Town of Smooth Rock Falls opens industrial park to attract new businesses
On land where the people of Smooth Rock Falls once put a lot of faith is where new hope springs.
When Tembec closed its pulp mill in 2006, town officials said the feeling in town was very glum. The town's chief operating officer, Luc Denault, said, "businesses closed, long-time residents moved away and those who stayed thought Smooth Rock Falls may disappear completely."
Recently, the town opened an industrial park with 12 turn-key lots where the pulp mill once stood.
"The park itself is roughly $3.2 million in infrastructure that we’re putting in, but we got 90 per cent funding through our provincial and federal governments, so obviously, they think we can succeed," said Sue Perras, mayor of Smooth Rock Falls.
This launch is the second phase of the town's 20-year plan to rebrand itself, diversify the local economy, and boost the population.
Dave Bernier was born and raised in Smooth Rock Falls. He's the first tenant in the industrial park. He owns a diesel maintenance and repair shop and now he's got a three-bay garage to use.
"We have another shop in town but it’s limited to having neighbours and the Moose Motel right beside. We’re going to set up a dyno facility to test engines inside the shop. So we can have trucks running full blast in the shop," said Bernier, owner of DBI Diesel.
The first part of the plan began in 2017 when the town began selling serviced lots--some as low as $500--to attract new families. Denault said that marketing tactic worked and over the past four years, dozens of new families have moved to Smooth Rock Falls.
"From our records, we can do some level of accuracy- can determine if they’re local people, and so on, and so forth. We’re talking about 60 new families. But there’s a lot more transactions. We’re only referring to the ones that we know are new to the community," he said.
With Smooth Rock Falls on Highway 11 between Cochrane and Kapuskasing, and about an hour's drive north of Timmins, the mayor is hoping to attract more businesses to the area.
"It’s crucial because we don’t have employment right now and most of our people work out of town," Perras said.
Perras said the next phase of the town's plan is to conduct a study on how it can unlock the 140 acres of waterfront properties it owns. Smooth Rock Falls is located next to the Mattagami River.
Correction
The mayor of Smooth Rock Falls' last name was misspelled in the original version.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Quebec nurse had to clean up after husband's death in Montreal hospital
On a night she should have been mourning, a nurse from Quebec's Laurentians region says she was forced to clean up her husband after he died at a hospital in Montreal.
Cuban government apologizes to Montreal-area family after delivering wrong body
Cuba's foreign affairs minister has apologized to a Montreal-area family after they were sent the wrong body following the death of a loved one.
What is changing about Canada's capital gains tax and how does it impact me?
The federal government's proposed change to capital gains taxation is expected to increase taxes on investments and mainly affect wealthy Canadians and businesses. Here's what you need to know about the move.
'Anything to win': Trudeau says as Poilievre defends meeting protesters
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau is accusing Conservative Leader Pierre Poilievre of welcoming 'the support of conspiracy theorists and extremists,' after the Conservative leader was photographed meeting with protesters, which his office has defended.
Northern Ont. lawyer who abandoned clients in child protection cases disbarred
A North Bay, Ont., lawyer who abandoned 15 clients – many of them child protection cases – has lost his licence to practise law.
'One of the single most terrifying things ever': Ontario couple among passengers on sinking tour boat in Dominican Republic
A Toronto couple are speaking out about their 'extremely dangerous' experience on board a sinking tour boat in the Dominican Republic last week.
Boeing's financial woes continue, while families of crash victims urge U.S. to prosecute the company
Boeing said Wednesday that it lost US$355 million on falling revenue in the first quarter, another sign of the crisis gripping the aircraft manufacturer as it faces increasing scrutiny over the safety of its planes and accusations of shoddy work from a growing number of whistleblowers.
Bank of Canada officials split on when to start cutting interest rates
Members of the Bank of Canada's governing council were split on how long the central bank should wait before it starts cutting interest rates when they met earlier this month.
Fair in Ontario, flurries in Labrador: Weather systems make for an erratic spring
It's no secret that spring can be a tumultuous time for Canadian weather, and as an unseasonably mild El Nino winter gives way to summer, there's bound to be a few swings in temperature that seem out of the ordinary. From Ontario to the Atlantic, though, this week is about to feel a little erratic.