Economic Recovery Plan
Economic Recovery and Diversification Plan for Témiscaming and Kipawa
The forest industry is presently dealing with significant challenges as a result of difficult economic circumstances related to the following:
- High Canadian dollar
- Softwood lumber dispute
- High energy costs
Faced with this state of affairs, the municipalities of Témiscaming and Kipawa, with the support of the ministère des Affaires municipales et des Régions and other regional economic agencies, have decided to establish an Economic Recovery & Diversification Committee. The Committee’s mission is to identify economic sectors to be developed and recruit promoters while supporting them in their projects. A special fund is tied to this project to support the start-up of new businesses on our territory and to help existing businesses diversify their activities.
We recently identified economic sectors that have good potential for development:
- Secondary and tertiary transformation of forest products
- Energy
- Tourism
- Natural resources development
- Trades: electrician, heating specialist, heavy truck mechanic, plumber, forest engineer…
Secondary and tertiary transformation
- Value-added forest products
- Any other project that converts raw materials from the region
Many studies and research funds are available in this field by way of forest companies, forestry research chairs, the Accord program, etc.
Wood building systems
This market niche is characterized by the convergence of the following sub-sectors:
- Engineered wood
- Panels
- Industrialized building systems
- Lumber
This niche encompasses a multitude of products such as modular homes, roof shingles and roof trusses. This project is managed by Programme Accord, which supports some sectors through regional funds.
Many regional funds are available in this sector:
- Natural resources development: The forest offers many opportunities, especially in the use of woody species that currently don’t have a market
- More efficient use of the resources
- Forest management
- Harvesting other products from the forest: mushrooms, herbs…
- Agroforestry
Non traditional energy production
- Cogeneration, exploitation of forest residue and primary processing of wood.
- Development of water resources. One such project, sponsored by Innergex, is currently under review. For more information, visit: http://www.innergex.com
Tourism
The region offers excellent development opportunities in the tourism sector.
- Camping
- Outdoor adventure
- Fishing and hunting
- Snowmobile and ATV
- Exclusive holiday resort
- Cottages, etc.
Our strengths
- Low unemployment rate
- Bilingual community
- Friendly people
- A health centre that offers a multitude of excellent services with no wait times
- Up-to-date communications systems
- Geographically well situated – 4 hours from Toronto and Ottawa
- Low crime rate
- A fabulous recreation and cultural centre (arena, swimming pool, fitness centre…)
- Breathtaking scenery
- Outstanding quality of life!
- Many houses available at affordable prices
- A school that offers French and English education at primary and secondary levels
Ongoing projects
Fish farming through exhaust heat:
Summary of project:
- Establishment of a fish farm on two locations
- A production site located on the south side of the Tembec complex, which would include covered ponds for the production of trout for the food market.
- A processing plant located, in all likelihood, on Témiscaming’s industrial site next to Récupération Témiscaming (Gauvin).
Biocéan aquaculture :
| Promoter | Richard et Michel Boudreau |
| Aquaculture consulting services | Jean Pierre Réville |
| Investment | $7 million |
| Job creation | Close to 50 |
| Production | fish |
| Prepositioning | 2005 to 2008 |
| Partners | Tembec, Banque Scotia, Fapaq |
| Project liaison officer | Arnaud Warolin |
Opémican Provincial Park Project :
This project is currently the subject of a feasibility study. If the process follows its course, Opémican should be classified as a park before 2009. This project will create ten full time jobs and close to 30 part-time seasonal jobs during nine months of the year. This does not include all the jobs brought about by such a park, particularly in the tourism sector: accommodation, food service industry and souvenirs. This project would certainly improve our market positioning at the tourism level.
Innergex Project
Project to exploit the hydraulic rights of Gordon Creek from Kipawa to Témiscaming. Construction of 3 to 4 power stations.
This project is a business partnership between the municipalities of Témiscaming and Kipawa, and the First Nations of Wolf Lake and Eagle Village.Témiscaming, a town of opportunity
Témiscaming is a single industry town with a forestry-based economy that relies almost entirely on Tembec Inc. which employs 1,050 people at its Témiscaming site.
Tembec
Tembec is a leading Canadian integrated forest products company firmly established in North America and France. The company has more than 10,000 employees, close to 50 mills and gross sales attaining $3.6 billion dollars.
Some of its main products include market pulp, publishing papers and wood products. It also produces chemicals that stem from its pulp production. The company markets its products on an international scale and has sales offices in Canada, the United States, the United Kingdom, Switzerland, China, Korea, Japan and Chile. Tembec also manages 40 million acres of woodlands in accordance with the principles of ecologically sustainable development and remains committed to obtaining certification from the Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) for all of its woodlands.Figures for Témiscaming
| Population in 2005 | 2,850 inhabitants |
| Geographic area | 717.87 km2 |
| Spoken language | |
| French | 69 % |
| English | 31 % |
| Household average income | 66,000 $ |
| Unemployment rate | 6.9 % |
| Businesses | 78 |
