Business View Civil and Municipal | Volume 2, Issue 12

115 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 2, ISSUE 11 TOWNSHI P OF STONE MI LLS , ONTAR IO nature of work in Stone Mills, with the strict restrictions allowing employees to connect with their workplaces while physically remaining within their own community. The Township’s high-speed internet provider, Xplornet, made this transition easy and is exactly why it’s a selling point. According to Brooks, “Residents can maintain a rural lifestyle, but still be connected to those large cities and full-range amenities.” Not all residents commute to an office, however, as Stone Mills has a diverse business sector including agriculture, construction, and home- based entrepreneurs. There is also a strong industrial segment because of the Goodyear Tire & Rubber Company Plant, just 16-minutes away in the town of Greater Napanee, where the Strathcona Paper Mill is also located. Both companies are big employers in the area. The Township may not have its own workforce development program, but training options are available nearby. Brooks explains, “As one of the four municipalities in the county’s lower of the dwelling, urban amenities as well as breathtaking nature are always close by. From shopping to canoeing, there’s so much to enjoy within the Township of Stone Mills. “We like to consider ourselves a rural-based community, but with access to urban amenities,” shares Stone Mills CAO, Bryan Brooks. “We have a convenient location between Highway 401 and Highway 7. We mostly have rural residents who work and travel to larger nearby cities. Even though we’re made-up of hamlets, we have three main communities. Tamworth is the self-standing one in the north, but we also have Yarker and Newburg in the south. Those are the largest, although our population has significantly increased during the pandemic. Some of our ‘seasonal’ residents with cottages converted them into more permanent residences, while others have relocated here away from busier areas.” Indeed, the COVID-19 pandemic affected the