Timiskaming & Region

Forty-seven gallons of yellow paint later, Steve Briscoe is determined to make a success of his newly opened quick oil-change business in Temiskaming Shores .

Ray Laferriere was surprised, and humbled, when he received the Ambassador Award from the Temiskaming Shores and Area Chamber of Commerce recently. “That really touched me,” he said. “I didn't know what to say.

When a Vermillion Bay boat manufacturer ceased production last year, Temagami Marine owner Andre Lamothe saw an opportunity. Naden Boats had been manufactured in the northwestern community, west of Dryden , for 35 years.

Jerry Shepherdson says he should be retired, but he still comes in to work a few days a week to oversee the company he built over the past 50 years.

Created in 2004 with the amalgamation of Haileybury, New Liskeard and Dymond Township, Temiskaming Shores ' strength is its position as a regional hub.

Kirkland Lake has ridden the waves of mining busts and booms over the years but it appears it will be smooth sailing for a few more decades.

Long known as a tourist destination, Temagami is focusing on some other opportunities that can help grow the community. “We are poised to move forward,” said Mayor John Hodgson.

A much needed upgrade and expansion to a Temiskaming Shores industrial park will pave the way for commercial and industrial growth. Dymond Industrial Park, adjacent to Highway 11, currently has 70 acres of land but its tenants occupy unserviced lots.

Business owner Connie Boyd isn't daunted by the distinction of being Cobalt 's only retailer. The Silver Moccasin opened on the town's main street – Silver Street – in 2007 and she hasn't looked back since.

A stately, historical landmark in Cobalt is getting a facelift and a new purpose.