The communities of Cobalt, Coleman Township and Latchford are embarking on a unique partnership that will enhance economic development for all three communities.
In April, the trio was awarded $301,500 by FedNor to jointly hire an economic development officer (EDO) for a three-year term.
“We’re three small municipalities and so we have an oversight committee — a Cobalt, Coleman and Latchford Economic Development Committee — and that person will be working for all three of us,” explained Cobalt Mayor Tina Sartoretto. “It’s kind of an unusual situation; we are three relatively compatible communities, but our needs are quite a bit different.”
Sartoretto said each municipality will go over its strategic plan to find areas of focus. Initial estimates show their needs range widely.
Latchford and Coleman, for example, remain without natural gas, even though the pipeline runs through those communities, Sartoretto said. Some residents in the area, meanwhile, still are without high-speed internet.
“It’s a big issue, especially when you look at some of the businesses that have established themselves in Cobalt the last few years,” she said.
In Cobalt, one area of focus will be business attraction, retention and expansion, but Sartoretto concedes the new EDO will have her work cut out for her. With a geographical reach measuring just 2.7 square kilometres and limited available retail space, it will be a challenge to lure and retain more business to the area. But, “certainly, the cultural economy is one that seems to be of interest,” she said.
In the last year, the town has welcomed Laura’s Art Shoppe and White Mountain Publishing, and a new upcycling business, Hometown Décor Emporium, is in the process of setting up in the Cobalt train station.
The town is also continuing work on projects that showcase its rich mining history. In June, Agnico Eagle committed $1 million to the town’s Historic Cobalt Legacy Fund.
“That’ll make a big difference in trying to maintain the grants for the mining museum, the bunker, the classic theatre and the library,” Sartoretto said.
This year will also see the completion of a branding project that will introduce a fresh new town logo, which will be featured on a number of billboards that promote Cobalt as a Parks Canada national historic site.
The town will also get bilingual signs for the self-guided walking trail and signs for buildings in town with a significant historical provenance. New signs are also being considered for the town’s main thoroughfare, Silver Street.
