Conference Board launches Centre for the North

YELLOWKNIFE, NT, Sept. 24 /CNW Telbec/ - The Conference Board of Canada today launched the Centre for the North, a five-year, multimillion dollar program of consultation, research and dialogue, designed to provide insights into how Canada can best address the challenges and opportunities in its northern regions. The Centre will help leaders from all sectors--government, private industry and Aboriginal communities--achieve a shared vision of sustainable prosperity in the North.

"Canada's North is at an important crossroads, whether in terms of adapting to climate change, addressing major infrastructure needs, or developing effective economic and social development policies," said Anne Golden , President and Chief Executive Officer, The Conference Board of Canada . "The Conference Board looks forward to shaping the new conversation about Canada's North."

The Conference Board is uniquely positioned to carry out this five-year research program. A neutral third party with an excellent track record for bringing stakeholders together to tackle challenging policy issues, the Conference Board also has the capacity to conduct balanced and rigorous research.

The Centre for the North will provide economic outlooks of the three territories and northern regions of provinces based on new forecasting models. These will also be used to assess the economic impacts of major projects and public policies. The five-year program of consultation, research and dialogue is expected to produce up to 50 research studies on issues including governance, Canadian sovereignty and security, economic and social development, population health and education in the North.

At the inaugural meeting, being held in Yellowknife today, investors will review the overall research framework and will prioritize research projects to be delivered in the first year of the Centre for the North.

For further information: Brent Dowdall, Media Relations, Tel.: [phone] ext. 448, E-mail: [email protected]