There is another visible sign of how much Elliot Lake’s economy has changed.
A once-popular drinking hole of uranium miners – and one of the town’s original buildings – was demolished to make way for a drug store.
The steel framework was going up this summer for an 18,500-square-foot Shopper’s Drug Mart at the site where the Fireside Inn once stood. Before that, it was known as the legendary Algoden Hotel, once the subject of a Stompin’ Tom Connors song, Muckin’ Slushers.
“It was a heritage building, at least as much as you can find one in this town,” Dan Gagnon, economic development director, said of the former northeastern Ontario uranium town-turned-retirement community.
The new pharmacy is located mere metres away from a competing Rexall and a doctor’s clinic.
“I’m sure we have the most pharmacies per capita in Canada or by square footage,” said Gagnon.
Small Northern Ontario communities like Atikokan, Pickle Lake and Manitouwadge have tried to mimic aspects of Elliot Lake’s success by tapping into the municipality’s 20-year knowledge base in creating a retirement community or in building cottage lots on Crown land.
The community investment made years before in recreational trails and other outdoor amenities to create a distinct quality of life has helped set the stage to eventually attract outside business.
Gagnon said although the city isn’t entirely disinterested in building up its manufacturing base again, the health-care service sector geared to retirees is a definite growth area by bringing doctors, nurses, lab technicians and other young professionals.
“There’s no question we need to diversify, it’s just a question of the precious resources that we have in trying to dedicate them toward tourism, marketing and special events.”
A cottage building boom has resulted in some positive spin-off effects with contractors expanding their services, and new companies moving to town to permanently service the market.
Gagnon said a local contractor who built decks has expanded his activity and is building homes. Another out-of-town contractor who maintained a recreational property in Elliot Lake saw so much opportunity in the home and cottage market, he moved his entire family to the community.
“There’s no doubt the cottage project brought job creation in the skilled trades area.”
The hugely successful cottage lot development program is in a temporary holding pattern. Three of 10 lakes granted to the City of Elliot Lake by the province were developed, but some lakes were just too costly to service with road and power access, said Gagnon.
As relative novices in this first-ever provincial process, the roadbuilding and hydro costs were considerable “and we knew that going in, but now we have years of experience and now we’re starting to see that.”
Gagnon said since the project was first started in 2003, much of the science on sustainable lake management has changed and they are now using different modelling behind the development capacity of these lakes.
“This was a pilot project. No one had ever done this before on this scale anywhere in Ontario, and certainly not on a public-sector scale,” said Gagnon. “We’re not a private developer."
Gagnon said the city would like to “swap” a few lakes and re-examine the number of cottage lots to place on waterfront properties. They are negotiating with the Ministry of Natural Resources and Ministry of Environment, and they are in the planning phase for a second round.
“It’s not a quick process, obviously.”
Construction in Elliot Lake’s service economy continues to press ahead.
A new Hampton Inn and Retirement Living headquarters opened last year on Highway 108, but new retail is also coming in.
Home Hardware purchased a lot next to the No Frills grocery which will be serviced with water and sewer infrastructure this summer to make way for a 25,000-square-foot lumber and retail store next year.
The community is witnessing some modest construction activity with new homes being built on vacant in-fill lots, “which is rare in Elliot Lake.” It’s the first wave of new housing that isn’t dated back to the city’s mining hey-days.
The city has sold some empty lots to some contractors who are building homes entirely on speculation.
The units are built to 90 per cent completion and the home buyers pick their individual amenities.
Gagnon said the city is angling for more retail outlet like a bookstore or a chain restaurant.
“We know our market and we know our population and our demographics is just that I don’t know if we have the critical mass for Swiss Chalet and Boston Pizza.”
The municipality is attempting to spruce up the downtown retail with a downtown revitalization program underway.
In 2008, the city established a Community Improvement Plan, setting aside $200,000 annually over three years for businesses to leverage for property improvements to their storefronts, signage and landscaping.
The project’s manager Dennis Guimond said the uptake has been brisk with about seven businesses participating in the program with another four in the queue for CIP dollars. A sporting goods store has dressed up its facade with new stucco while other businesses have installed new windows and completed insulation upgrades.
“We’re trying to encourage businesses to utilize this city fund” by restoring original artwork, making small improvements like storefront awnings to improve the look and feel of a building, said Guimond.
