The regional economic development arm of the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines is setting up an economic revitalization office in Elliot Lake, after 32 tenants and more than 200 employees were displaced following the partial roof collapse of the Algo Centre Mall.
Helen Mulc, director of regional economic development for the ministry, said the office’s main goal is to provide resources and support to those business owners and workers who have been directly impacted by the incident.
“We want to provide them with some economic development assistance,” she said. “They have several committees and stakeholders working together within the community and we are serving those groups as resource members.”
Mulc, along with a manager, two northern development officers and an administration support person, will help business owners gain access to available programs, particularly to those who are looking to set up a temporary facility to hire employees back and get their operations running again.
Thirty-two tenants, representing 60 per cent of the retail space in the city, were displaced following the incident. Mulc said the office has committed to staying for three months.
A number of funds have been set up to assist with the recovery following the incident, including $2.3 million from the province to help displaced businesses open temporary locations so people can get back to work, as well as establish a recovery plan and create short- and long-term economic development initiatives.
Other organizations have pitched in as well, with the Northern Credit Union in Elliot Lake ponying up the first $5,000 for a support fund; United Way Sudbury and Nipissing Districts followed shortly after with $10,000 for the cause. Communities around the North have been fundraising and providing assistance as they can.
Mulc said the community is resilient and people are already starting to rebuild.
“This community is incredibly dedicated, committed and passionate about the future of Elliot Lake,” she said. “It’s just been a privilege to work with them and I look forward to continuing to do so.”
Two women were killed and more than 20 people were injured after a portion of the roof crashed down through two floors of the mall on June 23.
The fallout from the incident includes a $30-million class-action suit against the mall’s owner, the city and an engineering firm, an investigation by the coroner’s office, a pending public inquiry and a criminal investigation being undertaken by the OPP.
