Timmins branches out.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: MINING - Mayor Steve Black signed a contract with hina's Jiangsu Tianlong Continuous Basalt Fiber Co., Ltd for supply of machinery

Could good news come in threes for the City of Timmins? On the heels of a pair of announcements of new industrial development in Timmins--Calabrian's liquid sulphur dioxide plant and General Magnesium's magnesium and talc mine--the city has announced a potential third development from an investor in China.

On Nov. 13, the city announced Mayor Steve Black had signed a letter of intent with China's Jiangsu Tianlong Continuous Basalt Fiber Co., Ltd. to work together in bringing a rock wool insulation facility to the city.

The Jiangsu Tianlong Continuous Basalt Fiber Co. specializes in the research and development, manufacture, and sale of continuous basalt fibres and related products. Rock wool insulation is used to insulate homes and other structures from the elements.

Black said the relationship began during the 2015 Prospectors and Developers of Canada conference in Toronto when the Ministry of Northern Development and Mines facilitated a conversation with company representatives.

"Our EDC staff had some conversations with them, looking at the rock sample that they had for the type of material that they use to make their product, and they asked if we could analyze it and see if we had the suitable rock type in the Timmins area to do business with them," Black said. "And it happened that we do."

As the discussion continued, Black made his first trip to China through the Canadian-Chinese Investment Agency, during which he met with the investor to discuss the project. He returned during Premier Kathleen Wynne's delegation a short time later to sign the letter of intent.

Though the project discussions are still preliminary, Black said the company will need a source of raw material for its production facility, but it's not clear whether the company would operate a quarry on its own, or contract that work out.

But it's the proposed manufacturing facility that has the City of Timmins most excited.

"The initial estimate is likely around 60 jobs and, depending on the size of the plant, once they finish their market feasibility study, we could see upwards toward 100 (jobs) if the market feasibility warrants a little bigger plant," Black said.

Discussions were to continue in December during a planned visit by company representatives. At that time, the Chinese delegates were expected to consult with the city's economic development staff to start learning about the steps involved in getting approval to operate in Canada, in addition to looking at grant...