Embracing an expanding economy: Timmins drawing new business with industrial rail park.

• Author: Kelly, Lindsay
• Position: TRANSPORTATION

Work on Timmins' industrial rail park is nearing completion, and it's proving so successful, the city is considering an expansion to accommodate more tenants.

The 36-acre park, located off Hallnor Road in Porcupine, just east of the city, was envisioned by the Timmins Economic Development Corp. (TEDC) as a way to attract new business to the community.

Last October, it announced it had secured an anchor tenant, INEOS Calabrian Inc., which manufactures liquid sulphur dioxide for the mining industry. Key to Calabrian's decision to locate there was access to the nearby rail line.

Christy Marinig, the TEDC'S CEO, said the project has come together quickly, and is bringing with it highly skilled, good-paying jobs, in addition to a new spinoff for the mining supply industry.

"It's reducing the input costs for our regional mines, and it also imports something that was brought from outside into Timmins and area," she said.

"So, as part of our gap analysis, it brought in a product that was being outsourced from the region before."

Construction on the park began last winter and has been developed in phases. First a working pad was laid down so that Calabrian could start building its facility as soon as possible.

From there, gas, hydro, and telephone capabilities were installed at the park--that was completed through the summer, Marinig said--in addition to geotechnical studies and site layouts, including a rail spur design for Calabrian.

Water main and road upgrades were completed in late October, and the rail spur coming off the main ONR rail line was done by early November.

Aside from Calabrian, Jiangsu Tianlong Continuous Basalt Fiber Co. Ltd., a Chinese business that manufactures rock wool insulation, signed a letter of intent in November 2015 to set up a facility in the park. Discussions between the firm and the city are ongoing.

But the planned basalt facility is so large--500,000 square feet--that the remaining plots wouldn't be sufficient enough and the park would need to be expanded, Marinig said.

Another three clients are...