ConnectNORTH

What is ConnectNORTH?

ConnectNORTH is a group purchase plan that gives people living or interested in Ontario's northern regions access to a GIS based supply chain mapping tool. This collective approach reduces the cost for Users to secure industry data that allows them to identify opportunities and gaps for their community, region, or all of Ontario’s northern regions. The online platform provides information for three industries: agri-food, manufacturing, and tourism (with the capacity to include others going forward!). Working together we can make this resource available and affordable for all.

The ConnectNORTH program brings the ConnectON platform to Ontario's northern regions. ConnectON was developed by the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA) in Southern Ontario.

Contact us to become a ConnectNORTH Member

Value

The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted gaps and weaknesses of supply chains in Ontario's northern regions. Reducing those gaps and protecting against those weaknesses is an opportunity for economic growth and investment in Ontario's northern regions.

To act on that opportunity, Northerners need access to reliable and up-to-date information about potential suppliers, customers, and partners in various industries in Ontario's northern regions. Users have the ability to filter businesses by industry, NAICS code, business name, geography or a combination to analyze supply chains.

Cost

ConnectNORTH is an annual subscription-based service that allows members to use the online platform at a price based on population size and budget.

• Small communities or agencies serving populations of 2,500 and under, or organizations with an annual budget below $250,000: $300 per year (this allows for up to two Users)
• Medium communities or agencies serving populations between 2,501 and 10,000, or organizations with an annual budget below $500,000.00 per year: $600 per year (this allows for up to four Users)
• Large communities or agencies serving populations greater than 10,001 or organizations with an annual budget above $500,000: $1,200 per year (This allows for up to eight Users)
• Partners or Data Providers: no cash contribution required (Partners or Data Providers may have up to five Users)

Members who have annual subscriptions to NODC will receive a five per cent annual discount on their ConnectNORTH membership.

What data is included?

To date, ConnectNORTH has added 7500+ businesses and counting to ConnectON! These businesses are spread across Ontario’s northern regions. All businesses have been assigned a code from the North American Industry Classification System (NAICS).

Data can be viewed and downloaded by 11 regional northern districts and 6 separated cities (Thunder Bay, North Bay, Timmins, Sault Ste. Marie, Kenora, and Elliot Lake). Data can also be viewed in other boundaries including economic clusters, economic regions and Ontario Tourism Regions.  ConnectNORTH is never complete! It is constantly improving and evolving. NPI continues to add new datasets and update existing data to ensure accuracy and relevancy.

If you are interested in becoming a Data Provider, or if you are in (or interested in) an industry not currently included, please email connectnorth@northernpolicy.ca.

Special thanks to the ConnectNORTH Tourism Steering Committee

ConnectNORTH added the tourism industry to the ConnectON platform as a pilot project.

Helping us with this effort were the members of a special Tourism Steering Committee and we want to offer them a word of thanks for helping with this pilot project that we hope to see expanded across all the geography covered by ConnectON.

• Kevin Eshkawkogan  – Indigenous Tourism Ontario
• Ryan Reynard  – Lake of the Woods Business Incentive Corporation
• David MacLachlan  – Destination Northern Ontario
• Anna Demarchi-Meyers  – Halton Region
• Chuck Thibeault– Central Counties Tourism

Why would YOU want this data?

• Identify market opportunities

• Develop supply chain profiles and fact sheets

• Inform policy and service program design

• Creative interactive mapping for economic development planning

Training Resources

Other training materials will be published soon!

Founding Partners

The ConnectNORTH program brings the ConnectON platform to Ontario's northern regions. ConnectON was developed by the Golden Horseshoe Food and Farming Alliance (GHFFA) in Southern Ontario.

Want to know more about ConnectNORTH?

Interested? To learn more about the ConnectNORTH program or to become a member, email connectnorth@northernpolicy.ca.

Review the standard membership agreement