2015 continues to be an exciting time for the Municipality of Greenstone with many ventures beginning in the very near future.
Greenstone Gold Mines is the newly unveiled 50/50 joint ownership project between Centerra Gold and Premier Gold.
The mine development company is leading the way among several aggressive natural resource developers in the area as they continue to confirm more gold reserves, finalize a feasibility report, and complete the environmental assessment at their Trans-Canada property.
The municipality has been working closely with industry, including Greenstone Gold Mines, to ensure the business community and labour force are ready and best situated to benefit from the imminent construction phase of development.
On the forestry front, the Longlac sawmill is operational again and efforts are being made to bring the Nakina sawmill and the Ogoki woodlands back online.
Over the past three years, the municipality together with the federal and provincial governments have committed more than $100 million to building capacity and improving infrastructure in the region to support commerce and industry in Ontario’s northwest.
The Greenstone broadband project will improve telecommunications infrastructure in the region with the installation of additional fibre and networking equipment. After the investment, more than 95 per cent of households in Greenstone will have access to broadband with speeds of at least 15Mbps.
These upgrades will enhance education and training systems. Businesses will also be able to access the global market place at a more competitive cost. And health services will be enhanced by allowing greater use of tele-medicine services.
Many communities in the Far North do not have grid access and are reliant upon extremely expensive and environmentally hazardous diesel fuel.
Developments such as Greenstone Gold Mines and Energy East require reliable electricity at an affordable price. Greenstone continues to work with area First Nations and other partners to ensure a transmission and generation plan is able to supply all future energy needs and extend the grid to remote First Nation communities. Over the past year, much has been accomplished to develop new gas-fired generation for short-term needs supported by a new 230 kV transmission line for long-term energy needs in the region.
A critical component in building capacity for community development is the growth of a skilled labour force.
The provincial and federal governments have committed millions of dollars toward the construction and development of a Greenstone Regional Skills Centre. The centre opened its door last summer to provide training for the regional population with a specific focus on preparing a workforce for employment in the mining and forestry sectors.
Greenstone is an amalgamated rural municipality in northwestern Ontario with a population of 4,800 people. It’s comprised of the former towns of Geraldton, Nakina, Longlac, and Beardmore, and the settlement areas of Caramat, Jellicoe, MacDiarmid and Orient Bay. It’s one of the largest municipalities in the province with an area of 2,780 square kilometres. Live, Work and Play in the Municipality of Greenstone.
For more information on these projects, contact the Municipal Economic Development Office at edo@greenstone.ca.
