Studies build case for stone industry in North.

• Author: Pullia, Frank
• Position: A WINDOW ON THE NORTHWEST

During the last 20 years a number of studies have been conducted in the potential development of granite and marble quarries in northwestern Ontario. While the quality and quantity of such products were deemed viable for development, the manufacturing operations and the market intelligence were the missing components, which ultimately become the stumbling blocks to the potential development of this abundant natural resource in this region.

Given the recent changes in market trends and demands in North America and internationally, vastly improved trade relations and regional contacts with the U.S. Midwest, international growth in demand for specialty stone, advantageous currency rates vis-a-vis the Euro, and enhanced production/marketing capabilities in the region, an opportunity now exists to explore this untapped potential of the north western Ontario economy.

This potential can be divided into the three key areas of supply, processing (or manufacturing) and demand. The first is to identify the supply of a wide range of quality stones to meet the demands of the market. A lot of work has already been done in this area and it should not be too difficult to get the latest information. It is also important to identify the development potential of extraction points with support facilities and supply recommendations and associated development cost for each location.

There are presently three suppliers (producers) of granite (blocks) in northwestern Ontario. They are all located in the Dryden-Kenora area. These companies ship their larger blocks out of Ontario in order to have them processed (value added), except for one that operates a smaller plant for monuments. We, in northwestern Ontario, could save all those transportation costs if a manufacturing operation (to cut the blocks into slabs) was built in this region. Most of the cutting (slabbing plant) is presently done in Quebec. There are no such operations in Ontario. This would be the second key area for development and probably the most critical in terms of cost savings by eliminating transportation costs.

The third area that needs further development is the finishing and marketing component (demand side). We are already off to a good start in a local company right here in Thunder Bay, doing polishing and finishing work on marble/granite tiles and...