City Council unanimously voted to adopt the Thompson 2020 mast project charter at the regular meeting of city council Monday evening.

 

The project is a combined effort by the City of Thompson, the Province of Manitoba, Vale Canada, Service Canada, Community Futures North Central Development, Community Economic Development Fund, Nisichawayasihk Cree Nation, the Thompson Chamber of Commerce and Churchill Regional Economic Development to deal with Vale’s 2018 closure of the smelter and refinery in order to mitigate the economic impacts on the city.

 

The project will focus on four buckets; workforce utilization, retain and attract residents, business (re)development and infrastructure.

 

Workforce Retention:

• Creating meaningful opportunities for people affected by the smelter and refinery closures, as well as staff effected by the recent Birchtree announcement

 

Retain and Attract Residents:

• Seeking new opportunities for residents of all ages in an attempt to keep them in the north.

 

Economic (re)Development:

• Will provide the tools and environment for new and existing businesses to thrive in Thompson and the north, as most assets in the region have been underutilized.

 

Infrastructure (All-weather roads):

• Will push to initiate the construction of all-weather roads in the NorMan region, which will reduce the cost of goods and further solidify Thompson as a regional hub.

 

 

Mayor Dennis Fenske said in a release that as the new decade approaches the city will be faced with its greatest challenge yet. He added that prompt and deliberate action is needed to ensure that the city mitigates the impact on the workforce and residents and that Thompson 2020 will be the city’s compass.

 

Tim Gibson is spearheading the efforts as project manager, while Harold Smith is the assistant project manager.

 

Gibson is an industrial engineer by trade, and holds an MBA in natural resources, energy and economics, and a Master’s in project management. He has over 25 years in project management and sits on the board of directors for the Thompson Recycling Centre.

 

Harold Smith is a former city councilor and long-time resident of Thompson. He has extensive experience in public housing, project management and land claims implementation and negotiation.