Timmins’ new mayor, Steve Black, said the city must start planning now for the 2021 closure of Glencore’s Kidd Operations, which is one of the city’s largest employers.
In his inaugural address to council on Dec. 1, Black said council must think ahead, beyond this term, and make smart decisions “to ensure the long-term health and sustainability of our community.”
“Timmins council needs to begin to plan and restructure in preparation of the closure of Kidd operations in 2021,” said Black, a superintendent of production engineering with Glencore. “While there will be other mining opportunities, and companies within the region for future years, the impact of losing one of our city’s largest employers and approximately $3 million in assessment cannot be underestimated.”
Black said council must work with the city’s partners in education, health care, service, and business, as well as First Nations, other municipal leaders and government officials to find new opportunities for economic development in Timmins.
“We must ensure the city and the region build towards 2021 to ensure we are not left making a knee-jerk reaction after the fact,” Black said.
Council must engage government at the provincial and federal levels, while also giving Timmins staff the direction to make decisions that will set the city up for long-term sustainability, he added.
“We have finished celebrating 100 great years of history in our city,” he said. “It’s time now to start building and investing for the next 100 years.”
Black served as city councillor before running for the mayor’s seat. He replaced former long-term mayor Tom Laughren, who did not seek re-election this year.
