A new hotel will soon open its doors in Moosonee.
The Town of Moosonee’s Mayor Wayne Taipale said the 40-room hotel was “really needed” and will benefit the community.
“It will be a good thing because we’re short of accommodations here,” he said in a phone interview. “It will be a positive thing for Moosonee, it’s been a long time coming and it’s positive that we’re working with the Super 8 and Moose Cree in partnerships to get something like that for the area.”
The construction of the $8-million hotel started in 2019. The opening was supposed to take place in June but got pushed back due to the COVID-19 pandemic, said the hotel’s general manager Jay Dodiya.
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While there’s no exact date due to three active cases of the virus in Moose Factory, the hotel will “for sure” be open to the public in October, he said.
The hotel is located on 21 First St. in Moosonee, a few minutes away from the train station.
It has 30 standard rooms, 10 deluxe suites and a meeting room. The deluxe rooms are equipped with a washer and a dryer and are intended for long stays.
All rooms have a fridge, a microwave, a coffeemaker, two queen-sized beds, an ironing board, a hairdryer and other amenities. There is an ice machine and a vending machine on site. Guests will have access to free Wi-Fi and will be served a subcontinental breakfast in the morning.
Room price may range between $200-$250 per night. Reservations for November and December have already started, Dodiya said.
“In Moosonee, usually a lot of contractors go to work and they’re having a hard time finding rooms,” he said. “And tourists, Moosonee is a beautiful town and Moose Factory is an island and people are having a hard time finding the room, that’s the reason people don’t go there because there’s nowhere to stay.”
There are nine people, hired locally, who are currently working at the hotel, Dodiya said.
“Moosonee is a small town and that business is really going to help people to find a job and keep the job in the town,” he said. “Our first choice is local people.”
According to the manager, the hotel is owned by the Moose Cree Group of Companies and the construction was carried out by Cochrane-based CGV Builders company.
- TimminsToday
