Guy Labine is a champion for economic development. The chief operating officer of Science North—the attraction generates $45 million annually in economic activity—he is a member and past chair of the Greater Sudbury Development Corporation. Previously, Labine was general manager of the Sudbury Regional Economic Development Corporation.

Doug Nadorozny, the city's CAO, calls Labine “a passionate Sudburian and most certainly a community leader.”

The youngest of seven children in a workingclass family, Labine grew up in Azilda. He considered a career as a physical education teacher—he graduated from Laurentian University with a bachelor of physical and health education in 1984. Instead, a summer job as a counsellor at the student employment centre led to subsequent jobs in the public service.

While still in his 20s, he was elected to Rayside-Balfour town council. In his second term, he resigned from council to take on the challenge of creating the town's first economic development office in 1993.

Five years later, he became general manager of the Sudbury Regional Development Corporation. He led the transformation of the city's economic development department from a seven-person $700,000 annual operating budget organization, to a 21-person $2.3-million organization.

During this time, he worked on the e-sudbury.com project, furthering Sudbury's position in the digital economy, and he helped to create the Global Ambassador Partnership Program, which tapped the talents of successful former residents.

Helen Mulc, the manager of economic development for the City of Greater Sudbury, has known Labine since that time. “He is insistent on finding ways to make things happen versus finding reasons it cannot happen,” she says.

“Guy has always been open to support new and innovative ideas that advance economic development.”

In 2001, Labine became the director of business development at Science North and led the growth of its international sales and consulting business. Projects included the Barbados Concorde Experience for the Barbados Tourism Association, and several travelling exhibitions including Discovering Chimpanzees: The Remarkable World of Jane Goodall.

He played a major fundraising role for Dynamic Earth, which was implemented in phases at a total of $23 million, and Science North's $10-million 25th anniversary campaign in 2010.

In 2009, he was named chief operating officer of the country's second-largest science centre. In addition to the 600 jobs the centre creates directly and indirectly, and its role in promoting tourism in Sudbury, Labine, the father of two sons, is proud of Science North's role in informal education by introducing young people to the world of science.

“I love my job. Ten years have gone by like that. It is a great organization...and when communities want to build a science centre, they visit Science North to find out how we can have such a successful centre in a small marketplace.”

He credits the community leaders who conceived the idea 30 years ago, the leadership of CEO Jim Marchbank, the board of directors, and the exceptional staff and volunteers.

Last spring, Labine was selected as a fellow in the Noyce Leadership Institute, a senior executive leadership program.

Labine, named one of the 50 most important graduates in Laurentian University's history, downplays his contributions to the community.

“Economic development in a place like Sudbury is a collective of wisdom, expertise, hard work and effort of hundreds, if not thousands of people, who have the ability to share common values, common goals and common objectives,” he says.

While he is delighted to win a Community Builders Award, Labine is more comfortable as a team player than as an MVP

“This is not an award for me, but an award for the people I have had the fortune to interact with over the years.”