Thompson 2020, a local economic development project launched about a year before the permanent shutdown of Vale’s Manitoba smelter and refinery eliminated hundreds of jobs, released its final report March 5.
Launched with presentations to the Thompson Chamber of Commerce and city council in June 2017, more than six years after Vale initially announced that it was intending to close its smelter and refinery in 2015, though that date was subsequently extended a couple of times, Thompson 2020 was focused on helping workers affected by the shutdown access training and employment, attracting new residents and retaining current ones, and developing new businesses and redeveloping existing ones.
Thompson 2020 hosted three job fairs in 2017 and 2018 that attracted about 25 employers and 150 to 250 job-seekers each. The project team also co-ordinated with Vale’s joint workforce adjustment services committee to deliver skills assessments, interviews, labour market information and employment training for 203 of the workers affected by the shutdown. Partnerships with Manitoba Education and Training were established to deliver heavy equipment and class 1 driver’s licence training, which led to the creation of the Northern Workforce Development Centre at University College of the North, which has trained 480 people for new careers or to develop their existing skills as of November 2019. Thompson 2020 also worked with the City of Thompson, Keewatin Tribal Council (KTC) and Manitoba Keewatinowi Okimakanak (MKO) to submit a proposal, currently under consideration by Manitoba Economic Development and Training, for an annual firefighter/paramedic training program in Thompson. The Churchill Regional Economic Development Fund has committed $153,000 to initiate the program, if approved.
In an effort to identify what sort of amenities Thompson needs to attract and retain in-demand professionals and retirees, Thompson 2020 ran focus groups and conducted a community amenities survey. Cleanliness of public space, health services and facilities as well as lifestyle housing such as hobby farms and rural residential development were identified as key opportunities for improvement. The city has since started the process of zoning properties for such development north of the Burntwood River. Crown land applications are also under consideration by the city and the province for the possible development of new cottage lots just outside Paint Lake Provincial Park.
Ambassador teams who understand Thompson’s economy have pitched the city to investors in Winnipeg and at a mining convention. A community investment profile providing economic information about Thompson as well as a community development plan have also been created
Thompson 2020 also dedicated some time and effort to ultimately fruitless efforts such as canvassing employers and marketing Thompson as a source of fly-in, fly-out workers in skilled industrial positions before realizing there were not enough job seekers here interested in such opportunities to make it worthwhile. Zoning changes and land sale negotiations related to the establishment of cryptocurrency “mining” operations in Thompson also led nowhere due to a downturn in the cryptocurrency market and the potential buyer withdrawing from the purchase process.
Moving forward, the project team recommend crafting a long-term communications strategy guided by a steering committee with representatives from the city, KTC, MKO and the Thompson Hotel Association. Thompson 2020 also recommends that a standalone community economic development corporation be established to focus on small batches of projects rather than spreading itself too thin.
The full report can be viewed here.
