the facility presently used to burn wood
pellets was converted for such a purpose,
it sat abandoned and close to demolition.
It was the site of a particleboard mill, an
industry that had crashed when import-
ing from Indonesia and China had become
more feasible. The municipality stepped in,
maintained the facility and eventually re-
cruited Rentech, the company that would
ultimately build the pellet mill and employ
up to 70 people.
“It demonstrates a degree of creativity,
imagination and willingness to take some
risk in order to promote business and the
economy of the community,” McKinnon
said.
Currently at the top of the mayor’s to-do
list is infrastructure improvement, like up-
grading the arena and swimming pool that
were built in the early 1970s. “We had to
come up with 5.5 million dollars,” the may-
or said, adding that the town is still waiting
for $1 million in funding from the federal
government, through FedNor, an econom-
ic development program catered towards
Northern Ontario.
“The Canoeing Capital of Canada is a safe, healthy community with a diverse
economy, strong ties to thewilderness anda creative spirit.”MayorDennis Brown
Paddling in Quetico Park by Michelle Savoie
OCTOBER 2016
H
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