Yuri
05-21-2010, 06:37 AM
”Was it up in Hornepayne, where the trains run on time...”
Gutting a northern Ontario town: Blizzard
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/christina_blizzard/2010/05/20/14028541.html
Little Hornepayne on the verge of collapse as its main building goes bankrupt
By CHRISTINA BLIZZARD, Toronto Sun
Last Updated: May 20, 2010 8:30pm
With a population of 1,200, the northwestern community of Hornepayne is a tiny place with one big problem.
A key part of its town’s infrastructure is housed in a bankrupt building.
The Algoma town’s high school, its pool, library, dentist office, health unit, a 37-unit apartment building, a bank, Canada Post office, heck, even the LCBO and a 35-room hotel, restaurant and dining room are all housed in a building that’s in receivership.
A little history: Hornepayne is a railway town — a major stop between Toronto and Manitoba on the main CNR line.
About 30 years ago, CN decided to build a hostel for train crews to stay in overnight.
A private developer was brought in and, with the assistance of CN and the provincial government, they hatched a grand plan.
They built the town centre, complete with apartments and a hotel. As long as the railroad and forestry boomed, all went well.
Now economic times have changed. Last year, the Toronto-based owner went into receivership — leaving the town in limbo.
Since then, CN, because of legal obligations, has been underwriting any losses on Hornepayne Town Centre, but they have let the town know that at the end of September, when their obligation expires, they’re walking away.
Hornepayne Mayor Gene Belanger says the centre is losing half-a-million dollars a year, so it’s been tough finding new investors.
“Anyone can have this facility for $1 if they are willing to come in and take it over,” he told me in a telephone interview.
He said the municipality isn’t in a position to take over the centre.
“For us to take that over, we would have to double everyone’s taxes, just to meet the loss on that facility, let alone find the money to make the necessary upgrades,” he said.
He worries that come September, 37 families, many of them seniors, will be out on the street. The town is undergoing something of a mini construction boom and is already strapped for accommodation.
When the hotel shuts, there’ll be nowhere for those workers to stay.
Howard Hampton, the NDP critic for northern affairs, says the economy there has taken a massive hit and Hornepayne’s dilemma shows the neglect that’s widespread across the region.
‘No plan’
“This is an example of what is happening in different ways in different northern Ontario towns,” he said.
“The province is saying you’re on your own. There is no plan here for the province to help refurbish the building. There is no plan here for an alternative,” Hampton said. With no facilities left in town, people will leave for good, he predicts.
Northern Development Minister Mike Gravelle says he’s working on a rescue plan.
“We’re doing what we can to work with them,” Gravelle said in an interview Thursday.
“They’ve got some work that they need to do before we are able to move forward with the potential assistance. But we understand how important this is to the community,” he said.
That’s encouraging. Let’s hope it’s not just a Band-aid solution or empty promises.
We need long-term solutions to provide sustainability for small towns — especially in the north.
Small-town Ontario is the very essence of what made this province great. With their mines and forestry and other resources, they’ve fuelled our economy; they’re a vital part of our history.
Cut out the heart of towns like Hornpayne and you’ll break the backbone of this province.
They just need a little help from their friends.
christina.blizzard@sunmedia.ca
Gutting a northern Ontario town: Blizzard
http://www.torontosun.com/comment/columnists/christina_blizzard/2010/05/20/14028541.html
Little Hornepayne on the verge of collapse as its main building goes bankrupt
By CHRISTINA BLIZZARD, Toronto Sun
Last Updated: May 20, 2010 8:30pm
With a population of 1,200, the northwestern community of Hornepayne is a tiny place with one big problem.
A key part of its town’s infrastructure is housed in a bankrupt building.
The Algoma town’s high school, its pool, library, dentist office, health unit, a 37-unit apartment building, a bank, Canada Post office, heck, even the LCBO and a 35-room hotel, restaurant and dining room are all housed in a building that’s in receivership.
A little history: Hornepayne is a railway town — a major stop between Toronto and Manitoba on the main CNR line.
About 30 years ago, CN decided to build a hostel for train crews to stay in overnight.
A private developer was brought in and, with the assistance of CN and the provincial government, they hatched a grand plan.
They built the town centre, complete with apartments and a hotel. As long as the railroad and forestry boomed, all went well.
Now economic times have changed. Last year, the Toronto-based owner went into receivership — leaving the town in limbo.
Since then, CN, because of legal obligations, has been underwriting any losses on Hornepayne Town Centre, but they have let the town know that at the end of September, when their obligation expires, they’re walking away.
Hornepayne Mayor Gene Belanger says the centre is losing half-a-million dollars a year, so it’s been tough finding new investors.
“Anyone can have this facility for $1 if they are willing to come in and take it over,” he told me in a telephone interview.
He said the municipality isn’t in a position to take over the centre.
“For us to take that over, we would have to double everyone’s taxes, just to meet the loss on that facility, let alone find the money to make the necessary upgrades,” he said.
He worries that come September, 37 families, many of them seniors, will be out on the street. The town is undergoing something of a mini construction boom and is already strapped for accommodation.
When the hotel shuts, there’ll be nowhere for those workers to stay.
Howard Hampton, the NDP critic for northern affairs, says the economy there has taken a massive hit and Hornepayne’s dilemma shows the neglect that’s widespread across the region.
‘No plan’
“This is an example of what is happening in different ways in different northern Ontario towns,” he said.
“The province is saying you’re on your own. There is no plan here for the province to help refurbish the building. There is no plan here for an alternative,” Hampton said. With no facilities left in town, people will leave for good, he predicts.
Northern Development Minister Mike Gravelle says he’s working on a rescue plan.
“We’re doing what we can to work with them,” Gravelle said in an interview Thursday.
“They’ve got some work that they need to do before we are able to move forward with the potential assistance. But we understand how important this is to the community,” he said.
That’s encouraging. Let’s hope it’s not just a Band-aid solution or empty promises.
We need long-term solutions to provide sustainability for small towns — especially in the north.
Small-town Ontario is the very essence of what made this province great. With their mines and forestry and other resources, they’ve fuelled our economy; they’re a vital part of our history.
Cut out the heart of towns like Hornpayne and you’ll break the backbone of this province.
They just need a little help from their friends.
christina.blizzard@sunmedia.ca