MaRS North
WHEREAS as noted by Dr. Rosehart in the Northwestern Economic Facilitator‘s Report, “In any industrial sector, research and innovation are important to maintain the long-term viability and competitiveness of an industry” and
WHEREAS NOMA appreciates that the Proposed Growth Plan for Northern Ontario addresses the importance of research and innovation, and
WHEREAS we believe that more must be done to ensure Northwestern Ontario reaches its full potential in this area
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED that the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association call on the Provincial government (through the Ministry of Northern Development, Mines and Forests, as well as the Ministry of Research and Innovation) to:
• Ensure that MaRS has a pan-Ontario reach, through northern satellite offices (moons), to provide NWO scientific entrepreneurs with the same environment and infrastructure to enable success as is available for scientists working in the greater GTA. This may include, but not be limited to, access to Laboratory and Office incubator facilities; Venture capital programs and linked seminars; Community networking organizations; Professional service firms (on-site financial institutions, legal firms); and a decentralized MaRS team for advice and market analysis.
• Allocate at least one seat on each of the MaRS Board of Directors and MaRS Innovation Board of Directors for a Northern Ontario representative.
• Recognize, in the Northern Growth Plan, the importance of the commercialization of life sciences and other research to the economic development in Northern Ontario and to identify leveraged investments to ensure MaRS Innovation becomes a pan-Ontario Program (through the appointment of two MaRS Innovation professionals in Thunder Bay and in Sudbury);
• Regularly videoconference MaRS events, summits etc. to Northern Ontario.
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED that NOMA make the case to the Ontario Government that the current cluster of health care research and development in Thunder Bay makes it the logical centre for MaRS North, and
FURTHER BE IT RESOLVED THAT this resolution be sent to the following:
Premier of Ontario
Minister of Research and Innovation
Minister of Economic Development and Trade
Area MPPs
Adopted April 2010
