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Economic Development Opportunities

Chapleau Regional Development Council
October 01, 2006

The Chapleau community adjustment committee and Chapleau Regional Development Corporation performed several sessions of brainstorming and reviewed past documents on economic opportunities in Chapleau to identify strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats. Once opportunities were identified, they were put through an objective evaluation process to identify resources and skills available to develop projects, and an assessment of the external environment that could affect the success of projects.

Although there are many opportunities that could be developed over time, there are always a few that appear to be more appealing at the present time. The strategic positioning of the community may change and so will the economic environment which may render other opportunities more feasible in the future. The top six opportunities, at this point in time, were:

1. Expansion of the co-generation plant: the current co-generation plant is having problems securing fibre to meet its operating requirements. It is currently supplying heat to Tembec and electricity on the grid. The co-generation would be interested in doubling in size but would need a substantial amount of fibre. The expansion of the co-generation may well become a substantial advantage for Chapleau in guaranteeing its long-term survival. In the last year, they utilized tree tops and found it a valuable product. The suggestion was to study the feasibility of collecting and processing tree tops for the co-generation, especially the wood fibre currently being left on the side of roads by forestry companies.

2. Development of value-added industries: three potential value-added operators have been contacted and indicated an interest in processing wood waste: pellets, wood logs, and wood-plastic products. The current waste is fully utilized by the co-generation plant. Any additional fibre would need to come from tree tops or tree stumps left in the forest.

3. Development of a tourism cottage industry: a consortium of investors have indicated an interest in building cottages around Chapleau. They would market these cottages to Southern Ontario and Northern US markets and offer an upscale, turnkey product. MNR has registered a strong demand for cottage products for many years. A study is required to identify the technical feasibility of the project including all of the environmental assessments from the Province.

4. Expansion of the Crown Game Preserve project: the community has received is first level of funding to build some products and basic infrastructure in the CGP. There are numerous other opportunities including canopy tours, art-in-the-wild programs, First Nations programs, trails, and more. A number of tourism projects were identified and are available upon request.

5. Create an artist colony: Chapleau is home to a number of artists and could develop several touristic programs including festivals, studio tours, develop more themes around artists in Town, and help artists to sell their products online.

6. Identify the feasibility of non-timber forest products: there are over 200 products that were identified as potentially feasible in Canada and a study is required to identify the plants, fruits, and other products available in Chapleau forests. The study must also develop a feasibility for products that could become an entrepreneurial activity.

For more information on Economic Development in Chapleau, or if you have any questions regarding the Stategic Plan, Please contact the Chapleau Regional Development Corporation (CRDC) at (705) 864-0880.

 
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Documents
2004 Chapleau Financial Information


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