Industrial Growth

Nipissing and Parry Sound districts offer a diverse economy.  Two thirds of the major employers in the Parry Sound area are in the Accommodation, Food and Beverage Industry, while an additional 34 percent are in the Retail Industry.  Of the major private employers in the North Bay area, the largest three sectors are Telecommunications, Retail-Grocery and Manufacturing. 

Due to such employment offerings, the end result tends to be a predominance of contingent, seasonal, lower-paying jobs, with few benefits and little job security.  This leads ambitious job seekers to leave the area in search of more favourable job opportunities.  In order to determine solutions to various industrial growth issues, several communities throughout the districts have conducted formal business retention and expansion projects.  As a result of these studies, the LMG along with several community partners have been able to assist local businesses with potential growth opportunities.

Several Employer Forums have been hosted throughout the districts to highlight the variety of government related incentives for businesses that include accessing funds and grants for expansion and innovation, Community Exchange programs have been implemented to share best practices on community based employment strategies, as well Job and Career Fairs have been held to provide employers with the staff required to grow their business.

For more information on the economic make up the Nipissing and Parry Sound districts as well as information and community profiles on these districts, please see the Board’s Trends, Opportunities and Priorities report on the news section of this site.