New developments in Kenora.

• Author: GOULIQUER, DIANNE
• Position: Lumber industry - Brief Article - Statistical Data Included

Mayor forecasting hundreds of jobs will be created

Kenora mayor Dave Canfield is predicting an abundance of job opportunities in the area over the next three years, and points to Weyerhaeuser's new $250-million Trus Joist laminated strand lumber plant as a major job creator.

The mill, which is slated open in 2002, will employ mill and bush workers, Canfield estimates. These figures do not take into account the 300 construction workers hired to build the multi-million-dollar facility.

Canfield says the Trus Joist mill is just one of several projects that will generate hundreds of job opportunities for the area.

In total, he's forecasting at least 1,000 jobs as a result of the new mill, a 100-seat call centre and a new mall complex.

"There are up to 200 jobs (available) for the new call centre, which I understand is just about a done deal," Canfield says. "We are also in the process of making available a piece of land that our public works yard is on right now, for a new mall complex to be setup. The estimate there is around 300 jobs. So we're in the neighbourhood of 900 (jobs)."

Canfield says he's hoping more employment opportunities arise as a result of the economic development activity occuring at present and in the coming months, and that the community can carry its promising employment outlook beyond its three-year projections.

"I'm hoping in the following five years we can double (our expectations)," Canfield says. "We're continually looking at and addressing other possibilities of economic development. We're not sitting back and relaxing because we've got some economic activity going on now. When the hype's up, we've got to keep it going and it...