Labour Market Monitor - Human Resources and Skills Development ...

Labour Market Monitor
Northeast
September 2012
The Labour Market Monitor is a monthly report providing a summary of labour market news and events for the Northeast
Ontario Economic Region. This region includes the Greater Sudbury area and the districts of Nipissing, Parry Sound,
Manitoulin, Sudbury, Timiskaming, Cochrane and Algoma.
LABOUR MARKET NEWS BY INDUSTRY
Mining, quarrying, and oil and gas extraction
SGS Minerals Services opened a new geochemistry laboratory in Cochrane at the end of August. The
international company built the laboratory in Cochrane due to the current demand from the minerals
exploration sector in northeastern Ontario and northwestern Quebec. (Northern Ontario Business, August 30)
Vale Ltd. announced a global hiring freeze. The company had recently stated it planned to hire 400 new
employees at its Canadian operations, but that too has been put on hold. The company is reviewing all of its
operations in response to a falling nickel price as well as other commodities. (Sudbury Star, September 13)
Construction
Looby Construction Ltd. began work on a $7.4M project to replace two bridges on Highway 11 near Opasatika.
The reconstruction of the Montcalm Creek and Crow Creek bridges should create about 70 jobs and completion
is expected in 2014. (Ontario Newsroom, September 11)
Station Mall in downtown Sault Ste. Marie has started a $10M renovation project. When complete in 2013, the
mall will have a larger food court, new flooring and washrooms, plus other upgrades as new tenants move in.
(Sault Star, September 5)
BVD Petroleum Inc., a Toronto-based company, has started construction on a new Tim Hortons restaurant,
convenience store and gas bar on Pinewood Park Drive in North Bay. The project is expected to be completed
within four months. (North Bay Nugget, September 6)
Laurentian University’s new school of architecture received $5M from FedNor’s Northern Ontario
Development Program. The 65,000-sq.-ft. facility is being constructed in downtown Sudbury and is expected to
be completed in the fall of 2013. (Sudbury Star, September, 21)

Labour Market Monitor - Northeast, September 2012 Page 2
Following the collapse of the Algo Centre mall, several Elliot Lake agencies will be relocating to the former
White Mountain Academy of Arts building. The $1M renovation project is expected to be completed by January
2013. (Ontario Newsroom, August 30)
A 32,000-sq.-ft. expansion is underway at the Sudbury Walmart located on Lasalle Boulevard. Construction is
expected to be completed by the summer of 2013. (Sudbury Star, August 30)
Manufacturing
Sandvik Mining and Construction is closing its manufacturing plant in North Bay by the end of 2012 which will
affect about 42 of its total staff of 49 workers. While production of its mining exploration products is being
moved to New Brunswick, the company will continue to employ some sales and marketing staff in North Bay.
(North Bay Nugget, September 17)
Professional, scientific and technical services
Hydro Tech Inc. in Sault Ste. Marie plans to add 21 new jobs over the next five years. With the help of $468,000
in funding from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corporation, the company will expand its facilities and
purchase new equipment. Hydro Tech provides engineering, maintenance and construction services to the
hydro power industry. The company currently employs nine staff. (Sault Star, September 21)
Health care and social assistance
Eighteen personal support workers at the Sudbury Outpatient Centre were notified they would be laid off in
February 2013. Their employer Health Sciences North is hoping that most of the affected employees will find
work in other areas of the hospital. (Sudbury Star, August 30)
Note: In preparing this document, the authors have taken care to provide clients with labour market
information that is timely and accurate at the time of publication. Since labour market conditions are dynamic,
some of the information presented here may have changed since this document was published. Users are
encouraged to also refer to other sources for additional information on the local economy and labour market.
Information contained in this document does not necessarily reflect official policies of Human Resources and
Skills Development Canada.
Prepared by: Labour Market Information (LMI) Division, Northeast, Ontario
For further information, please contact the LMI team at: lmi-imt@workingincanada.gc.ca
For information on the Labour Force Survey, please visit the Statistics Canada Web site at:
http://www.statcan.gc.ca/tables-tableaux/sum-som/l01/cst01/lfss05d-eng.htm