The face of Northern Ontario businesses has been changing for quite some time, but those changes are still overshadowed by the mining and forestry industries, which still dominate the headlines around the region in the mainstream media.

As the 21st century gets underway, it is estimated that women will start half of Canada’s new companies.

Between 1991 and 1994, Canadian firms run by women created new jobs at four times the rate of the national average, according to information from the Ontario Women’s Directorate. There is every reason to anticipate that this trend will continue.

This is very encouraging news for Northern Ontario. We need entrepreneurs. We need jobs. We need wealth creators. We need innovators, mentors and risk takers. And we need to know who they are and what they do.

We also need to acknowledge those women who do venture into the world of business and economic development and we
need to encourage more to follow.

These are some of the reasons why we launched the Influential Women of Northern Ontario Awards program nine years ago
– to seek out, honour and profile women in our region who contribute to our economic growth.

By acknowledging their successes and encouraging others to follow, the face of Northern Ontario businesses will take on a
more balanced look and truly reflect what’s going on in our communities.

Patricia Mills
Publisher, Northern Ontario Business