda, Robbie, and Director of Sales Vicki Zeppa decided to shift gears and address a need in the maintenance and cleaning industry, which was a niche that was widely ignored prior to the pandemic. This is when the saniTrakr app was born.

When describing the application’s development process, Saunders says their approach was built from the insights and specific needs of businesses as a result of COVID-19.

“One of the things we really pride ourselves on is building everything from the end user up,” she said. “We spent a lot of time talking with customers and talking with business owners and building that way because we want the user to have the experience that makes their job easier.”

When Saunders left Sault Ste. Marie, she was part of the “90’s crowd” that left and didn’t come back. She explained many young people wanted to leave and see what other opportunities were out there. Since coming back to the Sault as a mother and now a business owner, she said she sees the potential within the community and what it could have been in the past.

“It’s a great place to start a business because you don’t have the large overheads (in comparison to bigger communities),” she said. “Nowadays our market is the world, so it doesn’t matter where we are. Why wouldn’t I want to be some place that, when I’m not working, I’m enjoying? Where I can be successful and maybe even be a leader a bit sooner than I would have been (in a big city.)”

Saunders highlighted the growth of diversity in the community, specifically the international students and those who have immigrated to Sault Ste. Marie, as being a contributor to the growing local tech sector.

When asked to provide some advice to the young people in the community who are planning their future and pursuing careers, Saunders said she would give the exact advice she has given her 16-year-old son.

“Don’t be in a rush to make those decisions without having some experience or doing the work here, because no matter where you are in the beginning, there is going to be a lot of ‘no’s’, there is going to be a lot of ‘maybe later’s’, and there is going to be a lot of obstacles,” she advised.

“I think that if you have an opportunity to stay in our community, do the groundwork, do what you have to get done, stay here for school, there’s no reason to get yourself into a position where you’re struggling before you even had a chance to be successful.”

SSMIC employee brings Acorn Information Solutions out west by working remotely

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 21 Oct 2020 15:18:49 GMT

Acorn Information Solutions data Analyst makes her way to British Columbia

October 21, 2020 -SSMIC- It is nothing out of the ordinary to hear people say that they are working from home these days.

Working from home is one aspect of the “new normal” and although some may question the opportunity to make connections and expand their networks while working from home, one Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) employee is not only stretching the boundaries of remote working, but also the boundaries of our products and services.

Zoe Alavi, a Data Analyst with the Acorn Information Solutions division of SSMIC, recently made a 10-day drive home to British Columbia and has been successfully working a ‘mere’ 3500km away from the office.

“Working for Acorn Information Solutions is what brought me to Sault Ste. Marie in the first place,” said the B.C. native. “It was exactly what I was looking for given my education and I’m glad I am able to continue doing the work.”

Graduating with a degree in Health Sciences from Simon Fraser University (SFU) and receiving an advanced diploma in GIS from the British Columbia Institute of Technology (BCIT), Alavi was excited to dive into the workplace but was disappointed at what was available in her area and took the risk to move across Canada to a smaller Ontario community.

“This position with Acorn allows me to use my education to improve services that focus on the health and well-being of Ontario residents,” said Alavi.

Now situated in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Alavi is set up with all the equipment she needs to do her job. She explained that with the onset of COVID-19 her situation became a “blessing in disguise.”

“I knew that I wanted to return home (to B.C.) but wasn’t sure if I would be able to work for the organization being that far away. Living in the Sault when COVID hit allowed our team to work out all of the kinks, and with the wonderful support from our IT team, I knew that I could work from anywhere.”

Right now, Alavi is working on an analysis report for the Manitoulin-Sudbury District that assesses social services uptake in the community, where users are coming from, distance traveled to access services, and frequency of services accessed, all to better optimize where their services are located. Additionally, as the main Data Analysis Coordinator for the Algoma District Services Administration Board, Alavi is currently working on a Children’s Report for Algoma which includes an overview of the community using census data as well as indicators related to, health, the physical environment, education, child care, and family structure.

While Acorn Information Solutions works closely with several northern communities, its services reach many communities in southern Ontario as well.

“Many of my colleagues are doing work for communities in southern Ontario from digitizing and data clean ups, to offering services like KEyON in several Districts,” said Alavi.

KEyON, one of Acorn’s licensed products, is a software that makes signing in and out of Ontario’s EarlyON Centres easier for parents, and makes planning easier for EarlyON Centres. The KEyON software collects EarlyON attendance data and the aggregate data reports supply provincially required data elements. The information collected is essential to Data Analysis Coordinators across the province for planning and evaluation purposes.

One of Zoe’s goals is to try and introduce the product to British Columbia. She explains that B.C.’s equivalent of EarlyON Centres is StrongStart B.C., and the Acorn team believes they would benefit from having KEyON integrated into their sign-in, sign-out, and data analysis procedures.

“Our participating Centres in Ontario have really found that KEyON has helped them provide the best services to their clients and efficiently gathers the data required by the province,” she said. “Having the opportunity to bring a product or service into another province is exciting and I look forward to the task.”

The rest of the staff at SSMIC wish Zoe well in her new work environment and support her in her goal of bringing some of the solutions developed by Acorn to British Columbia.

Get more information about Acorn Information Solutions .

Check out KEyON

Contact:

Lori McDonald

lmcdonald@ssmic.com

705-942-7927 ext. 3138

ICT Partnerships to Connect Northern Ontario Businesses to Global Opportunities

Fri, 16 Oct 2020 17:39:52 GMT

Northern Ontario’s Information and Communication Technology Networks (ICTNs) recognize that access to technology is crucial to the economic and cultural success of Northern Ontario.

View fill article here: http://fednor.gc.ca/eic/site/fednor-fednor.nsf/eng/fn04596.html

Residents of Iron Bridge gain access to High Speed Internet

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 23 Sep 2020 14:06:55 GMT

Another update on Broadband in Algoma!

Some good news for residents of Iron Bridge. If you are a resident of Iron Bridge, then you could receive free installation of better-quality internet. In June 2020, the Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Networks (CENGN) announced that the Huron Shores community of Iron Bridge was the recipient community for the Northern Ontario Residential Broadband Project # 2. This project launched an innovative broadband solution that brings high performance broadband access, while providing a model for low-cost expansion to other communities across the province.

The technology provider, Leepfrog Telecom, implemented a solution that uses a combination of WIFI and new Television White Space (TVWS) technology, bringing speeds of 50/10 and up to 150/15 using various technologies to residents of Iron Bridge.

During the recent installation, Leepfrog Telecom conducted performance tests which revealed internet speeds that exceeded 50/10 Mbps depending on the distance from the tower.

If you are a resident of Iron Bridge, Leepfrog Telecom is offering free installation to the first 100 residents to sign up. Please contact Leepfrog Telecom to obtain details of the various packages available for high speed internet.

With the COVID-19 Pandemic and the increased reliance on broadband connectivity, this technology offers residents improved capability for remote working, online education, and healthcare. This capability will also enable businesses in the region with improved connectivity and digital transformation.

Under the Next Generation Network Program (NGNP) , CENGN funds innovative projects across Northern Ontario that demonstrate technology solutions that offer flexible, lower cost, higher performance residential broadband access for Northern Ontario communities. These live technology projects are designed to drive new innovative technologies and validate business case solutions to improve high-speed internet access to residences within Northern Ontario communities

This exciting project is an excellent Proof of Concept to deliver much needed broadband services to underserved communities in the Algoma region. This technology solution services as a Proof of Concept that other communities across Algoma with similar terrain could leverage. The Proof of Concept not only provides us with a technology solution, but experience with the implementation (an impressive 3-month implementation timeline), the challenges and the solutions to overcome those challenges are now known. We also have some estimated costs that can be shared with any other municipalities in the Algoma region who may be considering this technology solution.

If you would like more information on this project or other broadband initiatives across the Algoma region, please contact Susan George, ICT Sector Lead at the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre at sgeorge@ssmic.com

11 ways to build a successful recruitment strategy

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 16:49:36 GMT

Get tips and templates from industry experts to build out an inclusive and efficient hiring process.

Article by Veronica Sheppard and originally posted here

The economic fallout of COVID-19 threatens decades of progress for working women

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Fri, 11 Sep 2020 16:37:05 GMT

A new plan calls for policies that are as disruptive as the crisis that prompted it.

Article by Flannery Dean and originally posted here

Rachel Robinson is worried. About working during a pandemic. About her daughter’s first year of kindergarten. And about the very real prospect that she may find herself back in lockdown with a four-year-old and a full-time job this fall.

“There’s so much uncertainty … it’s a lot,” says the business development associate at a market research software provider in Toronto.

Robinson was drawn to the tech sector because of its reputation for a more progressive work culture. As a single parent, a flexible workplace is a necessity. So, too, is affordable childcare, as she relies on a childcare subsidy to make ends meet.

When you’re a single working parent, juggling is a survival skill you pick up quickly. But when the pandemic hit, Robinson saw those skills sorely tested. Her daycare centre had to close. Layoffs hit her company, and as the only person left on her formerly four-person sales team, her workload increased exponentially. She worked whenever her daughter fell asleep, often until 2 a.m.

“There was no balance between work, life and parenting,” she says. “I lost the boundary of when it’s time to close the laptop.”

Rachel Robinson is overwhelmed. And she’s not the only one. In the current economic climate, many women are reaching their breaking point.

Laid off at disproportionately higher rates than men, women are facing a precarious employment future. Women with school-age kids haven’t been able to jump back into the labour market as easily as men with kids, and many women with lower incomes and education levels are struggling to recover job and income losses. And with reduced access to childcare and looming concerns about school openings, some women are dropping out of the workforce altogether. Add the factors of race, lower economic status, immigration status, gender identity and disability to gender and the impacts increase to an almost impossible degree.

That a vast cross-section of Canadian women has absorbed most of COVID-19’s economic blows should be an ALL CAPS concern. Solutions are needed urgently. A present-day problem with historic roots, the current moment should be met with policies as disruptive as the crisis that prompted it.

Call it the cure for what’s ailed us as a society for far too long.

A she-cession demands a she-covery

Women’s greater economic vulnerability due to COVID-19 has seen this recession dubbed a “she-cession.” But diagnosing the situation in headline-friendly terms doesn’t amount to much if there isn’t an economic recovery plan in place that fundamentally addresses the longstanding societal problems (sexism, structural racism, the chronic underfunding of the care economy), that COVID-19 has exacerbated.

“This time we have to do something about equity because it’s women who have seen the lion’s share of job losses,” says Armine Yalnizyan, an economist and Atkinson fellow.

A level playing field and a healthy economy aren’t often seen as complementary ideas. But to address what Yalnizyan calls a “historically unusual” moment, many are calling for a similarly novel response: a recovery plan that puts equity in the foreground — a “she-covery.”

In late July, the YWCA and the Institute for Gender and the Economy at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management, issued an eight-point plan that aims to build up the economic health and well-being of the most vulnerable populations. A Feminist Economic Recovery Plan for Canada: Making the Economy Work for Everyone calls on federal, provincial and municipal governments to shape post-pandemic economic recovery plans that benefit those hit hardest by the pandemic.

“What lies before us is an opportunity to reimagine our future — a future that disrupts the thinking about who counts in our economy,” write the report’s authors.

One way to do that is to make it easier for women to work and to pay them properly for the work they do. The report calls for governments to acknowledge that the caring economy — a female-dominated labour force that spans everything from women’s unpaid labour in the domestic sphere to personal support workers in long-term care homes to childcare services — is essential to the healthy function of society and support it accordingly. That includes paying workers better, investing in proper safety measures, providing adequate resources and increasing the number of affordable childcare spaces

There is value (of the old-school financial kind) in seeing social benefits as economic benefits. Investing in affordable accessible childcare, for instance, is about more than “putting mommy back to work,” Yalnizyan says. “All of the evidence we’ve had in the last 25 years shows that when you invest in early learning and childcare for at-risk children, it literally pays for itself over their lifetimes.” Moreover, when mommy does go back to work, she pays more in income taxes over her lifetime than the government spends in subsidized care.

The YWCA report cites UK research that found spending just 1.9 percent GDP results in the creation of 2 million jobs, raises the employment rate by 5 percent, reduces the gender employment gap by 4 percent and minimizes the number of families living in poverty.

We have to look at net benefits of investment in social infrastructure, Yalnizyan says, or else inequities will deepen. “If we continue to talk about publicly funded programs as outlays and refuse to talk about the net benefit — in other words how much are we getting back by doing this compared to not doing it — we will never invest enough.”

Women in tech aren’t immune to COVID’s burdens

Though Robinson jokes that she thinks she has “PTSD” from lockdown, she feels “lucky” to have the choice to work from home.

Women working in tech may be in a better position than lower-wage workers who don’t have the option to work from home, but they aren’t immune to the gendered realities of the pandemic.

The tech sector already suffers from a significant gender gap — according to a 2019 Brookfield Institute report men make up 80 per cent of the workforce (That same report found women are still paid less than their male colleagues; Black tech workers even less so.) During COVID-19, however, those numbers may dwindle further. U.S. research suggests women in tech were 1.6 times more likely to get laid off than their male colleagues. Additionally, those who continued working like Robinson, are often shouldering childcare responsibilities and feeling increased pressure to be productive.

More troubling: they might even be working more at home than they did before the pandemic. A Harvard Business study determined people are working more, answering more emails and working, on average, 48 extra minutes a day.

Tech employers can help by establishing more nuanced definitions of productivity.

“It’s not just about being tolerant about kids in the background of your Zoom calls,” says Jennifer Hargreaves, CEO and founder of Tellent, a job board and virtual networking program. “It’s about rethinking productivity and the support we’re giving women. Instead of ‘you need to do your eight hours today, it’s managing priorities, e.g., ‘Here’s what I need you to accomplish. Are you able to do it within this timeline or do you need support?”

If tech workplaces do want to attract and employ female employees, Hargreaves says, providing flexibility is key.“ The No. 1 thing that experienced professional women want from an employer is a culture of flexibility,” says Hargreaves.

Hargreaves is frustrated by how long women have been saying this and how often it’s been ignored in favour of adhering to traditional approaches to work that advantage men. “There was always this disconnect between companies saying, ‘We want more women in leadership’ and what they say when I tell them what they need to do to achieve that.”

It’s also something they need to do to retain talent.

Unable to cope with the demands of her old job at a mobile events company during lockdown, in July Robinson moved to another, more flexible company, where she’s happier and better able to manage. But the last six months has solidified her hope that workplaces will start paying greater attention to the challenges of remote work during a pandemic, especially for women with kids.

“People always say, ‘Say something if you need something,’ but it’s better to have it offered to you rather than having to ask,” she says. “Companies should be more forward about what they are offering parents and show an openness to discuss what the situation is like.”

One thing her new workplace offered: a $900 annual lifestyle benefit that employees can spend any way they want.

“For any working parent, money is where it’s at,” she laughs. She’s already applied it to a vast web of things that make her work/life easier. “I loaded my TTC card, signed my daughter up for soccer, bought a Roomba and paid for cleaning services in my apartment.”

She’d like to see more progressive workplaces. “Society, as a whole, needs to better understand the stress put on women, and especially working mothers. We constantly have to adjust or accommodate to perform in a workplace rather than the workplace being more accommodating to us.”

It’s that cultural responsiveness to the needs of a diverse population of women that YWCA Report authors advocate for adopting now.

“By addressing the gendered impacts of COVID-19, we can build Canada’s economy back better. Many people long to ‘get back to normal,’ but the pandemic has made clear that the old ‘normal’ was not good for everyone,” they write.

As Robinson says, women don’t need another “band aid” solution. They need environments built with their success in mind.

New housing units for seniors to complement Rosedale renovation project

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 21:28:03 GMT

https://www.sootoday.com/local-news/new-housing-units-for-seniors-to-complement-rosedale-renovation-project-3-photos-2686918

Acorn's Original Four closes in on 20 Years of Service

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Fri, 04 Sep 2020 21:12:40 GMT

They have spent the past two decades building one of the most advanced Geographic Information Systems (GIS) on the planet, and now the original four members of Acorn Information Solutions (formerly known as the Community Geomatics Centre) are closing in on a significant career milestone.

Paul Beach, Chuck Shannon, Marie Alexander, and Craig Martin are nearing 20 years of service with the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre in the coming months.

Acorn Manager Paul Beach, who began his tenure as a GIS Analyst in September of 2000, says his greatest accomplishments looking back on his contributions to the organization are the development and implementation of the Vulnerable Persons Registry, and building data sharing relationships with over 50 partners.

Some of his favourite memories with Acorn include winning the Worldwide Special Achievement Award for work in GIS in healthcare, meeting Esri co-founder Jack Dangermond, and meeting Dr. Roger Tomlinson, who is widely considered as the “father of GIS.”

Beach believes what makes Acorn one of the best GIS in the world is the accuracy, intelligence detail produced in Sault Ste. Marie.

“I believe our GIS system is the closest to a digital twin of any community with accurate, up to date, intelligent, detailed data where any item of data can be connected to any other piece of information through partnerships with over five organizations,” Beach said.

Chuck Shannon, Acorn’s Senior Database Administrator, started as a GIS Desktop Developer with backup roles of Database\System Administrator. His first big project was the Security Administration and Profile tool, which is still used this today to control who can view and edit data in the GIS.

Shannon believes Acorn’s custom functionality at the core Esri software is what makes it one of the best in the world.

“(Acorn’s GIS offers) Many tools and utilities that make it easier for a GIS client to do their job,” Shannon said.

“We (also) added a security module that allows us to share public data among the clients and keep private data accessible to only those that have the privileges to view or edit it.”

In reflecting on the past two decades with SSMIC, Shannon has a number of favourite memories. He enjoyed the excitement and nervousness associated with a new job and being part of the team building a brand-new business. A memory that is always a standout is when Acorn Data Architect Dirk Townsend would be in the office and would constantly remind staff that the work they were doing is “Not brain surgery” or “Not rocket science.”

Acorn’s Manager of Software Development Marie Alexander started as a Junior Programmer on a FedNor internship. Since then, she has contributed to a number of projects over the years, including phase-based tracing with the Electric Outage Application, customized ArcIMS - Java based web viewer that mimicked advanced ArcMap desktop software functionality, creating many advanced ArcObjects applications that assisted municipal and utilities clients with their positions, creating a custom web GIS viewer for an Electric transmission client with many levels of integration with other systems, and assisting with implementing ArcGIS Enterprise/Portal internally.

Alexander believes it is the people and the culture of Acorn that make it one of the world’s best GIS.

“It's the people, the team's hard work and passion for what they do,” she said.

“We have a unique group with different opinions and ways of looking at, dissecting, and solving problems - that coupled with openness and an environment that encourages communication and personal growth and learning makes our GIS one of the best in the world.”

Craig Martin, Acorn’s Manager of Municipal and Utilities GIS, was initially hired as a Municipal and Utilities GIS Technician. Looking back on his time with SSMIC, Martin has numerous memories but cannot select only one as his favourite.

“I enjoy regularly working alongside a variety of different engineers and technicians to help solve problems,” Martin said.

“I also enjoyed working with people from EDS Canada and TerraViva during the initial development stage as they set the bar very high, and my coworkers at SSMIC because our success and prosperity are dependant on one another.”

For Martin, it is the vastness in scope that makes Acorn’s GIS among the best in the world. He says PUC Services Inc. and the City of Sault Ste Marie wanted an advanced GIS that could meet a diverse set of needs, which is what the Acorn GIS has done.

When describing what has made Acorn so successful, Martin commended all those who contributed to the project over the years. He says it is the people who have built the GIS into what it is today.

“Our success truly is dependant on many people and is the result of a dedicated group, past and present, that work extremely hard to fulfill our mandate,” Martin said.

“If we didn’t have the best people, we couldn’t have built what we did and keep it going 20 years later.”

Congratulations to Acorn’s original four on a remarkable milestone!

ORION now connects twelve Ontario Regional Innovation Centres (RICs), including four in Northern Ontario

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Mon, 24 Aug 2020 18:38:56 GMT

How ORION connects the next generation network testbed.

TORONTO, August 17, 2020 — Twelve Ontario Regional Innovation Centres (RICs) have joined Ontario’s Next Generation Network Program (NGNP), including four in Northern Ontario, connecting to the CENGN Testbed through ORION’s network. Connecting Ontario’s RICs to the NGNP will spur economic development in Ontario’s North and offer the economy a needed boost as we recover from the COVID-19 pandemic. We welcome the Regional Innovation Centres to ORION’s digital community as we continue driving Ontario’s digital economy forward.

ORION-connected RICs can now provide their region of innovative small- to mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) direct access to CENGN’s commercial-grade, multi-site testbed infrastructure to test and validate their products and solutions. ORION links the testbed’s four data centres in hubs throughout the province. As constituents of ORION’s community, RICs and their clients will also gain access to our shared IT services and cybersecurity training.

Canada’s fastest growing industry is IT. Strengthening the relationship between Canada’s technology innovators and industry leaders will help drive economic development. Through this program, local SMEs can conduct the research they need to commercialize their products with the support of a robust broadband network.

Our partnerships with CENGN and Ontario Centres of Excellence (OCE) make this initiative possible. By connecting Ontario’s Research Innovation Centres to the CENGN testbed, Canadian small- and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) gain access to valuable tools to accelerate their businesses. These new partnerships enable collaboration between industry, government, researchers, and academia.

Regional Innovation Centres connected through ORION’s network:

Haltech Innovation Centre in Burlington

Innovation Factory in Hamilton

Innovation Guelph in Guelph

Innovate Niagara in St. Catharines

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) in Sault St. Marie

ventureLAB in Markham

Innovation Initiatives Ontario North (IION) in North Bay

RIC Centre in Brampton

TechAlliance in London

Productivity & Innovation in Timmins

Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NIOC) in Thunder Bay

Spark Centre in Oshawa

Quotes:

Alfonso Licata, CEO and President, ORION: “ORION is dedicated to supporting Ontario’s researchers, educators and innovators and driving Ontario’s digital economy forward. Fostering collaboration is an essential part of what we do at ORION, so we’re working to connect remote and rural areas in Northern Ontario that need our support. We’re excited to welcome Ontario’s regional innovation centres to the ORION network and share our advanced digital infrastructure with Ontario’s innovators.”

Robert Deline, Executive Director, Innovation Initiatives Ontario North (IION): “Joining the Next Generation Network Program will allow us to connect our clients with key players in the technology sector. With this opportunity, we will accelerate growth by assisting more clients in achieving their goals of bringing their ideas through to commercialization and scale. Innovation is an on-going process. We’re always looking for new ways to accelerate technology adoption for our clients which will allow them to grow their companies and increase economic value.”

Jeff Coull, Director of ICT, Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC): “Regional Innovation Centres (RIC) are a hub for innovative, high-potential start-ups and accelerating companies, and the NOIC is proud to be Northwestern Ontario’s RIC. By joining Ontario’s NGNP via the ORION network, businesses in our region have access to ORION’s gigabit speeds, and direct connections to CENGN’s state-of-the-art testing facilities and data centres. This provides our region with cost-effective, world-class infrastructure to continue developing and future-proof products, services and applications ready to compete in a highly connected, global marketplace. We couldn’t be more excited to support this game-changing opportunity in NWO.”

Dr. Claudia Krywiak, President and CEO, OCE: “The Next Generation Network Program provides critical digital infrastructure across the innovation ecosystem and expands support for Ontario SMEs. When SMEs developing Made-In-Ontario solutions have access to emerging technologies, we can drive commercialization, support entrepreneurs to grow their companies, help local products find global markets and accelerate economic development opportunities across the province.”

Jean-Charles Fahmy, President and CEO, CENGN: “The Next Generation Network Program fosters collaboration to grow our innovation economy. Through our partnership with ORION, more of Ontario’s most promising start-ups and scaleups will have access to CENGN’s commercial grade, multi-site testbed to develop, test and commercialize their products. Enabling Canadian business to overcome barriers to market is key to driving the growth of our tech industry and creating high-quality jobs for our innovation-driven economy. Our partnership with ORION allows us to amplify our impact, enabling more Ontario businesses to compete on a global scale.”

About ORION:

ORION is a not-for-profit organization supporting Ontario’s progress with essential digital infrastructure. Since 2001, we’ve facilitated new discoveries by connecting research and education institutions, regions, and people across the province, enabling collaboration, learning, forging partnerships, and providing our community with the digital tools and expertise they need to make the world a better place.

Read more about ORION at https://www.orion.on.ca | @ORIONNetwork

For media inquiries, contact:

Cathy Bogaart

Director, Marketing and Communications

ORION

416.999.2153

cathy.bogaart@orion.on.ca

Tech Talk- An Update on Broadband Initiatives in the Algoma Region

Fri, 14 Aug 2020 22:04:37 GMT

SSMIC's ICT Sector Lead shares what's new with Broadband in Algoma

Susan George- ICTN Sector Lead SSMIC:

If you live in Northern Ontario, or if you’ve had to travel through, you have likely experienced the lack of internet connectivity. After moving here from Eastern Ontario, I’m still surprised how limited we are with respect to Broadband infrastructure and access to Internet Service Providers (ISPs). I was unfortunately rather naïve about the state of Broadband in Northern Ontario and made the assumption, I would have access to high speed internet similar to what I had in eastern Ontario. We live approximately 40 kms from Sault Ste Marie along the St. Mary’s River. The only Broadband service available to us is Satellite which we discovered doesn’t work at our location or a Cellular Hub which gives us performance of what I consider one step above Dial Up! With both my husband and I working from home after the pandemic hit in March 2020 – we constantly compete for bandwidth. Just another thing we can argue about now that we spend so much time together!

The CRTC has established a Basic Service Objective for rural areas within Canada of 25Mbps Download and 5 Mbps Upload speeds (25/5). The urban areas across Canada have the CRTC Basic Service Objective of 50 / 10. Both the provincial and federal funding programs are based on these objectives.

The SSM Innovation Centre (through FedNor) is committed to assisting communities within the Algoma region with their projects for improved Broadband. In my role as the ICT Sector Lead, and since I am experiencing the current state of broadband, I am committed and passionate about improving the situation in the Algoma region. Despite the many government programs to invest in Broadband for Northern Ontario, the situation persists.

My observations:

• Funding programs require a technology partner (ISP) which are often difficult to find

• Disbursed and low population base in rural areas of Northern Ontario

• Lack of adequate broadband infrastructure

• Due to low population, ISPs are not investing in this region as the revenue opportunities are significantly lower than urban areas

• COVID-19 Pandemic created the perfect storm and the impact to unserved or underserved communities is extremely high and for some businesses, catastrophic

So, what are we doing in the Algoma Region to solve these issues?

Our communities within the Algoma region are resilient, and recognize the need to get creative about our broadband solutions. One of our major success stories is from the Northern Superior Regional Broadband Network (NSRBN) which is made up of 10 communities, (5 are First Nations communities) north of Sault Ste Marie. The NSRBN executed a comprehensive plan to develop a broadband strategy and establish strong partnerships to enable a Community Owned Network that will generate revenue for the member communities. The NSRBN are currently awaiting news of their CRTC Broadband (Closing the Digital Divide in Canada) Application for funding to support Broadband infrastructure to enable connectivity to the residents in their communities. We wish them the best of luck in securing this important broadband project.

Another success in the Algoma region was the award of funding from Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Networks (CENGN) Northern Ontario Residential Rural Broadband Program. SSMIC assisted four communities to develop their Expressions of Interest for Project #2. We are thrilled that the community of Iron Bridge was selected as the recipient for Project # 2 in June 2020, along with the technology partner, Leepfrog Telecom. This funding will enable a Proof of Concept using Leepfrog’s TV Whitespace (TVWS) technology. This technology will enable residents in the Iron Bridge community access to high speed internet (> 50 Mbps Download) and is planned for a September 2020 deployment. It is anticipated that this Proof of Concept will allow other communities in Northern Ontario with similar terrain to leverage this technology and access to high speed broadband services.

The Huron North Community Economic Alliance (HNCEA) is made of 16 member communities along Hwy 17 between Spanish and Sault Ste Marie. This organization has recently established a Broadband Advisory Council and will be developing a Broadband Strategy and recommendations to the HNCEA Board in preparation for the upcoming federal Universal Broadband Fund application. We have excellent representation from private and public sector organizations on the council and are currently pursuing additional representation from member communities.

CENGN has released their Northern Ontario Residential Rural Broadband Program Project # 3 and are seeking Community Expressions of Interest to fund another Proof of Concept project. Communities within the Algoma region are encouraged to submit Expressions of Interest for this funding. Please contact SSMIC and we would be happy to provide support for your application. For more information, please visit CENGN . Note: this funding program closes on Friday, August 21, 2020.

Building strong effective relationships with our Technology partners in Northern Ontario plays an important role in developing our broadband strategy. As the technology partners improve their understanding of the needs of our communities, they in turn, can develop their strategies. In keeping with building relationships, we are thrilled to learn that Bell Canada is planning to submit an application to the Improving Connectivity in Ontario (ICON) Program to deliver high speed internet services to many residents and businesses in the Algoma Region. If successful, it will provide more households, businesses and other organizations in our region with the broadband access they need to take advantage of digital opportunities, especially with respect to business, education, health and public safety. Stay tuned for future updates on this application and all of our broadband initiatives.

To talk to Susan about all things ICT or to discuss some of the initiatives in Algoma you can reach out to her via email.

CANADIAN TECH SAYS CONTINUED IRAP IAP FUNDING “CRITICAL” TO SUSTAINING BUSINESS AMID PANDEMIC

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Tue, 11 Aug 2020 01:29:41 GMT

multiple tech leaders have called the Industrial Research Assistance Program’s (IRAP) Innovation Assistance Program (IAP) “critical” to sustaining their own businesses as well as the broader innovation sector

Following the extension of the emergency wage subsidy to December, the Canadian tech sector is hoping to pressure the federal government into a similar extension of the program that has helped startups across the country maintain operations amid the COVID-19 pandemic.

“The continuation of this program would be a strong signal to the Canadian innovation leaders that the government is behind them in keeping up their momentum.” – Hamid Arabzadeh

Speaking with BetaKit, multiple tech leaders have called the Industrial Research Assistance Program’s (IRAP) Innovation Assistance Program (IAP) “critical” to sustaining their own businesses as well as the broader innovation sector. Overseen by the National Research Council of Canada (NRC), IRAP IAP essentially offered a wage subsidy for Canadian tech companies ineligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS).

“[CEWS and IAP] essentially saved the innovation economy,” said Jane Kearns, VP of growth services at MaRS Discovery District, and senior advisor for the organization’s cleantech practice.

Kearns told BetaKit she saw first-hand how many cleantech companies in her portfolio were affected by the pandemic. “I felt like I had 1,400 companies going broke all at once,” she said, noting that she saw a turn around after federal wage subsidy programs were put in place.

“The Innovation Assistance Program has been critical to sustaining our business during the pandemic,” said Sadira Beekha, the financial director of TransPod, a Toronto-based startup behind the creation of a Hyperloop transit system.

RELATED: Minister Bains says extending IRAP IAP “makes a lot of sense” following anticipated CEWS extension

TransPod’s goal is to make the Hyperloop (a high-speed ground transportation concept jointly designed by Tesla and SpaceX) a reality. The company, which announced plans to build a three-kilometre test track in France last year, claims that Hyperloop technology has the potential “to be one of the most disruptive technologies of the 21st century.”

“As a pre-revenue company, we were not eligible for the Canada Emergency Wage Subsidy (CEWS) and are limited in the ways that we sustain our operations,” Beekha explained. She said that the IAP capital offered a way for TransPod to continue to support its staff and keep developing its technology.

Kearns noted that wage subsidies have been “critically important” to helping companies keep their tech talent. “There was a risk of losing people to the big tech giants,” Kearns told BetaKit. “We saw it almost immediately. As soon as this happened, all of our really great tech talent had our neighbours to the south, big tech companies from the States, knocking on their doors, trying to pick off the best talent.”

“If that had happened, that would leave us on our backfoot as we head into trying to stimulate and rebuild the economy,” she added.

In a recent interview with BetaKit for the Black Swan podcast, Minister of Innovation, Science, and Industry, Navdeep Bains, indicated an openness to extending IRAP IAP, saying an extension “would make a lot of sense.”

BetaKit · Black Swan #16: Minister Bains explains the feds' COVID-19 response

Prior to Bains’ conversation with BetaKit for the Black Swan podcast, there had been no public indication that the program would see additional capital. IRAP vice president David Lisk told BetaKit in June, just as 97 percent of the $250 million program had already been committed, he was not aware of any plans to expand IRAP IAP or provide additional capital.

More than 4,200 companies from across the country applied to the federal COVID-19 relief program, which launched in April. Seventy percent (2,967) of those companies, Lisk told BetaKit, were qualified to move forward in the funding process. Bains noted to BetaKit that more than 2,200 companies were part of the program.

The program came about after members and organizations in the Canadian business community decried the criteria for CEWS, claiming the program was inaccessible for early-stage and pre-revenue companies. Despite the relaxing of eligibility criteria earlier this year, a survey conducted by the Council of Canadian Innovators (CCI) in June found that 25 percent of respondents remained ineligible for any wage subsidy program, including CEWS and IAP, and had laid off and not re-hired workers during the pandemic.

At the time, national innovation groups, including CCI and the Canadian Digital Media Network, called for the federal government to take specific steps to offer COVID relief support through innovation programs like IRAP.

“CEWS targets a very specific set of companies,” said Kearns, noting the importance of also extending IAP in unison with CEWS because of the difference between tech companies and mainstream businesses.

“Because CEWS requires a drop in revenue, that misses all of the pre-revenue companies, and it’s really easy to dismiss pre-revenue companies as being not important. But, that would be a big mistake. There are lots of pre-revenue companies that are deeply important that employ a lot of people,” she said, noting that high growth companies that saw massive drops in revenue but weren’t able to prove the 30 percent drop were also left out of CEWS.

“There are lots of pre-revenue companies that are deeply important that employ a lot of people.”

The IAP financing was provided to companies in two categories: high-potential startups with less than $1 million in revenues; and high-growth firms that are scaling rapidly and use their sales revenue to hire operational staff, but required investment to sustain innovative activities due to the pandemic.

Ben Bergen, executive director of CCI, which represents the hundreds of companies in Canada’s tech sector, stated that IAP “helped Canada’s most innovative companies preserve their highly-skilled workforces.”

“[It allowed] them to continue investing in R&D and scaling globally as they weathered the pandemic’s effects on the Canadian economy,” Bergen added.

Kearns told BetaKit that she saw one company with a team of 34 lay off 32 of those employees at the onset of the pandemic. However, Kearns claimed, because of IAP, it was able to rehire all 32 employees.

IAP has also helped startups like EnergyX, which develops and commercializes innovative tech in the energy efficiency sector. Michael Commisso, who does operations and strategy at EnergyX, told BetaKit that after receiving IAP the company has not had to lay off any staff due to COVID-19. He added that the pandemic delayed buying cycles for several of EnergyX’s potential clients and IAP helped the company fill its gap in cash flow.

Hamid Arabzadeh, president and CEO of Ranovus, said IRAP IAP was “a significant contributor” in enabling the startup to “stay the course and have a chance to be at the forefront of their sectors when recovery happens.” Ranovus is an Ottawa-based startup that has developed optical interconnect solutions. According to Crunchbase, the company has raised more than $65 million (equity and debt) to date.

RELATED: Senate passes changes to 75 percent wage subsidy

Not all early-stage companies have been able to successfully weather the pandemic, however. Kearns told BetaKit that she is aware of at least three startups that went under after not being able to receive CEWS or IAP. “This was the nail in the coffin,” she said. “We really did see companies almost immediately close the doors and say if they didn’t get it, they weren’t going to be able to keep going.”

“The continuation of this program would be a strong signal to the Canadian innovation leaders that the government is behind them in keeping up their momentum,” said Arabzadeh.

For EnergyX, the extension of IAP would provide continued support as new customers and buying cycles continue to be slow. “IAP allowed the company to successfully continue our pursuit of growth and expansion during this challenging time thanks to these supports,” said Commisso. “But the impact on enterprise buying cycles has persisted and is dampening growth for innovative technology startups like ours.”

A follow-up survey conducted by CCI in July of over 140 Canadian tech CEOS showed significant interest in the continuation of IAP. Ninety-eight percent of respondents believe that the IRAP IAP program should be extended, with 74 percent of respondents requesting an extension until at least December 2020. Not surprisingly, 72 percent of those surveyed acknowledged that their companies had received IRAP IAP funding.

“For IAP 2.0, Canadian innovators would like to see the government make more strategic investments into high-potential companies with proven track records of commercialization and growth,” said Bergen. “By empowering market-tested companies to be the leaders of the recovery, the government would be helping to fuel job and public wealth creation, all necessary for Canada in the post-COVID economy.”

The federal government has yet to announce whether IRAP IAP will receive any additional capital. Minister Bains did note to BetaKit in July that he is working closely with Finance Minister Bill Morneau to “advance” the IRAP IAP initiative.

“Clearly, we want to make sure that the wage subsidy and the timeline associated with that also mirrors the timeline associated with the IRAP program as well,” the minister said.

Following a request for comment for this story, a spokesperson for Minister Bains’ office told BetaKit it had nothing further to add to the minister’s previous statements at this time.

Original article found from BetaKit here

Visit the SSMIC IAP Funding Page Here

A Local Food Adventure - Shop, Taste, Experience Local and WIN

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 15:41:04 GMT

Jump in your cars and hit the Local Food Trail for a chance to win

Buy Algoma, Buy Local - Read it here first! Stay tuned for the official launch of the Local Food Trail this Friday!

Hit the Local Food Trail, a self-guided local food adventure from Wawa to Algoma Mills and everywhere in between. The route gives people an extra incentive to support local. By tasting some remarkable locally inspired dishes, shopping for local products or experiencing a tour at over 60 farm-gates, farmers’ markets, restaurants & cafes, breweries, wineries, and retailers and you could win one of five prizes, valued at over $1,800.

How it works:

1. Visit a Trail Stop

Explore the Local Food & Drink Map (coming Friday), find over 60 of our favourite local spots or check out our itineraries providing unique and authentic local food experiences that you will not want to miss. A new itinerary is released every week!

2. Taste, Shop or Experience

Start making memories with friends and family at a Local Trail Stop location. Dine at a restaurant, shop at a farmers’ market, or take a tour at an Alpaca Farm, there is something for everyone!

3. Collect Your Stamp

Snap a picture and check-in to your trail stop location by uploading your picture on the Buy Algoma, Buy Local website (coming Friday) . Once your picture is uploaded, you will receive your digital stamp.

4. Win

Collect three or more stamps and you will start earning entries to win. The more you collect, the better your chances to win. You will also receive recognition as a Local Food Lover, Local Food Enthusiast or Local Food Connoisseur.

Grand Prizes

#TasteAlgoma | Local Food Lover

Win $400.00 towards your favourite local restaurants & cafes, wineries, or breweries. Collect 3 stamps to be entered to win and receive your Local Food Lover badge. Proudly sponsored by Algoma Power and Community Development Corp. of SSM & Area

#ShopLocal | Local Food Enthusiast

Win $450.00 towards your favourite local farms, farm-gates, farmers’ markets, and retailers. Collect 9 stamps to be entered to win and receive your Local Food Enthusiast badge. Proudly supported by PUC and SooMill .

#Experience Local | Local Food Connoisseur

Win a 2020 Community Shared Agriculture (CSA) box from a local farmer near you, 16 weeks of locally grown vegetables and a private winery or brewery tour for four. Valued at over $500.00. Collect 15 stamps to be entered to win and receive your Local Food Connoisseur Badge. Proudly supported by Algoma Country and City of Sault Ste. Marie .

Social Media Photo Contest

Tag your photos @BuyAlgoma and #AlgomaLocalFoodTrail to be entered in to win additional prizes through the Buy Algoma, Buy Local Facebook page . P roudly sponsored by NORDIK Institute, BDO, Huron North Community Economic Alliance and Village Medi a.

“The Algoma region is one of the most beautiful in Ontario and we want people to experience that,” says David Thompson, Manager of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), “The Local Food Trail provides you with the information and resources to experience what our local vendors have to offer and gives you a chance to win some incredible prizes.” As a non-profit organization, RAIN relied on sponsorships to be able to offer prizes. “The generosity of our local businesses is incredible and a perfect example of local supporting local,” explains Thompson.

Learn more about RAIN and Buy Algoma, Buy Local

Vulnerable Persons Registry in Action

Wed, 29 Jul 2020 14:53:53 GMT

How The VPR helped in the Fort McMurray floods

Background

In August 2003, 50 million people across North America went without power in a massive wide-scale blackout. Many residents spent days without electricity. Among the people affected were those dependent on life-sustaining technology, including a 21-year-old man from Sault Ste. Marie named Lewis Wheelan who relied on air conditioning to regulate his body temperature. The blackout left him without power for nearly a day, and he died because no one could get to him to ensure his safety.

After learning of the ill-fated outcomes of the 2003 blackout, Acorn Information Solutions, a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, initiated a joint project with Accessibility Sault Ste. Marie to develop a solution to proactively ensure the safety of residents who are living at home and are at greater risk in the face of emergency.

Acorn established the Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR), a first-of-its-kind solution aimed at ensuring the safety of residents living alone at home who would be at greater risk during emergencies. The Registry is comprised of voluntary public data including name, birth date, address, type of vulnerability, emergency contact information and legal guardian information provided by vulnerable citizens. All data is confirmed, stored and managed within Acorn Information Solutions.

Flood in Fort McMurray: VPR in action

The VPR was recently implemented in the Regional Municipality of Wood Buffalo (RMWB) and was used to assist the most vulnerable during the recent spring break-up flood in Fort McMurray. The Vulnerable Persons Registry (VPR) Program was used to help identify the location of VPR registrants and get them to safety as flood waters rose.

As the flooding emergency in Wood Buffalo developed rapidly, the community’s VPR Coordinator, Donna McQuade, was able to contact all those who registered for the VPR and notify them of the imminent evacuation.

When the time came, Incident Command was able to provide registrant address information, and special requirement needs to first responders who picked up each registrant and relocated them directly to a local hotel that had been pre-identified for VPR evacuations during a COVID-19 environment, allowing for each registrant to have a separate room. As the registrants arrived at the hotel, McQuade met them in the lobby to ensure they were properly registered and received an appropriate room.

“The ability to identify the location of each VPR registrant in pre-flood planning and ensure they were safely evacuated once we responded to the rising flood waters proved the value of the program” said Scott Davis, Director, Emergency Management and Incident Commander.

After being safely evacuated and sheltered in hotel rooms, VPR registrants were given local community support agency information including Canadian Red Cross.

When it was safe to do so, VPR registrants were returned to their homes and have since been contacted on a regular basis to check in on their welfare.

Expansion

The Vulnerable Persons Registry has also expanded to include the rural areas of the Algoma and Manitoulin Sudbury Districts offering VPR large scale emergency services.

To determine if your township is covered by the VPR, please refer to the link below or contact the VPR Coordinator, at the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre by calling 705-942-7927.

Click here to view the VPR jurisdictions in Ontario.

Learn more

The Vulnerable Persons Registry currently assists people who have difficulty with mobility, vision or hearing, and/or development/intellectual, cognitive, or mental health constraints, and those who require electricity for life-sustaining equipment such as life support, oxygen, dialysis, etc.

To view more examples of the Vulnerable Persons Registry, click here (page 38) and visit our website at https://www.soovpr.com/Home

“How do we become more like a startup?”

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 14:09:55 GMT

A culture of innovation helped Canada’s largest utility company pivot during the pandemic and prepare for a clean-energy future

Ontario Power Generation knows what it takes to transform a large company. Within a matter of years, the government-owned business responsible for generating most of the province’s electricity, has gone through its own striking shift. It has managed to remove the bulk of the carbon out of Ontario’s electricity system, shutting down the world’s largest coal-fired power plant and burning its last piece of coal to become one of the continent’s largest clean energy suppliers.

“Many people didn’t think it could be done,” says Nicolle Butcher, senior vice president of corporate business development and strategy at OPG. “It really set us up for thinking differently.”

While developments in clean-energy technology has helped ease this transition, OPG has also become an innovation-driven company that embraces change. “I keep asking myself, ‘How do we become more like a start-up? How do we make sure we’re not just a dinosaur?’” she says. “At some point, we realized that it’s not just the technology. Do we have a corporate culture that helps us absorb new things?”

To make sure the corporation runs smoothly while also planning for the future, OPG’s team of experts keep a close eye on the corporation’s fleet of nuclear power plants — the “clean-power workhorses of our fleet” — while also monitoring the horizon for new technologies or disruptions that might turn the energy industry on its head. That can be a difficult balance to strike in an industry that traditionally has been slow to adopt new ways of doing things. “How do we keep existing plants as efficient as possible? And how is the industry changing?,” Butcher asks. OPG’s ability to deal with change was put to the ultimate test earlier this spring when COVID forced it to enact a series of emergency planning protocols to meet shifting energy demands and a changing workplace safety environment.

The company has weathered the COVID storm so far. It managed to decrease on-site staff to only essential workers at its hydroelectric and nuclear plants while avoiding major service disruptions. More than 200 construction projects that were paused to lower staffing levels inside stations have been safely restarted. And, the company reconfigured its 3D printers and used injection molding to produce 22,000 face shields for Ontario healthcare workers as well as several Indigenous communities.

Embracing change and embedding a culture of innovation in an organization is challenging. It is even harder to get those changes to stick. For Butcher, working with the MaRS Partnerships team helped foster new ways of working.

“We’ve been closely working with OPG over the last few years to help develop and strengthen their innovation culture, and to help them plan for resilience in a sector that is drastically changing,” says Sarah Martin, who is a manager of strategy and product development in corporate innovation at MaRS.

Early on in the engagement, OPG went through a series of scenario planning exercises at MaRS. “That was a watershed moment. It made us realize that technology is just one element. Having a culture of innovation was just as critical,” says Butcher. “When COVID hit, the first thing we did was set up a crisis management centre to make sure we could manage our plants safely. We then looked at those scenarios again to better understand the longer term potential impacts.”

Those conversations also drove OPG to launch the Solutions Team, a group of employees charged with collecting innovative ideas from workers, management and leadership across the organization. Those efforts sparked a number of initiatives, such as sewing cloth masks at the onset of the pandemic, repurposing its thermal imaging cameras to detect employees with elevated temperatures, using UV-C lighting to sterilize areas that are difficult to clean, experimenting with Zoono technology and copper-coated surfaces to reduce the half-life of the coronavirus between cleaning periods at its facilities, and designing a proximity beacon that makes it easier for employees to maintain social distancing measures within the workplace.

Butcher says OPG is focused on building on these successes to help accelerate the company’s transformation into a nimble, innovation-forward organization. Initiatives, such as the Ivy Charging Network, Ontario’s largest, most connected electric vehicle fast-charger network, are already helping the corporation move toward a carbon-free future. As well, OPG’s refurbishment of the Darlington Nuclear Generating Station (GS), which generates more than 20 percent of Ontario’s electricity needs, is slated for completion by 2026. It is currently one of the largest clean energy projects in Canada.

Last year, OPG collaborated with MaRS on the Generate Innovation Challenge, which invited startups from across Canada to tackle such problems as inspection automation, data collection and workforce planning.

Winning startups like AOMS, which built a network of wireless sensors that collect and analyze the condition of plant equipment, and JobBliss, which built a human resources database for the organization, inspired OPG to make it a priority to work more with startups in the future and teach them what it takes to collaborate with larger corporations. “There’s a fair bit of procedure involved in the nuclear side — we spent quite a bit of time walking the competitors through what it takes to sell to a large utility and the level of quality assurance we expect,” Butcher says.

Although working with large clients like OPG might involve a bit of a learning curve, Butcher says start-ups should not let that stop them from pitching the utility solutions to its most pressing challenges. Building Ontario’s energy future will need all hands on deck.

Article posted by MaRS here

Four initiatives aiming to create racial equality in tech.

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 14:02:13 GMT

The call to end systemic racism has echoed around the world. And it has resonated in Canada’s tech sector.

Acknowledging that progress toward racial equality has been too slow, dozens of startup founders and corporate leaders have responded with pledges to step up their efforts and accelerate the pace of change. In recent weeks, several new initiatives have launched that aim to improve opportunities for entrepreneurs, tech workers and other professionals who are Black, Indigenous or people of colour. Here’s how four of them are helping to level the playing field.

Read full article here.

Employers are reconsidering workplace benefits for newly remote workers

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 13:49:19 GMT

the new normal of workplace perks

With no kitchens to stock or in-person classes to offer, some employers are rethinking what perks they offer employees. Read full article here.

ONTARIO TO CREATE IP COMMERCIALIZATION FRAMEWORK WITH PROVINCIAL INNOVATION HUBS

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 29 Jul 2020 13:33:11 GMT

The Ontario government has created a new action plan and team focused on generating intellectual property (IP) in the province.

The plan comes six months after an expert panel, led by Jim Balsillie, chair of the Council of Canadian Innovators and co-founder of BlackBerry, released its report that assessed how the Ontario government should handle the commercialization of IP. Read full article here .

Factory Forward: How Advanced Manufacturing is Retooling Ontario’s Industrial Heartland

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Thu, 16 Jul 2020 17:41:30 GMT

Factory Forward: How Advanced Manufacturing is Retooling Ontario’s Industrial Heartland

Source: https://www.marsdd.com/research-and-insights/factory-forward/?utm_medium=email&utm_source=newsletter&utm_campaign=content_promotion&utm_content=MaRSNews0714

July 07, 2020

The past few decades have been challenging for Ontario, Canada’s manufacturing heartland. The 2008 recession wiped out nearly 250,000 manufacturing jobs. In the years that followed, several high-profile factory closures helped reinforce the false perception that manufacturing in Ontario is dead or dying.

The truth is that Ontario is still a manufacturing powerhouse. In fact, more than one in 10 of the province’s jobs are in manufacturing. However, the manufacturing sector is undergoing a fundamental transformation that has deep implications for what gets made — and how — in the province. This transformation is creating a sector that bears little resemblance to traditional manufacturing because it has become far more complex.

These were the findings of NGen, the federal government’s Ontario-based advanced manufacturing supercluster. The organization recently surveyed their 2,500 members, asking them whether they saw themselves as manufacturers, technology providers or service companies. Most said they were all three.

Other manufacturing leaders are saying pretty much the same thing.

“We’ve entered a new era in manufacturing,” argues Linda Hasenfratz, president and chief executive of Linamar. “It feels like manufacturing is turning into a technology business, more than anything else.”

Research by the Innovation Economy Council supports this. IEC data show that advanced manufacturing industries generated half of the more than 45,000 factory jobs created in Ontario since 2010. Over the past decade, employment has grown 98 percent in agricultural chemicals, 45 percent in aerospace, 42 percent in industrial machinery, 22 percent in auto parts, 17 percent in electronic components, 17 percent in medical equipment, and 14 percent motor vehicles. That compares to an average of 7 percent job growth across all manufacturing industries.

These sectors are vital to the economy because they account for an oversized share of economic output, exports and R&D, according to a 2018 report by the Martin Prosperity Institute and the Brookings Institution, Canada’s Advanced Industries: A Path to Prosperity. And they are more likely to pay higher wages. The average worker employed in an advanced industry earned nearly $60,000 a year — 50 percent higher than the Canadian average.

Advanced manufacturing is not exclusively about new technology. In many cases, advanced manufacturing has overtaken and transformed existing industries — particularly as technology becomes infused into almost every product or service Canadians consume.

For example, Canada has all the tools to be a major player in the technology side of the automotive business — which is increasingly important as cars become more technologically complex, AI-powered and autonomous machines. Ontario boasts a cluster of 19,000 information and communications technology (ICT) companies, ranking it second only to Silicon Valley in North America, according to the Global Affairs Canada report Invest in Canada: Canada’s Competitive Advantage. The Greater Toronto area now has the highest concentration of AI startups in the world. And nearly 80,000 people in the region work for 1,750 knowledge-based businesses, including multinationals such as Microsoft, Oracle, SAP, IBM and EMC-Dell.

These positions, and others across Ontario’s manufacturing sector, are high-value, high-tech jobs — a hybrid between manufacturing and technology work. In other words, manufacturing hasn’t died or disappeared in 2020. It simply looks nothing like the human-powered assembly lines of the 1970s. It’s been reborn into something new, far more exciting and ultimately more lucrative.

This report examines some of the successes among advanced technology manufacturing in Ontario and offers potential approaches to drive further innovation, collaboration, investment and commercialization.

Download the report (visit source link noted above).

The Innovation Economy Council is a coalition of tech-sector leaders dedicated to shaping Canada’s industrial innovation policy. Led by MaRS, Ontario Centres of Excellence, Communitech, DMZ, Invest Ottawa, CCRM, Spark Centre, CENGN and NGen, the IEC works with active members of Canada’s innovation ecosystem to identify areas for in-depth analysis and offer timely insights to increase Canadian productivity and growth.

RAIN announces critical COVID-19 Recovery Fund

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Mon, 06 Jul 2020 21:30:05 GMT

Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity (SNAPP) Program COVID-19 Recovery Fund

.FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

July 6, 2020

RAIN announces critical COVID-19 Recovery Fund

Sault Ste. Marie, ON - As COVID-19 continues to impact all sectors of the local and regional economy, a new funding program has been introduced to meet the challenges of expanding the agri-economy in northern Ontario.

The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC), is pleased to announce the new Sustainable New Agri-Food Products & Productivity (SNAPP) Program COVID-19 Recovery Fund. The fund is available immediately for investment into eligible projects. For more information about this program, visit www.rainalgoma.ca/covidresponse .

“COVID-19 has posed a significant challenge for the agri-food sector to adapt in the face of market disruption,” says RAIN Manager David Thompson. “This funding delivered through the SNAPP Program will assist agri-food businesses with adaptation projects and value chain development.”

The project is being led by RAIN in collaboration with the Northwestern Ontario Innovation Centre (NOIC) and the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA). SNAPP is proudly supported by FedNor and the Government of Canada.

"The NOIC is very pleased with this commitment from FedNor to the SNAPP program,” says NOIC Director of Business Development Ryan Lipcsei.

“It is the nature of the food & agriculture industry to be adaptable and innovative. COVID-19 has proven to be a formidable challenge, this program will be a huge boost as we assist farmers and producers alike adapt to this new reality."

The program would assist agri-food business with projects such as:

• Equipment that can automate or reduce labour in agri-food production or processing (handling facilities, harvest/post-harvest processing equipment and food processing equipment)

• Cooler/freezer unit outfitted onto vehicles or trailers to ensure safe delivery of product and increase markets

• Packaging equipment (labelling, bottling, packaging, etc.) to improve safety and increase capacity for regional supply

"NOFIA is pleased to be partnered with RAIN on this initiative,” says NOFIA Executive Director Emily Potter.

“This timely funding opportunity will help those in the agri-food and agriculture industry adapt to the current challenges, as well as develop and strengthen new and existing value chains through innovation."

“The agricultural economy in northern Ontario has an important role to play in our economic recovery,” says SSMIC Executive Director Peter Bruijns. “This sector can create and sustain jobs and resolve our food security issues over time. This funding is valuable in helping sustain the agri-food economy and helping us prepare for the food challenges of the future.”

Contact:

David Thompson

Manager, Rural Agri-Innovation Network

(705) 942 7927 x3027

dthompson@ssmic.com

-30-

CENGN ANNOUNCES NEXT NORTHERN ONTARIO BROADBAND PROJECT IN THE HURON SHORES COMMUNITY OF IRON BRIDGE

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 16:55:25 GMT

NEW APPROACH WILL BRING HIGH-PERFORMANCE INTERNET TO COMMUNITY

Broadband Proof of Concept in Iron Bridge could benefit all of Algoma region

In December 2019, The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) was made aware of the Centre of Excellence for Next Generation Networks (CENGN) Northern Ontario Residential Broadband Program. This program allows communities in the North to apply for funding that would allow the community and a Technology Provider to receive funding for an innovative project that demonstrates a technology solution that can offer flexible, low cost, high performance residential broadband for their community. SSMIC in collaboration with BlueSkyNet provided support to four communities in the Algoma region in their applications.

With projects being funded for 3-6 months, they are designed to test new technologies and validate business case solutions to improve high-speed internet access to residences within Northern Ontario communities.

In addition to communities submitting applications, Technology Providers were also be required to submit applications (Expressions of Interest). These Technology Providers, through the Expression of Interest demonstrated their interest in providing equipment, technology and support services to be used in the live 3 – 6 month technology project. Based on the Technology Provider submissions, CENGN selected a technology solution that can be installed and tested to provide a significantly improved level of residential broadband service to the selected community, and in the process, demonstrate a marked improvement in the business case for residential broadband access for the community.

We are thrilled to learn that the Iron Bridge community has been matched with Leepfrog Telecom (Technology Provider) and are the selected recipients of this funding program.

Please refer to the CENGN/Province of Ontario joint Press Release for details of the project here .

Iron Bridge is a Huron Shores community in the Algoma region, where 45% of residents have no internet coverage. This innovative technology project will allow for the greater Algoma region to learn from this project to determine feasibility for broader deployment to all areas within Algoma who have limited or no internet coverage.

As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic and the realization of the importance of connectivity to our education, healthcare and economic development, this Proof of Concept technology project will help to close the gap for the Iron Bridge residents, and potentially other communities in the future.

Buy Algoma, Buy Local launches new website in support of local food economy

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 15:18:02 GMT

Buy Algoma, Buy Local made locating local food products much easier for Algoma residents.

Sault Ste. Marie, ON - Buy Algoma, Buy Local, a program of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), has made locating local food products much easier for Algoma residents.

With the launch of its new website equipped with an interactive map, Buy Algoma, Buy Local has provided a tool for communities in the Algoma region to support local producers, processors, farmers’ markets, restaurants and retailers.

“One of the main goals of the updated website was to provide people in the Algoma region with the tools and resources to find and support our local food economy,” explains RAIN Manager David Thompson.

“Buy Algoma, Buy Local sums up a new reality that Algoma communities need to embrace.”

The program is partially funded in response to the pandemic through the Algoma Community Foundation's COVID-19 Response Fund, which includes generous contributions from Green Shield Canada and public donations.

According to Co-Chair Jessica Bolduc, the COVID-19 pandemic influenced their decision to fund the project. “As we begin to move through and beyond the pandemic, Algoma Community Foundation imagines a future centered on equity, sustainability and abundance for Algoma,” says Bolduc.

“It is with that sentiment in mind that we are investing in organizations like RAIN who are considering the future of food sovereignty as a key component of a localized recovery strategy."

Acorn Information Solutions, another division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, created the map so that Buy Algoma, Buy Local website users can search items available in the following categories:

• Brewery • Caterer • Coffee Roaster • Community Supporter and Organization • Farm • Farmers' Market • Fishery • Food Artisan • Greenhouse/Garden Center • Harvester/Forager • Maple Farm • Restaurant/Cafe • Retailer • Wholesaler • Winery

If you are local producer, processor, farmers’ market, restaurant or retailer that would like to become a member of Buy Algoma, Buy Local, please visit the new website www.buyalgoma.ca .

- 30 -

About the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) The Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN) is a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC). RAIN is supported by the agricultural community, municipalities, the private sector (farmers and businesses), and funding partners to conduct research and provide business development and networking support. RAIN’s vision is to build a resilient farm sector in northern Ontario through innovative research and agricultural development projects. www.rainalgoma.ca

About Acorn Information Solutions

Acorn Information Solutions (AIS) (formerly known as the Community Geomatics Centre) is a

division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre. AIS is dedicated to promoting and

establishing the means to share data, knowledge, and tools among organizations to create

healthier, safer, and more prosperous communities. Declared to be the most comprehensive

Geographic Information System (GIS) solution in the world, AIS is the first true Information

Utility and is the best example of leveraging public data for public good in North America.

-30-

COVID-19 tough on food suppliers, but could lead to boost in local marketing, say experts

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 12:18:52 GMT

“What this pandemic has shown is that larger suppliers are vulnerable to disruptions”

Ron Bonnett had a ring-side seat to agriculture’s main events for decades.

The Bruce Mines farmer is past president of the Canadian Federation of Agriculture, the Ontario Federation of Agriculture and the Algoma Federation of Agriculture.

He’s been at the table for trade negotiations and policy discussions that had a profound impact on one of Canada’s top economic sectors.

Some of the issues which the local beef producer had on his plate included mad cow disease, NAFTA and the Walkerton effect on nutrient management. He was instrumental in creating the World Farm Organization.

A year ago, Bonnett stepped aside from the CFA and the never-ending stream of issues facing the industry.

“Sometimes change is good,” said Bonnett. “That’s why I stepped down from the CFA. I’ve been there a long time.”

The decision meant Bonnett just missed being in the thick of addressing the impacts COVID-19 has on agriculture.

“It’s affected every sector,” he said.

On the labour side, COVID has hit production at meat packing plants and workers who pick crops.

The supply chains are extremely tight and that’s had an impact on major producers and small farmers like Bonnett, who raises about 250 head of cattle on his Algoma farm.

“We had some people asking about getting some hamburger and we were going to ship some animals to get processed at a provincial plant. The earliest we can get any animals in right now is between September and October,” he said.

When you look at this through a national lens, the daunting situation facing cattle producers becomes clear.

“Everything is backed up,” he said. “You feed these animals and have to care for them when really they should be marketed.”

Bonnett said the COVID-19 situation may provide a spark for some in local agriculture. Construction on a new Algoma abattoir is expected to start in the spring at Penokean Hill Farms.

He also sees some positive growth with people moving into the area looking to establish larger crop farms.

David Thompson is research project co-ordinator at the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN).

RAIN is a division of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre dedicated to supporting farmers and communities enhance the agriculture and food sector in Algoma.

Thompson points to future growth in local meat processing and the horticultural scene as areas of positive potential.

“What this pandemic has shown is that larger suppliers are vulnerable to disruptions,” said Thompson.

Smaller horticultural operations and backyard gardeners are ready to roll up their sleeves now that COVID-19 restrictions have been eased. In fact, Thompson has seen significant growth in horticultural farms in the area.

“The greenhouses and garden centres have been very busy from what I understand,” said Thompson.

“We are seeing a big increase in people’s interest to buy local. A lot of farmers and businesses have pivoted to offer online sales.”

One thing that does concern Thompson is the fate of the restaurant industry, which he says buys a lot of local food.

“Over the years we have seen an increased interest from chefs locally to purchase local. Through our buyalgoma.ca marketing platform we have seen a lot more restaurants come on board.”

He said the Sault has many excellent restaurants with great recipes which could provide an opportunity for chefs to expand their offerings to products such as salad dressings and barbecue sauces.

“At this point it is very difficult for them to see how they can keep their kitchens going. RAIN is very interested in developing product ideas for chefs,” said Thompson.

The biggest change Thompson sees taking place because of COVID-19 is how people buy their food.

People are getting very used to shopping online and small businesses that offer a good online experience will have a better chance at survival.

Bonnett also sees the changes, but as someone who has been part of numerous global trade talks, he understands the importance of international connections and consistent federal support to Canadian agriculture.

He said there is going to be growth in some local marketing, but there’s still going to be that need to supply the big chains where people go and shop for food at reasonable prices.

“We take it for granted that the cost of our food compared to what we spend on other things is not that high,” said Bonnett.

In many ways, the COVID-19 pandemic reinforced what Bonnett has been working on for much of his life as an agricultural leader.

“COVID is a classic example of how no individual country can respond on its own. There has to be some sort of co-ordinated effort to deal with it,” he said.

“I am a little concerned by what I see as the sort of pulling away from international agreements that really set the guidelines.”

Source: Author: Frank Rupnik Article first published here

Applied research steps up to support northeastern Ontario’s agri-food sector

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 17 Jun 2020 11:57:46 GMT

the demand for locally-sourced food products has greatly increased

A new collaborative project involving Collège Boréal, the University of Guelph and agri-food sector organizations represented by the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), the Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA) and the Greater Sudbury Food Policy Council, is working together on an applied research project that aims to quickly identify the emerging needs of agri-food businesses in Northeastern Ontario. Read the full article here .

SSMIC shares “The Speed of Northern Ontario Broadband” Report

lmcdonald@ssmic.com (Lori McDonald) — Fri, 12 Jun 2020 19:13:56 GMT

view where internet is, where it isn’t and what speeds it is delivered at.

Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario – June 12, 2020 - Many residents throughout rural Canada have limited access to affordable high-speed internet. It has never been so evident as during the COVID- 19 crisis. The Speed of Northern Ontario Broadband Report allows people to view what speed test results are shown by community.

Blue Sky Net, a company based out of North Bay dedicated to facilitating the deployment of Broadband technologies in rural northern communities, led a partnership with FedNor, the Sault Ste Marie Innovation Centre and other Information Communication Technology Networks (ICTN’s) and area Telecommunication Service Providers (TPS’s) to create a visual database of all coverage in Northern Ontario.

Blue Sky Net created mapping as part of their ongoing technology development initiatives and one of the many features of the public portal includes a high-speed service availability checker ( Connected North ). Visitors can view where internet is, where it isn’t and what speeds it is delivered at. They can also search their street address to see what TSP delivers connectivity to their cottage, home or office. Additionally, over the last five years, Connected North collected speed test data retrieved from that portal. Recently, Blue Sky Net partnered with Canadian Internet Registration Authority’s Internet Performance Test, to collect the most detailed information related to Northern Ontario's internet speeds.

Susan Church, Executive Director of Blue Sky Economic Growth Corporation explains that “when you take this test, users are helping to support applications to funding agencies such as the CRTC, the Universal Broadband Fund and the Provincial Broadband Fund. We use the information about speeds at the property level to show the need and the impact improved Broadband Infrastructure will have.”

The Sault Ste Marie Innovation Centre is sharing this report to show the collective data from those historical speed tests. Findings from the report show the disparity between urban and rural connections and that the overall average of test results are below Federal Government objectives.

Key findings show that 4,330 speed tests were run in Northern Ontario over the last five years. The average download speed was just under 9 Mbps and upload is 5 Mbps. When tests run from within the major urban communities were removed from the sample, the average speeds dropped to 7.2/3 Mbps. Urban community internet speeds averages are 21.88/20.29 Mbps.

Not all internet services are created equal! “Fibre is heads and tails the fastest, but only available to the largest population centres,” explains Church, “this is mainly because the investment needed to install and operate internet infrastructure is expensive, and there is uncertainty with telecommunication providers’ ability to return that investment.”

Viewers of the report are urged to continue taking speed tests at their locations by visiting https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/139.nsf/eng/home . Results of these tests will go directly to the government department of Industry Canada where speed test data is analyzed for use with funding programs.

The interactive report and a downloadable pdf. are available here:

http://www.connectednorth.ca/speed-test-report

Additional Resources:

https://www.ssmic.com/ictn

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre delivers enhanced Information and Communication Technology (ICT) programs and services in Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma region. As one of the five (5) ICT Networks in Northern Ontario funded by FedNor, our purpose is to help businesses innovate and adopt new technologies, making them more productive and competitive in today’s global economy.

While we know that technology is a precursor to growth, it is also common knowledge that the lack of basic infrastructure, such as broadband, poses as a significant barrier to economic growth. Another common obstacle is the high costs associated with technology adoption, including green technologies. More specifically, these costs include the purchase of the technology itself, retrofitting it into current operations as well as augmenting the competencies of existing staff in the areas of repair, recycle and re-purpose. As a result of these costs, compounded with a lack of awareness in new technologies, many businesses and communities, particularly those in rural settings, do not consider technology adoption as a viable option. The ICT Networks in Northern Ontario continue to work with employers to encourage the adoption of more technology driven methods while developing talent to meet the regions’ future needs

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About the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre:

The Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre (SSMIC) is a non-profit organization established in 1999 to function as a catalyst for economic development and diversification in the information technology and science knowledge-based sectors in Sault Ste. Marie and the Algoma region. SSMIC’s mission is to drive business growth, facilitate research and commercialize innovation in globally significant areas of science and technology through partnerships, expert advice, community development, business incubation, youth outreach and sector development activities. Key SSMIC business divisions include Acorn Information Solutions (AIS), Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), Business Support Services, and YouLaunch.

Contact:

Susan George, ICT Sector Lead

705-942-7927 ext. 3158

sgeorge@ssmic.com

Celebrate Local Food Week

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Mon, 01 Jun 2020 14:32:25 GMT

From June 1st – June 7th, we will be celebrating the bounty of local food grown, produced, and processed in Algoma and across Ontario!

Algoma farmers and producers work hard every day to grow, harvest, and raise healthy and nutritious food for you. They give us access to fruit, vegetables, meat, fish, maple syrup, honey, artisanal products, and so more. Show your support by:

1. Fill your plates with locally grown and produced food from Algoma

Fill your plate with locally grown and produced food from the region. Share what is on your plate by using #BuyAlgoma and #loveONTfood across your social media networks.

2. Tune in to our Online Farm Tours featured every day at 4:00 pm.

Get a behind the scenes look at the day to day operations of our local farmers and producers. Tune in at 4:00 pm on our Facebook page (www.facebook.com/buyalgoma ) from Monday to Friday. Learn about the people behind the farm, what is being grown and produced in the area, and how you can support local.

Farm Features: Algoma Highland’s Wild Blueberry Farm & Winery, Sunnynook Farm, Hogan’s Homestead, Maple Acres Farm & more!

Working From Home; deductible home office expenses

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Mon, 25 May 2020 19:30:54 GMT

when can home office expenses be deducted?

In addition to being able to wear sweatpants all day, working from home (“WFH”) may provide a tax ‎benefit for employees - the ability to deduct home office expenses. While some home office ‎expenses are deductible, strict rules govern their deductibility. This article discusses these rules for ‎‎(non-sales-commission) employees WFH in Canada because of COVID-19.

Read the full article here.

How to Foster Innovation even During a Crisis

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Fri, 15 May 2020 15:34:56 GMT

the processes and procedures to reliably foster brilliant new ideas

As COVID-19 has upended normal life, businesses in every sector have responded in one of three ways: they’ve freaked out, closed up, or innovated to make do. As tempting as a freak out might be, innovation is the only real option to keep producing products, reaching customers and maintaining some sort of revenue. Read the full article here

How Canada's Tech Startups Can Drive the Recovery from COVID-19

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Fri, 15 May 2020 15:04:48 GMT

Innovation Economy Council webinar

In case you missed the live broadcast, be sure to watch the recording of the Innovation Economy Council's (IEC) first official event⁠ last week — a special discussion on how Canadian startups can renew the country’s economic standing post-COVID-19. Watch the Recording

Pandemic Response Planning

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Thu, 07 May 2020 14:16:28 GMT

Getting your community ready for the "new normal" in 2021

Watch this video about Pandemic Response Planning for communities.

Local food sovereignty vulnerabilities evident in policy paper

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 06 May 2020 14:17:28 GMT

'Bring Food Home Algoma: Policy Paper on Building Resilient Futures,' highlights needs and challenges within the current food system

More needs to be done to promote access to safe, healthy, local food according to a policy paper released jointly by the partners of the Bring Food Home Algoma Summit, which originally took place in 2019. The paper builds on learning from the summit, which brought together stakeholders in food security and agriculture to discuss how to strengthen local food systems, particularly in light of changes to the Canada Food Guide. The summit partnership consists of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network (RAIN), the United Way’s Harvest Algoma, Algoma Public Health, the Johnson Farmer’s Market, and NORDIK Institute.

Read full article here

Tech startups are the foundation of Canada's economic revival and will need stimulus to survive.

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Wed, 06 May 2020 14:09:18 GMT

Tech startups essential for economic revival

It’s often hard to see through the fog of a crisis to the other side. Canadians are justifiably consumed by the carnage caused by COVID-19 – the deaths, human misery, economic destruction and lost jobs.

We will eventually get through this, but Canadian leaders and governments need to keep their eyes on the horizon, lest they put at risk the fastest-growing and most dynamic sectors most likely to drive jobs, growth and ideas: our startup technology companies and the tech-driven industries they cater to.

Read full article here

Algoma Partners Launch Coronavirus Resources Hub and Online Map

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 17:09:14 GMT

Algoma region Coronavirus response hub

In partnership with the City of Sault Ste. Marie, the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre and Algoma Public Health launched an online hub featuring local COVID-19 resources and a map displaying a summary of services for facilities in the Sault Ste. Marie and Algoma region.

Read the full article here

Visit the Algoma Region Coronavirus Resources Hub website HERE

SSMIC offers Guide Book for Remote Workers

monique@jeronamo.ca (Jeremy Henderson) — Tue, 24 Mar 2020 21:13:29 GMT

Find yourself working from home? Download our ebook, The Guide for Remote Workers.

ssmic

Northern Ontario Value-Added Agriculture (NOVA) Program Launches

Investing in Progress #IWD2024

Happy International Women's Day! ��

In the news: Harvest Algoma relaunches with a new look

In the news: Research project looks to increase food production in northern Ontario

SSMIC 2023 Wrapped

Welcome to our 2023 Year In Review! ��

Director of Business Services Featured on CanadianSME Podcast

Exploring Opportunities in Northern Regions for Business Growth with Taylor Trecroce

RAIN & Acorn Partner with AgriTech North to Develop Digital Infrastructure for Regional Food System

AgriTech North on Mission to End Food Insecurity in Northern Ontario ﻿

In the news: FedNor provides funding for test kitchen for local agri product development

VPR speaks to CBC Radio

VPR Coordinator, Shannon Maki, speaks to Information Morning - Cape Breton with Steve Sutherland

RAIN Takes the Lead at Harvest Algoma: Exciting Changes Ahead!

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre's Rain division takes over Harvest Algoma

Weston Foundation awards $1 Million to Northern Collaborators on Berry Production Research...

spoiler alert...rain is a collaborator!

In the news: Harvest Algoma receives good news

Algoma Steel joins with the city to rescue Harvest Algoma

In the news: Harvest Algoma to receive financial support from community partners

UPDATED: Algoma Steel commits $120K over three years to support Harvest Algoma

Vulnerable Persons Registry makes National News

Sault Ste. Marie's Vulnerable Persons Registry Adopted in Halifax

In the news: NOHFC-Funded Internship Projects Boost Innovation in Sault Ste. Marie and Northern Ontario

Sault internship programs get provincial boost

2023 Leadership Award - Paul Beach

BeSpatial Ontario Recognizes Acorn Information Solutions' Paul beach

2023 Leadership Award - Paul Beach

Client Chats- EZRide!

We have a chat with Chris and Daniela from EZRide

ARTIE 2023

In the news: Northern farmers featured in RAIN webinar share tips on wholesaling in agriculture

Wholesaling in agriculture: ‘You’re selling yourself and your product’

Innovation Centre, Sault College continue to team up

In the News: Algoma-area agriculture group studying local buying habits

SSM Innovation Centre Supports Student Learning Through Employment Program

Help local farmers and processors and you could win a prize pack!

Assist the Rural Agri-Innovation Network by taking their online survey

Free energy conservation incentives information series for business

Investing in energy efficiency is a smart and effective way for businesses to reduce operating costs, stay competitive and meet sustainability goals.

RAIN receives $1.8M for Agri-tech programming

RAIN's receives funding for another 3 years to continue programming

SSMIC announces new strategy geared for growth

New Multi-Year plan from Sault Ste. marie Innovation Centre

SSMIC Year in Review

see what we've been up to this year

Entrepreneurial Community of the Year: Rural Agri-innovation Network (RAIN)

RAIN wins Entrepreneurial Community of the Year

Can hydroponics help food insecurity in the North?

Hydroponics, not just for Cannabis industry

Learn how to grow crops without soil

upcoming workshop will teach you everything you need to know about how to get started with hydroponic growing.

Research begins to improve strawberry production in northern Ontario

Collège Boréal, Rural Agri-Innovation Network looking to identify farms, greenhouses growing strawberries

System that's tailored to northern needs

FedNor invests over $950,000 to grow and diversify the agri-food sector in Algoma region

"This investment represents an important step toward building a resilient farm and food sector in Northern Ontario."

Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre to Support Student Learning at Sault College

I.T. Success scholarship available for three local students

New Audiobook Learning Platform Launches – ListenerU

A new Sault Ste. Marie startup could change the way you learn and read books, while making professional and personal development easy and rewarding.

Library offers $1 a year for 'micro-branch' space at new arena

If city council agrees with the plan, the 'micro-branch' will open six days a week and will be staffed

The Algoma Eat Local Challenge is looking to support local food businesses and promote healthier eating

With the assistance of the Rural Agri-Innovation Network, a nutritional practitioner created the contest in an effort to positively impact the local economy, the environment, and people’s overall health

Manitoulin Brewing Company creates an innovative app to promote Manitoulin Island and local businesses

With the assistance of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, the craft brewery was able to successfully develop their Manitoulin Adventure Map app ﻿

And this is what led to the creation of the “Manitoulin Adventure Map” smartphone app.

And so, how does the smartphone app work?

Meawasige says that businesses can participate in the app program for absolutely no cost in the first year.

Restaurant Canada Show to feature Ukrainian business owner who saw opportunity in northern Ontario

Restaurant Canada show has northern Ontario representation

Put on your Packsack!

The Packsack Project

Can the city’s new plaza become a hub of youth entrepreneurs?

About the Author

Northern Ontario Hertiage Fund provides $1.5 million for agriculture projects in Sault area

The investment should create 33 new jobs in the agriculture sectoR

AgriTech North on Mission to End Food Insecurity in Northern Ontario

With the assistance of the Sault Ste. Marie Innovation Centre, the craft brewery was able to successfully develop their Manitoulin Adventure Map app