MBiz

Norman Golden Opportunity Snow Lake mines open doors for new business by Jennifer McFee The boom has begun. Snow Lake is on an economic upswing thanks to $1 billion in mining investments. And with the population set to triple over the next few years, the northern town needs an influx of businesses to meet the needs of residents and guests. For Mayor Clarence Fisher, the focus is on a bright and sustainable future. But when it comes to retail, we could use almost anything. "We're also in need of professional services. For people to have an optometrist appointment, they need to go two hours down the road. For dental appointments, same thing." Because of the demand, Fisher says, almost any business would prosper in Snow Lake. "We're certainly only at the beginning right Development is snowballing, with road, waste-and-water upgrades, land clearing for a new subdivision and construction of the Golden Vista condominiums. Photos courtesy of Snow Lake Economic Development "We're going to be short of everything, which is why there is a lot of opportunity up here," Fisher says. "You have massive amounts of investment going into the ground around this community. It's definitely an exciting time to be here." Economic development officer MaryAnn Mihychuk anticipates the community will enjoy at least 30 years of boom time, with a "It's the beginning of a rebirth for the community," Fisher says. "It's a whole new time." This renaissance stems from the discovery of a massive gold deposit in the area, along with zinc and copper. Two new mines are being developed and an existing gold mine is set to reopen. In addition, Snow Lake will be home to North America's first bioleach remediation facility, which will use new technology to extract gold residue from mining waste. These projects are expected to create more than 450 mining-related jobs, plus spin-off employment in other industries. But first, Snow Lake needs to attract companies to the community. "We're a very small town. Right now, we're only about 1,000 people and, really, there's almost nothing that we don't need," Fisher says. "There's a few gas stations in town. We've got one grocery store, one hardware store and a number of home-based businesses. 12 MBiz November 2012 Mining their business: Snow Lake councillors (from left) Aldon Kowalchuk, Brenda Forsyth-Flamand, Rupert Klyne, Angela Enright and Dave Mayer welcome HudBay's Lalor gold, copper and zinc mine. (Councillor Chris Samborski and Mayor Clarence Fisher are missing)  now. We're going to get a lot busier in a few years to come," he says. "It's a place where people make a good wage. There is money in the community." Tradespeople are also in high demand. New homes are being built and current homeowners are pouring money into renovation projects they postponed during difficult financial times. 260 % increase in mining jobs alone. "We are open for business," Mihychuk says. "There's a real opportunity in Snow Lake for companies that are looking for expansion or new opportunities." Like Fisher, Mihychuk stresses that Snow Lake needs support in almost every sector, since each mining job is expected to create another four service jobs.

• Cover