By ANDREW WAREING
A significant portion of North America’s population has a connection to Kapuskasing.
Anyone driving a General Motors vehicle likely had some parts, or all of the design of their vehicle tested in this northeastern community of 9,000. Kapuskasing is located 200 kilometres northwest of Kirkland Lake on Highway 11. The General Motors’ Cold Weather Development Centre is also one of the major employers in this community.
“A lot of their testing occurs from late fall or early winter to March or April and traditionally they hire about 125 seasonal employees, depending on the testing season they have,” says Kapuskasing clerk and economic development officer Barbara Major. “They also bring in a lot of people from Oshawa and elsewhere, including engineers who are perfecting parts and systems in the car. It draws a lot of out-of-town people in.”
It is not the only economic development engine Kapuskasing has, says Major.
“Our primary employer is Tembec’s Spruce Falls operation,” says Major. “In fact, we have a number of industries in the area. We have Agrium Inc., which is a phosphate producer that is now going to be going through a significant expansion project of its south pit. That’s certainly good news from an economic development perspective.”
Tom Diment, manager of the Kapuskasing phosphorous facility for Agrium Inc., says the company is expanding the pit, a process that will involve moving 350-metre by 400-metre Cargill Lake further south.
“It’s a mine-life issue,” he says. “We’re not going to make more tons per year, but it’s going to hopefully allow us to mine here a lot longer...we’re in the early stages of consultation and getting some of the permit applications in place.”
Diment estimates the expansion project will take about four years to complete with the lake slated to be moved by the end of 2006. The expansion should extend the life of the mine to about 2015, but that estimate is a “moving target.”
Major also sits with several of the community’s economic “movers and shakers” on a Kapuskasing Economic Development Team (KEDT), which represents various sectors, including the mining, forestry, retail, tourism, health and education sectors. Some time ago, they developed a strategic development plan for the community and Major says the committee is planning to meet to discuss the progress of the community in this plan.
“The plan is to revisit it, see what progress we’ve made and modify it to develop new goals and objectives,” she says. “The KEDT is very progressive in ensuring those goals and objectives are met.”
She says the community is sustaining a significant retail sector, not just for itself, but for a customer base that extends well beyond the town’s border. Among the anchors of that retail sector is the Model City Mall, which recently came under new ownership.
“They’ve undertaken a progressive upgrade of that facility and it has attracted a number of retail businesses,” she says. “We just secured a Canadian Tire in that location, which is significant because it is important to have an anchor in there. The mall is in excellent order.”
She says the airport continues to be a significant part of the community’s future, adding that the regional airport is an important point of entry for professionals, including doctors and specialists who are coming into the community.
Tourism continues to be a significant part of Kapuskasing’s economy and Major says the community is doing everything it can to bolster that sector. Among initiatives is the growing Kapuskasing Lumberjack Heritage Festival des Bucherons that just recently celebrated its fourth year. It has been listed in the past as one of the top festivals in Ontario.
