Area markets to retirees.Even though the Town of Manitouwadge is experiencing some hefty economic set backs, Brian Knight, the chief administrative officer A chief administrative officer (CAO) is responsible for administrative management of private, public or governmental corporations. The CAO is one of the highest ranking members of an organization, managing daily operations and usually reporting directly to the chief executive and manager of the economic development corporation, is following a municipal plan to keep the town on the map as an economic engine of the North. Recent cutbacks in the forest and softwood softwood Timber obtained from coniferous trees (mainly of the pine and fir families). With the exception of bald cypress, tamarack, and larch, softwood trees are evergreens. industry have hit Manitouwadge and have left 20 woodland employees out of work at the Buchanan Forest Products site, and another 150 to 200 employees facing impending im·pend intr.v. im·pend·ed, im·pend·ing, im·pends 1. To be about to occur: Her retirement is impending. 2. layoffs in the neighbouring town of Dubreuilville, says superintendent of woodland operations Jack Culka. Newmont Canada Ltd. is closing at the end of 2006, and has already started handing out lay-off notices to 60 workers, of which a majority live in Manitouwadge. Residents experiencing lay offs have an option to sell their houses to the mines. "They have a heck of a deal with Newmont," says Al Galbraith, partner of Select Property Homes. "The (workers) sell them back to the mine at what they paid, plus an incremental Additional or increased growth, bulk, quantity, number, or value; enlarged. Incremental cost is additional or increased cost of an item or service apart from its actual cost. increase over the years." Under the project, dubbed dub 1 tr.v. dubbed, dub·bing, dubs 1. To tap lightly on the shoulder by way of conferring knighthood. 2. To honor with a new title or description. 3. Northwood Lake Northwood Lake is a 653-acre[1] water body located in Rockingham and Merrimack counties in central New Hampshire, United States, in the towns of Northwood and Epsom. Homes, Galbraith buys them back from the mine and does the necessary cleaning, painting and repairs. Once the house is ready for resale, Select Property markets them to residents living in southern and western Ontario. "We get a lot of blue-collar workers blue-collar worker n → obrero/a blue-collar worker n → ouvrier/ère col bleu blue-collar worker n → who are probably retiring out of Windsor from automobile plants," Galbraith explains. They are active retirees who enjoy the outdoors, he says. "These are people who are selling their houses for a couple hundred thousand dollars and they come here and buy one for $30,000 to $40,000. They have all their money in their house." Galbraith expects a good portion of them will be snowbirds For other uses, see . Officially known as the Canadian Forces 431 Air Demonstration Squadron, the Snowbirds are Canada's military aerobatics or airshow flight demonstration team. and will purchase recreational vehicles for travel down south in the winter season. Already the company has sold the first 30 of the estimated 150 houses that have come up, and another 30 are expected to come to market by spring. "We have seven or eight right now and we also have a number of miners who have sold to the mine, and then we lease them back to the miners." Galbraith says there are a lot of people retiring in three or four years who would like to invest in a house and at the same time generate some income. So as the miners finish their work term the homeowner can make some money. "When you have a house that has three bedrooms, some with full finished basements, all underground services on a big lot and some of them have garages, they back onto green space, it's kind of a no-brainer," Galbraith says. In 2006 Newmont is expected to close. Galbraith surmises this project will come to a close within the same year. In the meantime Adv. 1. in the meantime - during the intervening time; "meanwhile I will not think about the problem"; "meantime he was attentive to his other interests"; "in the meantime the police were notified" meantime, meanwhile Knight and town officials are quite happy to welcome the newcomers and are looking at ways for them to remain active. They are gearing up for the 50th anniversary in 2004 that will attract past and present residents back for celebrations. In addition, Knight has hired a marketing consultant to help brand the community as "extreme living," an approach they hope will create another economic engine. Some of those packages are geared to extreme winter activities to help keep the residents occupied. Packages may include a pick up from the airport by bus coach that would drive the visitors through the scenic parts of northern Superior. From Manitouwadge to Chapleau "we are looking at setting up a chartered air service that will fly people from Thunder Bay Thunder Bay, city (1991 pop. 113,946), SW Ont., Canada, on Thunder Bay inlet of Lake Superior. The city was created in 1970 by the amalgamation of the twin cities of Fort William and Port Arthur and two adjoining townships. to Sudbury and back. We have an agreement among the municipalities and we are now waiting for Niiganni Air to get his business plan approved because he will have some financial backing through his business plan." As part contributor to the forestry industry, Knight also would like to see more value-added products, but realizes so does everyone else. "We believe if there was a deep water harbour The Deep Water Harbour (a.k.a. the Port of Bridgetown), lies on the Western coast of the country of Barbados. Situated along Carlisle Bay, the port handles all of the country's bulk ship based trade and commerce from across the world. that could take product anywhere in the world, we would end up having value-added forest products," Knight defends. Michipicoten Harbour has an aggregate quarry that Superior Aggregates Ltd. would like to develop, however, there is opposition from environmentally minded residents. "If Michipicoten Harbour becomes a reality we believe that it (value added Value Added The enhancement a company gives its product or service before offering the product to customers. Notes: This can either increase the products price or value. ) will become a reality," Knight explains. "Business will go where they get the cheapest shipping costs. Ships are about a fraction of the air or rail (cost)." They are working closely with Elliot Lake Elliot Lake, city (1991 pop. 14,089), S central Ont., Canada, W of Sudbury. The focus of a 1950s uranium-mining boom, it is now a retirement home center. to learn how to acquire, market and sell cottage lots in their neck of the woods. "Nobody claims we are going to be 100 per cent successful, but we do have a plan and we are working the plan," Knights says. RELATED ARTICLE: Manitouwadge Population 2949 Top employer Newmont Canada Ltd. Top five employers Newmont Canada, Buchanen Forest Products, Black River Lumber, and municipal government Area size of the community 324.68 square kilometres Commercial real estate market conditions Commercial properties are very low Industrial park(s) Mostly serviced Land values-n/p By KELLY LOUISEIZE Northern Ontario Business Northern Ontario Business is a Canadian magazine, which publishes monthly in Greater Sudbury, Ontario. The magazine covers business news and issues in Northern Ontario. |
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