By NICK STEWART
The strength of the mining economy has sparked a boom in a variety of sectors for Kirkland Lake, according to Wilfred Hass, the town’s economic development manager.
With extensive drill programs taking place around the city from Kirkland Lake Gold, Queenston Mining, Armistice Resources and Northgate Minerals, the local economy has turned itself around.
“Things are good here, and times are as strong,” Hass says.
“Mining is helping to draw people here, no question.”
Leading the charge is the construction market, with the most prominent project being the town’s newest sawmill, built by locally-owned Rosko Forestry Operations. Basic infrastructure is nearly complete on the Archer’s Road site, allowing for construction to begin on the $2.4 million project by early spring. When finished, the facility will employ 25 people.
Space has also been set aside on Government Road for the construction of a new 50,000-square-foot Canadian Tire and an associated gas bar, as well as a new Mark’s Work Wearhouse. Although no set dates have been established, work is expected to begin sometime in the spring.
Other recent arrivals to the city’s commercial sector include Fields, a subsidiary of the Hudson’s Bay Company, which set up in Kirkland Lake in early December.
A former grocery store is currently being retrofitted to prepare a 9,000-square-foot space for the new local family health team. It will feature up to 12 physicians and various other health care providers.
The local housing market is seeing an unprecedented boom, with the resale market surging stronger than ever.
“Last year was a very, very active year,” says local realtor Mike Guimond. “It’s probably been the busiest year we’ve ever had.”
The face of the local housing market has changed considerably in recent years, with pricing for homes rising anywhere from five to 20 per cent. Those looking to pick up a home in town can now expect to pay anywhere from $60,000 to $70,000.
While this represents a big jump for Kirkland Lake, it’s considerably lower than many areas throughout Ontario. As a result, many former big-city residents are being drawn to town by its promise of quieter living, a safer community and the opportunity to save big money on a home.
“People from Toronto are selling their $200,000 and $300,000 homes, coming here to buy a $80,000 home and putting the rest in the bank.”
Activity is such that many homes are being sold within three or four days, with houses of all sizes and types seeing a rise in popularity.
While many such listings in years past were the result of bank repossession due to personal bankruptcy, that number has been reduced to a small handful this past year.
This has created a unique problem where the town now features a shortage of new listings, putting pressure on town officials to consider the development of new housing lots.
In the interests of capitalizing on this current economic windfall, city officials are working to develop a comprehensive tourism strategy.
While a series of related projects are under development, many are too preliminary to discuss in detail, Hass says.
However, he highlights a trail development project as being a key example of a tourism attraction that will also serve the local populace.
The city plans on spending from $40,000 to $50,000 on planning and engineering reports for the creation of a 10 kilometre trail system throughout the town.
Though this plan will serve as a tourist attraction, it will also serve as an additional incentive for big-city escapees looking to move to a slower-paced town, he says.
Also fitting into the tourism mould is the $1 million renovation of the 30-year-old Joe Mavrinac Community Complex.
Known locally as “The Joe”, the facility is being renovated to better suit hosting duties for trade shows and various festivals.
This will involve redesigning the lobby and administrative areas as well as upgrading seating and safety systems throughout the complex, according to Jim Roman, Kirkland Lake’s physical services director.
Various local groups are also doing their part to preserve Kirkland Lake's historical sites for tourism promotion.
While one group is looking to raise funds to restore an abandoned Russian Orthodox church, the local prospectors’ association is working to maintain some aspects of the former Tough-Oakes Burnside Mine that shut down in 1953.
