Conventional wisdom says that “all politics is local”. In a similar vein, any major industry also has a pronounced local impact.
It is customary to describe industries in terms of their national economic footprint, such as the value of production, the contribution to GDP, exports, the highly-skilled direct and spin-off jobs, purchases from suppliers, and similar measures. And while Canada’s steel industry is justifiably proud of its national economic contribution, there’s a local dimension that gets less national attention, but which is felt directly at the community level.
It begins with helping to sustain the municipal tax base, which is essential to public funding for everything from schools to social services to transportation systems. But it goes much further, to the myriad ways in which individual companies and their employees contribute to the health and vitality of their own communities, to make them better places to live, work and play.
Our members announced several significant commitments over the past few months, including:
- Essar Steel Algoma launching a $5 million “Community Investment Fund” in Sault Ste. Marie
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco’s corporate contribution to the United Way in the Hamilton/Burlington area, with a commitment to have the company and its employees match certain additional contributions in the area
- Gerdau sponsoring the Canadian Cancer Society’s “Taking Steps Against Breast Cancer” walk in Whitby on October 16
- ArcelorMittal Dofasco being recognized with a 2011 Friend of Mohawk Collage Award for a four-decade partnership with this leading community college
- Gerdau employees in Cambridge donating approximately 900 pounds of food to the Thanksgiving food drive for the local food bank, with matching contributions by the company for cash contributions
- Tenaris showcasing a diverse collection of cinematic works by leading and up-and-coming Latin American filmmakers through its sponsorship of the second annual Calgary Latin Wave
- Essar Steel Algoma’s support for the Roberta Bondar Foundation, to provide a creative approach to understanding environmental science
- A new award by ArcelorMittal Dofasco to recognize a local young professional impacting the community through professional excellence and leadership.
These are just some recent examples, and in 2012 we will highlight future contributions at the community level by posting member company announcements on our website.
Particularly during the recent holiday season, the spirit of ‘giving’ was very much in evidence at the personal and corporate levels. However, community needs are not seasonal, and these kinds of contributions by our member companies and their employees benefit our communities all year long. It’s another way that steel makes Canada stronger.
Our companies will continue to play a vital role locally as well as nationally. On behalf of Canada’s steel producer industry, I wish everyone a healthy and successful 2012.
- Ron Watkins