The region's economy is based on forestry, mining and hydroelectricity. There are, of course, some very big forestry and mining companies, some of them multinational. Franco-Ontarian businesses provide them with a range of services, from welding and assembly to logging, communications and computer services. Others process timber into furniture, plywood and other products. Blueberry production and processing have been growing in popularity for some time.
Agriculture is also in the midst of sweeping changes.
A few years ago, there were hundreds of small and medium-sized dairy farms, but that sector of the economy is driven today by a few dozen very large farms. The purpose of the project is to deliver in French in Northern Ontario the international trade training program known as Nexpro. The BDC has developed a series of workshops designed to familiarize business owners who might be interested in exporting via international trade. Failed attempts to export can often be attributed to a lack of preparation. Because Franco-Ontarian entrepreneurs in the north are starting to take a serious interest in the possibility of doing business with companies in the northern United States, Coll ge Bor al has teamed up with the BDC to provide them with the tools they need to succeed.