The
Federal Economic Development Agency for Northern Ontario (
FedNor) is a regional development agency whose mission is to address the economic development, diversification and job creation in
Northern Ontario. This is a federal administrative region that extends not only south of the
French and
Mattawa Rivers, but all the way to
Muskoka which is just south of Ontario's administrative North. FedNor especially aids women,
Franco-Ontarians, youth, and
Aboriginal peoples in Ontario. While a lot of progress has been made in achieving FedNor's objectives, communities in Northern Ontario continue to face the ongoing economic challenges that necessitate a stable, long-term
regional development effort. Since the beginning of FedNor in 1987, the role in business and economic development throughout the North has grown substantially. As a result, the programs and services that FedNor offers to the communities of Northern Ontario have evolved and improved. The Minister responsible for this agency was originally called the "
Minister responsible for the Federal Economic Development Initiative for Northern Ontario" In 2020, FedNor invested over
CA$122 million in 294 initiatives led by local businesses, organizations, and communities, helping to support over 7,300 jobs in Northern Ontario. FedNor has its main offices in
Sudbury,
Sault Ste. Marie, and
Thunder Bay; as well as offices located in
North Bay,
Timmins, and
Kenora.
Controversy Under prior minister
Andy Mitchell, FedNor's service area was expanded to include many rural areas in
Southern Ontario, including much of the
Central Ontario region. In 2007, a group of politicians from Northern Ontario, including
Tony Martin,
Claude Gravelle and
France Gélinas, called for the program to be refocused exclusively on the Northern Ontario administrative region. Additionally there had been many calls from politicians and organizations to make FedNor an agency, separate from Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada, like the other regional development agencies across Canada. In 2021, FedNor and the other RDAs were removed from ISED and placed under the control of dedicated cabinet ministers.
Programs FedNor supports regional
economic development, which it does through the delivery of three programs: • Northern Ontario Development Program (NODP) — NODP was put in place to help promote economic development and diversification throughout Northern Ontario. NODP provides repayable and non-repayable contributions to not-for-profit organizations and
small-and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for projects focussed on the following three areas: Innovation; Community Economic Development; and Business Growth and Competitiveness. • Community Futures Program — This program helps to support 24 Community Futures Development Corporations (CFDCs), throughout Northern Ontario. CFDCs provide an assortment of different programs and services which are for assisting in the community economic development and small business growth. These programs are able to provide help in: Strategic community planning and socio-economic development; Business information and planning services; and Access to capital for small and medium-sized businesses and social enterprises. These community-based, not-for-profit organizations are staffed by professionals and are each governed by local volunteer boards of directors familiar with their communities' needs, concerns and future development priorities. • Economic Development Initiative (EDI) — As
Innovation, Science and Economic Development Canada’s main point of presence in Northern Ontario, FedNor delivers national initiatives and expanded program delivery opportunities across the region. In 2009, FedNor launched the Economic Development Initiative of the Federal Strategy for Official Languages called the Roadmap for Canada’s Linguistic Duality 2008–2013: Acting for the Future! == Federal Economic Development Agency for Southern Ontario ==