Espanola.

• Position: COMMUNITIES OF OPPORTUNITY

Extensive amenities, a lush landscape, a bustling business community and a cache of dedicated volunteers are some of the attributes that make Espanola an ideal place to live and conduct business in the North.

"It provides a good quality of life that's difficult to find in a town of this size anywhere else," said Colin Wilson, Espanola's economic development officer.

Servicing a catchment area of 40,000, Espanola is situated in the La Cloche Foothills along the North Shore of Lake-Huron. Known traditionally as the home of the Domtar paper mill, the town is actively working to diversify its portfolio to attract new business and boost economic development.

Success has been most evident at the town's industrial, park, which was filled last spring following a purchase by Helios Developments, a fledgling renewable energy business whose company will bring up to 40 jobs to the town. With a goal of collaborating with like-minded businesses, Helios' arrival in Espanola has already had a multiplier effect, attracting interest from other companies.

Offering businesses full sewer, water and hydro, and an ideal location at the junction of Highways 17 and 6, Espanola's park has proved a strategically advantageous spot for businesses to take root. A plan is in the works to expand the park next spring with another three parcels of five acres each.

This fall, the town is undergoing brainstorming sessions to put its strategic plan in place, which will set the stage for its revitalization.

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"It will provide guidance and a clear plan for going forward," said Wilson.

Four priorities have been outlined for the strategic plan: strengthening Espa-nola's position as a regional...