Consisting of the communities of Haileybury, New Liskeard and Dymond Township, Temiskaming Shores serves as an economic service hub.
The amalgamated municipality is strategically located between the major cities of North Bay, Sudbury, Timmins and the towns of western Quebec.
Temiskaming Shores has witnessed
several retail expansions with the arrival of national chains such as
a larger
Wal-Mart Superstore, a Staples Business Depot, a Holiday
Inn Express and a Toyota
dealership.
The expansion of the Dymond Industrial Park is also complete with two double lots having been sold to date, with one business already under construction and another in the planning stages.
“For us, that's exciting news,” said James Franks, economic development officer for Temiskaming Shores. “That's some job creation.”
The municipality has also been working on developing a mining supply cluster to take advantage of mining and exploration activity in the area.
Temiskaming Shores has partnered with FedNor and other Northern communities to develop an opportunity for Northern Ontario mining suppliers to be present at the internationally renowned Prospectors and Developers Association Conference in Toronto, serving as the lead on that event.
“We are renting a space to exhibit northeastern Ontario,” said Franks. “We hope they'll get some great partnerships from some of the folks that will be there. There will literally be companies from all over the world.”
Known for its strong tradition in agriculture, Temiskaming Shores is also heading up the new Northern Ontario Farm Innovation Alliance (NOFIA), whose immediate goal is to work with local and regional producers to keep the New Liskeard Research Centre operational. Longer term goals are advocacy, research and innovation, and the development of agricultural products through to commercialization.
Working with the North Bay and District Multicultural Centre, the Timmins & District Multicultural Centre, HR North and Canadian Immigration, the community is setting up an employers’ council to help fill staffing needs. The process pre-screens immigrants to Canada who haven’t found work in their field to find the best match for employers.
Construction is bustling, too. Work is underway on a 64-unit residence at Northern College’s Haileybury campus in response to ongoing demand for student housing. In New Liskeard, a private developer purchased a large waterfront lot, with plans to build a 72-unit condo and home development worth an estimated $25 million. Commercial real estate developers RioCan recently agreed to sell a piece of property located between Highway 11 and 65, giving the municipality the opportunity to connect the two.
“That gives us 30 acres of commercial land, including access to the mall,” said Franks. “It's going to free up some traffic, making flow better and safer.”
Temiskaming Shores has the good fortune to be built around the shores of Lake Temiskaming which is the location for an annual bikers’ reunion. A $2.5-million revitalization project will bring new life to the waterfront, including dock and breakwall upgrades, to meet the needs of modern boaters.
With the addition of the 69-unit Holiday Inn Express, the community has increased the capacity to host various events such as conferences and tournaments.
The city boosted its environmental awareness this year, following the implementation of a curbside recycling program. Following a switch from a depot system, 54 per cent of the city’s waste is now recycled, which Franks said “exceeded all expectations.”
