Last year, OPSEU brought together business, labour, government, and community agencies for an in-depth exploration of the possible futures for Ontario with Ontario 2020. The Ontario 2020 Delphi forecast has now been released, which shows that experts are concerned and pessimistic about the future of the province.
Queen’s IRC Director Paul Juniper was a member of the steering committee for the Ontario 2020 project, which included a two-day conference in Toronto. Experts in four areas – community services, the economy, education and health care – were invited to evaluate how the province will develop in the next decade. Four possible scenarios of the future were assessed for each of the key areas.
The practical objective of the Ontario 2020 project was to make Ontario organizations more effective by focusing on the need to anticipate a wholly different province in 2020. The steering committee was founded by OPSEU President Warren (Smokey) Thomas. Thomas said it’s important to stop the finger-pointing and blame over the past, and focus on the challenges and opportunities in the future. “No one else is doing this important work. To succeed as organizations and a province we must begin to take it on.”
One of the panelists summed up their view of Ontario in 2020: “I believe that we can imagine a great future, but many are pessimistic about what lies before us.”
To obtain a copy of Ontario 2020 Delphi forecast on the future of the economy, community agencies, education and health care in Ontario, please contact Heino Nielsen at hnielsen@opseu.org.
