fednorGiving FedNor more freedom as an agency can provide better service for northern Ontario.

That’s the finding in a new research report released by the Northern Policy Institute. It’s written by Charles Conteh – who is an Associate Professor at  Brock University.

He says FedNor isn’t setup to be able to make partnerships and allocate funding for necessary projects – and instead is tied back by other policies. In his report Conteh suggests five key recommendations to restructure FedNor, including combining collaborative approaches with the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund.

He says they don’t have full discretion when it comes to making partnerships and investing resources, and they need some room to do those things.

Conteh says he has had talks with stakeholders and leaders in areas such as Thunder Bay and Sudbury.

He says there is an acknowledgement that restructuring is needed and can be beneficial.