Who is the NSFC? A Message from the General Manager

The Northeast Superior Forest Community...who are we? What do we do? And more importantly, why does any of this matter?

Maybe it's best to start from the beginning. The NSFC is a partnership between six municipalities; Manitouwadge, White River, Hornepayne, Dubreuilville, Wawa, and Chapleau, as well as the Northeast Superior Regional Chiefs' Forum which represents Chapleau Cree, Brunswick House, Michipicoten, Missanabie Cree, Pic Mobert, and Hornepayne First Nations. We are also one of 11 Forest Community sites funded by Natural Resources Canada's Forest Communities Program, and part of a network of 14 sites across the country who combine to form the Canadian Model Forest Network (CMFN). Our CMFN partner sites differ in land size and operational budgets, but each site is dedicated to working on initiatives related to redeveloping our nation's forests. Because of our unique projects, and the strong relationships we have developed within our region, our new Forest Community site up here in the Northeast Superior Region of Ontario has forced people nation-wide to take notice.

The NSFC is a small team of 6 individuals who are working hard to find new opportunities for forest based economic growth in our region on all scales. Whether we are assisting home based businesses, or developing major industrial partners, we are busy securing the building blocks of a strong regional foundation for a sustainable future. Many opportunities for the region have been identified, and projects such as blueberry plantations, Non Timber Forest Products, and many more are being implemented. With your support, and the strength of the entire region, we can emerge from the current economic crisis with renewed optimism and opportunity.

Projects of this scale take time and careful planning to become successful, but progress is being made. It is our goal to involve the region in the development of our own future- to foster a spirit of entrepreneurship in our youth, and a feeling of hope in our community's residents. If we can work together and lead by example, you can be sure that there will be prosperous decades on the horizon.

Over the coming months, the NSFC staff will be providing regular updates through our new blog, our website, and even through community meetings. We hope that you will follow our progress as we encourage our residents to connect with their communities, and our communities to connect with the wider region.

There is power in the relationships that we have built...and our region is poised for great things!