By Bridget Tremblay
It is not only the weather that is heating up Timmins, but the economic climate as more than 90 mining companies are actively exploring in the region.
“We have seen an upswing in our economy,” said mayor Tom Laughren.
“The hotels and restaurants have all benefited from the exploration companies. Social assistance and unemployment rates are both at a low level.”
With this kind of surge comes infrastructure upgrades including transportation needs that will deliver equipment and people to the claim sites.
The city has increased parking as well as long term space requirements for explorationists who intend on staying in the area a while.
While geological exploration is progressing in the northeast, Laughren is doing his own research into the viability of a mining facility.
“Minerals other than gold are being mined here, basic ones that make a variety of different products. I think a mining facility is something that would be wise for us to look at going forward,” he said.
To help strengthen the mining cluster and create local diversity, Laughren would like to welcome a university to the city’s agenda.
“We have the Universite de Hearst here, but that is still small scale. A larger university here would help to diversify our economy and retain our youth. We want to keep people in the North and bring our education to the next level,” he said.
Due to the cyclical nature of the north’s economic industries, there is always boom and bust periods. While Timmins is on an economic high, it will inevitably decline as demand weakens.
“Right now mining is in an upswing and forestry is at a low. We need to be able to depend on industries that are not impacted by highs and lows, but that is a tough thing for us to put into place,” Laughren said.
Government facilities located in Ottawa and Toronto that pertain to the natural resource sectors should be located in the North to help reinforce and diversify local economies, he said.
For example, some of the geological mine facilities should be centralized in the North. Laughren said this would add value to existing industries and create “more manufacturing in the North” for exports.
