Happy New Year!
On behalf of my wife Sylvia and I, from our family to yours, have a fun-filled New Years eve to launch 2009. We pray that we can all look forward to a healthy and prosperous year.
It’s been more than a year since I last wrote an entry in my blog but I am now back and hope to be able to post frequently in future. I look forward to your comments in reply.
From all indications it looks like we will be facing numerous challenges in 2009, especially challenges originating and filtering down to us from the economic situation facing Canada and the rest of the world. However, in looking back over the past two years, we have much to be proud and thankful for.
Some 2007 & 2008 Highlights
v Tech-Pro, a new company from Dorval, Quebec established a facility for the manufacture and assembly of mining and process machinery in Matheson at the former H&D Construction building.
v Logical Global Solutions, established operations in Matheson in early 2008. This company is involved with domestic and international freight forwarding and related activities.
v The former Galaxy Motel in Val Gagne has been sold and re-opened as Highway 11 Country Inn Bar & Grill.
v The Black River Inn was sold in 2008 and is to re-open as a Bed & Breakfast operation by a Southern Ontario couple who have other B&B operations down South.
v The FIELDS department store, a subsidiary of The Hudson’s Bay Company, has opened in the former Northern Treasures location in Matheson.
v A Chiropodist (foot specialist), Margaret Turney, has opened an office in Matheson.
v Dr. Katherine Dyck has opened Sante Chiropractic in Matheson
v A company has opened in Matheson called Perfect Cent$ that provides various financial, marketing, human resources, resume writing services.
v In spite of the economic downturn, Apollo Gold is proceeding with their open pit gold mine in our Township. A $15M contract has been let to Alarie Construction and Wahgoshig First Nation. Now that their senior management team is in place, they will begin hiring local workers.
v The former Hembruff apartments on MacDougal Street has been sold to the Aboriginal Peoples Alliance of Northern Ontario (APANO) who plan to erect a two story building in partnership with a local not-for-profit company, the BR-M Multi-Development Centre, that will include badly needed office space and common administrative services for various Government agencies and other tenants along with a learning center for Northern College and Contact North students.
v Our Public Works Manager and I met with Government officials in Toronto and I also met with three Ministers in Timmins and wrote numerous letters to solicit financial assistance with our Township’s high cost infrastructure such as our 350 KM of gravel roads, the 20 bridges we maintain and our four water and sewer systems. This contributed to our receiving two grants in 2008 totaling $1.4 million dollars. The total of government grants received by our Township in 2008 is the most ever received in a single fiscal year.
v Following initial correspondence that I exchanged in 2007 with the President of Northern Telephone, and with the help of our Public Works Manager, early in 2009 Matheson, Holtyre, Ramore and Wahgoshig First Nation residents will be able to call each other without paying long distance charges. To compensate Northern Telephone, residents will have to pay an additional $0.89 per month for 3 years for this long distance service (a total cost of $32.04 over 3 years). Val Gagne residents are not eligible as they are in the Iroquois Falls telephone exchange.
v A Township map will be printed and distributed to all residents registered as property owners. Maps may also be available for sale to others wanting them.
v We entered into an agreement with 12 other municipalities from the Constance Lake 1st Nation west of Hearst to the eastern and southern boundaries of Black River-Matheson to participate in a land inventory and soil classification study. This study will develop data and information to determine the future potential for the development of approximately 1 million acres of private lands to create a new agriculture-based economy across our entire northern region and also to work on plans to revitalize forestry and mining industries in our region. A new group called NeCN has been created for this purpose. I am an active participant in developing the NeCN By-laws.
v We were successful in negotiating a three-year contract with our CUPE local union (2009-2011). Our HR Committee and senior staff played the key role in this. It must be clearly stated and emphasized that we are very fortunate to have such dedicated and hard working employees in each and every Township department.
v We are actively participating on the committee planning the 2009 International Plowing Match (IPM2009) that will be held in Earlton in 2009. Between 70,000 and 80,000 visitors from all over North America are expected. What BR-M has to offer will be show cased.
v Black River-Matheson has been selected as one of the 200 sites in all of Canada at which the 2010 Winter Olympics Torch bearers will stop. This event is being televised around the world to billions.
Thank you all for your strong support during the past two years. I am looking forward to the challenges facing us for the next two years of my term as Mayor. With your continued support, I am certain that we will continue to see positive results for our Township.
Regards,
Mike Milinkovich, Mayor
Township of Black River-Matheson
