Town of Hearst seeking to attract overseas tourists. (Communities of the North: Hearst).

While many communities are feeling the pinch of young people leaving their communities, Kelly Lamontagne Manager/Business Development consultant for Nord-Aski, the Hearst Regional Economic Development Corporation, says she's seen an increase in the numbers of youth buying businesses in the past year.

"We've done many youth transactions in the past year," says Lamontagne.

While most of Lamontagne's work is in the private sector, she says they have partnered with Constance Lake First Nation and FedNor in developing a new business opportunity that will attract tourists to the area to experience First Nations culture, while enjoying recreational opportunities in the area

The $2-million in funding was recently announced through Ontario's Living Legacy to develop Eagle's Earth Cree and Ojibway Historical Centre near Highway 11, just east of the Skekak River.

A business plan for the concept has been completed and includes a museum and interpretive centre, a restaurant featuring both Aboriginal and Canadian food, meeting rooms, cabins and camping sites, and a variety of activities including hikes, canoe trips, archeological tours, workshops and powwow grounds.

Lamontagne says the idea for the $10-million project was generated after an historical discovery in the Nagagamisis Plateau, which is the only Native heritage site of this size to be found in Ontario. The area features sites of archaeological and cultural value, as well as colonies of culturally modified trees. Some of the sites date back as much as 7000 years.

Development of the area will result in the creation of a number of jobs for the Aboriginal community and Lamontagne says they are hoping funding is approved so that the project can get started next by summer. According to Lamontagne, the proposed hiring of a community development officer would bring some much-needed promotion to attract businesses to the area as well as to get existing businesses to expand.

Tourism is an important economic engine for the Town of Hearst, says Roger Sigouin, mayor of Hearst. Sigouin says they are currently targeting overseas tourists especially in countries such as France who are "hungry to visit the area". They have already had three groups of 30 tourists visiting from overseas and would like to see Hearst join with neighbouring municipalities in attracting more of these visitors.

Hearst itself is 95 per cent French-speaking. The population is approximately 6000 in town, and as high as 9000 with the surrounding area. It is an ideal location for tourists, especially French-speaking ones, to visit. The winter snowmobile season is looking good with trails already groomed much earlier than they were able to last year. An association is being formed with snowmobile groups from neighbouring communities to work together on connecting trails.

Forestry is the town's primary industry, and Sigouin estimates Tembec, Columbia Forest Products Ltd. and LaCour Lumber employ about 2000 individuals between the three companies. Columbia Forest Products is building a facility to manufacture laminated products, which will create another 90 jobs. The town is working with a number of groups to reopen a cedar mill, closed for the second time. The mill employs about 30 people and is located 15 minutes outside of town in the Mattice Val-Cote area.

"There are lots of jobs to be found in Hearst-especially if you've got a bit of experience in the fields," says Sigouin.

Many of those jobs can also be found in the construction field. Housing construction was over $3 million last year and that has helped the municipality stay afloat. Construction of a new facility for the senior's nursing home is currently underway at the hospital site with a price tag of $10 million. An additional $7 million hospital extension will follow. The seniors' facility is slated for completion by late next year. Sigouin says $4 million has already been raised locally for the project, and the town is currently working with the provincial government to secure additional funding.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON HEARST VISIT www.hcnc.on.ca/hearst

HEARST

Population                5,825

Main Employer/            Columbia Forest Products
Private Sector            (Levesque Division)

Tops 5 Employers          Columbia Forest Products, Tembec
                          Lecours Lumber Co. Ltd., Villeneuve
                          Construction Co. Ltd., Companion
                          Hotel/Motel

Area of Community         98.67 sq. kms

Municipal Tax Rates       commercial occupied-0.01175623
(base average)            industrial occupied-0.01639014

Commercial real estate    Healthy market compared to Cochrane
market:what is it like?   primarily self-sustaining with
                          excellent opportunities for new
                          development with highway frontage.

Land Values               Residential (urban lot fully
                          serviced)-$30,000 Commercial (fully
                          serviced) $80,000 per 30 metres of
                          frontage on Highway 11

Industrial Park           Hearst industrial park(serviced)-
                          27.52 acres, most lots already
(Serviced or unserviced)  occupied. Gaspesie road
                          (unserviced) 741 acres, privately
                          owned