A Resource of information regarding living, working, and visiting the Northeastern Ontario communities of Hearst, Mattice, Opasatika, Val Rita-Harty, Kapuskasing, Moonbeam, Fauquier, Smooth Rock Falls & Cochrane – Une ressource d'information sur la vie, le travail et les visites dans les communautés du Nord-Est de l'Ontario. Our website is still under construction / Notre site-web est encore en construction
Cannassist Medical Marijuana Plant in Kapuskasing and the Kapuskasing Chamber of Commerce hosting an Investors information meeting for community members interested in investing, on March 19th.
The countdown is on for the groundbreaking to begin construction of the New Medical Marijuana Facility to be built in Kapuskasing this Spring (2018), promising to bring over 60+ jobs to the community. Employment opportunities are not the only benefit this project will bring to the region, local residents are invited to attend an Investor Information Event to be held at the Knights of Columbus Hall, in Kapuskasing on March 19, 2018. There will be 2 Sessions held, the first from 1:00 pm to 3:00 pm and the second from 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm.
Le compte à rebours est lancé pour le début des travaux de construction de la nouvelle installation de Marijuana Médicale qui sera construite à Kapuskasing au printemps 2018, promettant d’offrir plus de 60 emplois à la communauté. Les possibilités d’emploi ne sont pas le seul avantage que ce projet apportera à la région, les résidents locaux sont invités à assister à une activité d’information pour les investisseurs qui aura lieu à la salle des Chevaliers de Colomb, à Kapuskasing, le 19 mars 2018. le premier de 13h00 à 15h00 et le second de 18h00 à 20h00.
Jobs in Hearst, Kapuskasing, Smooth Rock Falls and region in Northeastern Ontario 22 January 2018
Check out local Housing Listings Here / Venez voir le liste de logements locaux ICI
The newest job listings are at the top of each section, check out our Employment page on the website for links to local employers and job sites. Don’t forget to check out our ….
Les nouvelles offres d’emploi sont en haut de chaque section.consulter notre page sur l’emploi sur le site Web pour les liens vers les employeurs locaux et les sites d’emploi.
Poste de suppléance – Enseignant.e 1.0 : École secondaire catholique de Hearst – comptabilité financière,Initiation aux affaires, Finances personnelles
Dufour Waste Disposal is looking to hire motivated labourers and operators who have their DZ or AZ licenses. Please send your resumés to: hrdwd@dufourwaste.ca or fax us at 705-337-1085. You are always welcome to drop off your resume in person at 144 Brunelle Rd. South. Only qualified applicants will be contacted.
“This article is not truthful at all! it IS very expensive to live in Northern Ontario compared to the rest of the province. Your hydro is higher, cost of heat, food, and gas. You have to travel everywhere on deadly highways because there is only menial job available occasionally in these small places, the odd time well educated and experienced good paying jobs. Almost all the good easily attainable jobs are an hr away. In winter well over an hr. Good shopping is in the big city over an hr away. Winter is very cold, normal -30+, summer is humid and stifling. Its great to attract more tax dollars, but be honest!!”
Before we get too far lets be clear, No where is perfect and I am in no way bashing Sourthern Ontario, I don’t get paid to write these blogs or the website and I don’t make any money etc from posting them. In fact if Fauquier gets too big my property taxes would probably grow right along with it so saying that let’s start by tackling the whole job market issue…
There are some crazy misconceptions and myths running around. Southerners think it costs a fortune to live up here and many lifetime Northerners have the impression that the costs of living in the North are considerably higher than that of their Southern neighbors. But is life really so much better down South?
As someone who has lived all over Southwestern Ontario, and even in England for a number of years and who now happily resides in the Northeastern Ontario region 20 mins east of Kapuskasing let me reassure you…
Northerners have it made!
I’ll give you a little background information so you know where I am coming from, and to reassure you all of the information in the article has been researched not just pulled out of thin air.
Housing
Lets start with housing, I have chosen Kapuskasing as the representative community for this region of Northeastern Ontario as it is the most expensive and costs will be comparatively lower in surrounding communities. For example, in the village of Fauquier the average price for a 3 bed, detached home is around $50k to purchase. Town Water & Sewage Fees and property taxes for a 3 bed home are each approximately $900 annually, electricity is billed at Medium Density – Residential Rates with Hydro One.
*Disclaimer: Please note, the Heating Costs and Property Taxes have been obtained directly from home owners living and paying bills in similar properties in the same communities as the listed homes pictured in the below table to ensure they are as accurate and current as possible, they are NOT specific to the properties pictured.
Each of the sample properties in the above chart range in square footage of between 1100 sq ft and 1400 sq ft in property. Tax rates will vary based on the assessed value of a property as done by MPAC and you can find the tax rate calculation formulas for Kapuskasing here.
In the above table $ amounts are in CAD and reflect costs and rates as of the date of publication (Dec 2017). The Mortgage Calculations are based on first time home owners mortgage requirements (5% down) on a 25 year mortgage with a 3.34% 4 year term fixed mortgage rate with TDCanadatrust. The table does not factor in Land Transfer Tax Costs and Mortgage Insurance Costs which increase with the cost of the house and the individual circumstances of the home buyer.
As you will note from the above table the cost of entry into the housing market in Kapuskasing and region is much, much lower than in other Ontario communities. A young individual or couple, even a single parent stands a much better chance of being able to purchase a property and still have money left out of their wages for living and savings. I could go into further discussion about how the cost of housing to income ratio here in the north puts homeowners in a position to save even more on their homes by increasing their mortgage payments and paying off sooner to lower the interest they pay over the life of their mortgage, but that is a topic for another day.
Heating Costs
Heating your home with electricity is a nightmare in ALL of Ontario and not just here in the North. That being said Northern homes have a tendency to be much better insulated than their southern counterparts, they have to be its cold. The fact that we have not cut down all the trees provides a surprising benefit too as it makes a natural wind break, good luck with that down south. The cost of the electricity itself is no more expensive because the price is regulated and exactly the same down south. Northerners have the same options to use oil, propane and natural gas to heat their homes as well as good old fashioned wood. It’s considerably easier to get a woodstove installed (from a building permit perspective) up here than down south and the costs of running it are entirely related to your own level of ambition. If you don’t have your own tree lot to cut your own wood for free than you can buy it cut at around $60 a cord. I ambitiously bought 25 cords my first year and it lasted almost two years. If you don’t have a wood lot and you don’t want to buy from someone else you can always get a permit to cut wood on crown land for personal use fuel wood.
While it might get pretty cold around here in the winter along with most of the rest of Canada, summers tend to be pretty mild and even the hottest days of the summer are marked by the complete absence of the sticky humidity and smog that covers everything south of Barrie. Anyone who’s ever traveled north through Barrie in the summer has probably seen for themselves the yellowish green haze in their rear-view mirror that hangs over all of Southern Ontario. I don’t even own an air conditioner up here, down south it was an absolute must, and ran continuously from April/May to October with a two week rest generally before having to switch on the heat.
Groceries
I often see comments about the high cost of food in Northern and remote communities. The communities of Smooth Rock Falls – Kapuskasing – Hearst all have the advantage of being situated directly on the Transnational Highway. Which means we get all the same groceries at pretty much the same prices as Southern communities. Just to give you an idea of the costs, check out the following chart for Grocery Stores in our local communities. I personally checked these prices at each store. Heck I’ll show you my grocery bill to feed a family of 7 if your that interested. (Note: Freshmart was still in the process of stocking its new store when I had the opportunity to go in, some items were not yet available, and some less expensive alternatives may not have yet made it in on the shelves.)
Item
Larabie’s Independent – Kapuskasing
Epicere – Co-op Moonbeam
Freshmart – Smooth Rock Falls
4Litre 2% Milk
$4.27
$6.89
$6.99
Beef
Steak Striploin
$6.88/lb – Sale ($5 off)
Ground Beef
4.39 kg on sale
Steak striploin
$15.41 /kg
Ground Beef
$8.80/kg- frozen
$11.99/kg -fresh
Striploin Steak $15.41/kg
Bread
$2.49
$2.79
$2.29
Cheese 450g block cheddar
$4.99
$7.99
$7.49
Margarine – lowest priced 454g available
$2.79
$1.99
$2.79
Lettuce
Romaine 6 pack
-$6.99
Baby Spinach 5oz cont- $5
Romaine – $1.89
Romaine Hearts 3 pack – $2.99
$1.79 Green Leaf
$1.59 Iceberg
$2.99 Dole Salad Mix
Pasta
$1.99 PC No Name 900g
$2.99 Lancia 900 g
$2.79 900g
Pasta Sauce – lowest priced can
$0.88 Hunt’s
$1.99 Primo
$2.29
Cherrios – 450g
$2.49 – on sale
$5.99
$4.99
This is just a very general idea to demonstrate the prices, food is just as readily available here for a good price as anywhere else. You may find a slight difference, generally seasonal, in the price of some items compared to those in communities in Southern Ontario. However, by increasing the local population, along with the increasing number of local market gardeners and farmers the costs of many fresh fruits, vegetables and meat are and will continue to go down in the future as local competition and availability increases. My personal experience shopping for a large family, I have found little difference between what I spend here shopping in the North compared to the prices I paid in Southwestern Ontario. In reality I find I actually spend less and have more food available at home. Many of the fresh berries that cost a lot in the grocery stores both here and in the south can be freely picked out in the bush here if fresh air and nature don’t scare you. I still have multiple bags of berries picked from the bush around my home this summer in my freezer.
Gas
The price of Gas in our Northern Communities will give you a case of sticker shock, they generally fluctuate between $1.09 L and $1.27 L. The gas stations in Smooth Rock Falls and Moonbeam are generally higher, while Flying J in Kapuskasing usually has the lowest. Over the Christmas holidays (all within the same 24hr period) Kapuskasing prices at Flying J $1.11L, Esso & Shell $1.22 L, Moonbeam $1.25 L and Smooth Rock Falls $1.27 L. Gas prices everywhere are ridiculous, but you have to remember most of your driving in Northern Ontario will be highway or country driving which obtains a MUCH better L/Km consumption rate than city driving.
Just as an aside about the safety of our local roads. Having driven all of the highways of Canada and the United States as a Professional Transport driver, as well as those in Europe along with country back roads, and pot holed city streets. I can comfortably say our Northern Highways are extremely well maintained, and generally very safe. Winter driving here is not as plagued as southern roadways with blowing and drifting snow producing poor visibility thanks to the wind barrier created by the forests. Not only that but local’s generally have enough sense to stay home when the weather and driving conditions are poor.
Phone & Internet
Eastlink – $132.95 per month for Unlimited Wifi and Full Featured Home Phone Northerntel– $ 85.88 per month for Unlimited Wifi and Full Featured Home Phone Neotech – $39.95 – $94.95 per month depending on speed for Unlimited Wifi (No Phone)
There are a number of others available as well.
Other items
There are a number of side benefits to living up north that locals here take for granted and southerners just never consider. With smaller schools and class sizes, students of all abilities stand a much greater likelihood of receiving scholarships and grants upon graduation from high school. Every student in last years graduating class from KDHS received a scholarhip or grant of one kind or another. The bilingual community will rub off on your kids too, and guess what, that bilingual ability will mean your kids have more employment opportunities which also usually brings a higher income. Jobs requiring qualifications often tend to pay more up here than they do down south. For example the average PSW salary in cities in Southwestern Ontario ranges between $15/hr and $17/hr (Dec 2017) while in Kapuskasing the average pay is over $20/hr.
Car & House Insurance premiums are generally lower than for comparative items in Southern Ontario.
Recreation Activities that directly or indirectly cost $$ to engage in down south can be often be done for free or a substantially lower cost up here. Everything from Hiking, Snowshoeing, Snowmobiling, Skiing, Boating, Camping, Cycling and more can be done for less because the opportunities to do so are generally on your doorstep or a short walk away and can often be done so without entry/usage fees.
As with many small rural communities in Southwestern Ontario, our local communities suffered a tremendous hit with the changing economy. Manufacturing jobs are sparse everywhere and the same is true here, low skill entry level jobs are starting to pick up again as our local communities have gotten themselves at the forefront of new industries. (See Medical Marijuana Plant bringing 60+ jobs to Kapuskasing in 2018) However, good paying, stable employment for professionals, skilled trades and other qualifications are booming in our communities and many jobs continuously go unfilled. And just like many of those small southern towns that have seen the chain stores come and go from their communities only to have a new generation of young and creative entrepreneurs move into create vibrant new town centres, our local communities are in the same position offering tremendous opportunities for entrepreneurs to start up businesses of all sizes and varieties at costs that simply can’t be matched.
All of your basic needs are covered here and you can get them for pretty much the same prices that you would pay in Southern Ontario Communities. Just about anything else can be ordered online or purchased in Timmins.
If you can’t live without bright lights, busy streets, and crowded shopping malls then yeah, the North probably isn’t for you.
Official Signing of the Memorandum of Understanding between CannAssist and the Town of Kapuskasing for the development of a Medical Marijuana Production Facility in 2018.
The 28th of December 2017, will prove an auspisious occasion for generations to come in the Kapuskasing area. Today community members and members of the media came together to witness the formal signing of The Memorandum of Understanding between The Town of Kapuskasing and CannAssist, for the development of a Medical Marijuana facility to begin construction and production in 2018.
Janice Britton CEO CannAssist & Mayor Alan Spacek of Kapuskasing Signing Memorandum of Understanding 28th of December 2018 for the establishment of the first Medical Marijuana Production Facility in Kapuskasing.
The remarkable farsightedness and drive demonstrated by Mayor Alan Spacek and his team in recognizing the opportunity and bringing such a project to the Town of Kapuskasing is one which many small Northern Towns would do well to imitate. The management team at CannAssist has also recognized the incredible opportunities available here in the Northeastern Ontario region; with its highly supportive municipal governments coupled with the remarkably low startup and ongoing costs, ease of accessibility and established infrastructure. CannAssists commitment to establishing operations & partnering with remote communities to build and maintain environmentally responsible facilities and contribute to the economic development of those communities is an example that other startup companies could also find success in.
Kapuskasing will be the official home of CannAssists first Medical Marijuana Production facility, and its ongoing development and operations will provide the blueprint for CannAssist to develop future operations in other remote communities. The town itself will benefit from an equity position (5%) in the revenues from CannAssists Kapuskasing production operations. The site is also expected to provide 60+ jobs, many of which are expected to be filled by members of the local community. Mark Pearlman of CannAssist explained that while a small number of the upper level jobs requiring certain expertise (as required by Health Canada Licencing) would have to be filled from outside of the community, the majority of positions were expected to be filled by locals by providing specialized training. Janice Britton, CEO of CannAssist stated that the expected jobs would include Security, Production Workers, Infection Control, Shipping & Receiving, Supervisory, Administrative, Call Centre Staff, and Quality Control.
It is hoped that construction of the site will be undertaken by a local company starting in Spring of 2018. The completion of an initial production facility of 45,000 sq ft is expected by Sept of 2018 with production beginning in October 2018. The high demand for Medical Marijuana and the coming legalization of Recreational use will see planned expansion of the site to a 250,000 sq ft facility in 2019.
The current demand for Medical Marijuana in Canada already far exceeds the amounts initially predicted by Health Canada. The added demands to supply the upcoming recreational market as well as expansion into exports for the European Market will put CannAssist and the Town of Kapuskasing at the forefront of a new international production and export opportunity.
The establishment of this facility in the community will bring opportunities not only for current businesses but will lead the way for the new businesses and other communities to follow suit.
Le 28 Décembre 2017, sera une occasion spéciale pour les générations à venir dans la région de Kapuskasing. Aujourd’hui, les membres de la communauté et les médias se sont réunis pour assister à la signature officielle du protocole d’entente entre la ville de Kapuskasing et CannAssist, pour le développement d’une installation de marijuana médicale pour commencer la construction et la production en 2018.
Janice Britton CEO CannAssist & Mayor Alan Spacek of Kapuskasing Signing Memorandum of Understanding 28th of December 2018 for the establishment of the first Medical Marijuana Production Facility in Kapuskasing.
La perspicacité remarquable et le dynamisme dont a fait preuve le maire Alan Spacek et son équipe en reconnaissant l’opportunité et en apportant un tel projet à la ville de Kapuskasing sont un exemple que beaucoup de petites villes du Nord feraient bien d’imiter. L’équipe de gestion de CannAssist a également reconnu les incroyables possibilités offertes ici dans la région du Nord-Est de l’Ontario; grâce à ses gouvernements municipaux très coopératifs, associés aux faibles coûts de démarrage et d’entretien, à la facilité d’accès et à l’infrastructure établie. L’engagement de CannAssists à établir des opérations et à établir des partenariats avec des collectivités éloignées pour construire et entretenir des installations respectueuses de l’environnement et contribuer au développement économique de ces collectivités est un exemple que d’autres entreprises en démarrage pourraient également connaître.
Kapuskasing sera le foyer officiel de la première installation de production de marijuana médicale de CannAssists, et son développement continu et ses opérations serviront de modèle à CannAssist pour développer les opérations futures dans d’autres communautés éloignées. La ville elle-même bénéficiera d’une position de capitaux propres (5%) dans les revenus provenant des activités de production de CannAssists Kapuskasing. Le site devrait également fournir plus de 60 emplois, dont beaucoup devraient être occupés par des membres de la communauté locale. Mark Pearlman de CannAssist a expliqué que même si un petit nombre d’emplois de niveau supérieur nécessitant une certaine expertise (tel que requis par l’agrément de Santé Canada) devraient être pourvus à l’extérieur de la communauté, la majorité des postes devraient être comblés par les sections locales. entrainnement spécifique. Janice Britton, chef de la direction de CannAssist a déclaré que les emplois prévus comprendraient la sécurité, les travailleurs de production, le contrôle des infections, l’expédition et la réception, la supervision, l’administration, le personnel du centre d’appels et le contrôle de la qualité.
Il est à espérer que la construction du site sera entreprise par une entreprise locale à partir du printemps 2018. L’achèvement d’une installation de production initiale de 45 000 pieds carrés est prévue pour septembre 2018 avec une production débutant en octobre 2018. La forte demande de La marijuana et la légalisation à venir de l’utilisation récréative verront l’expansion prévue du site à une installation de 250 000 pieds carrés en 2019.
La demande actuelle de marijuana médicale au Canada dépasse déjà de loin les quantités initialement prévues par Santé Canada. La demande accrue d’approvisionner le marché récréatif à venir et l’expansion des exportations vers le marché européen placeront CannAssist et la ville de Kapuskasing à l’avant-garde d’une nouvelle opportunité de production et d’exportation internationale.
La création de cet établissement dans la collectivité apportera des débouchés non seulement aux entreprises actuelles, mais ouvrira la voie aux nouvelles entreprises et aux autres collectivités.
Our Northern Home / Notre Place Du Nord 