Niagara industries still have wind in their sails: Brock study

A Brock University thinktank says there’s wind in the sails of Niagara’s industries.

Years after many of Niagara’s factories were emptied as the region’s large-scale manufacturing sector faltered, research conducted by the university’s Niagara Community Observatory shows local industries have “made tremendous strides over the past several years.”

The policy brief — called Shifting Gears: Examining the recent upswing of Niagara’s manufacturing sector — will be presented at Brock’s Pond Inlet from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m., Thursday.

Observatory director Charles Conteh said the “general trend is that manufacturing has been very resilient, has stayed in the region and, in fact, has seen an upswing since 2012, so there’s a bit of a wind in our sails.”

Conteh co-authored the report with political science graduate Sean Calcott.

“The sector has made tremendous strides over the past several years,” Calcott said. “Rather than lament where manufacturing has gone, we need to ask ourselves where it’s going to take us next.”

Thursday’s discussion will include a panel discussion including Greater Niagara Chamber of Commerce executive director Mishka Balsom, South Niagara Chamber of Commerce executive director Dolores Fabiano and Blake Landry from Niagara Region.