Business View Civil & Municipal l November 2022

167 CIVIL AND MUNICIPAL VOLUME 3, ISSUE 9 In addition, the airport now operates five flights north of the town. Also, being able to tap into these communities means a boost for the retail sector. Initially, the addition to the airport was estimated to create four to five full-time jobs, but it has actually created 22. This is because the base of operations, maintenance, and more are located at the airport. Another facility in the town is a General Motors (GM) weather test facility. GM tests its vehicles against the cold weather and has a freezer on the property. Having a presence in the town means locals can catch these camouflage vehicles being tested, but these are top secret, so locals know better than to snap a picture of them. The town is constantly improving its roads, with Kapuskasing situated on the Trans Canada Highway. Recent projects include a 0.6-mile (0.8km) road linking the town, which is in the last stages of stormwater drainage installation; the entire project cost CA$ 4 million. “We’re building roads in Northern Ontario, but the frost is an issue as it gets deep into the roads, and we need to dig the pipes deeper underground. This makes building roads in the area more expensive,” says Plourde. Kapuskasing offers high-speed internet, up to a gig in download speed, for residents, which is essential due to all the remote workers in the town. In collaboration with the local chamber of commerce, they’ve identified that there are now 150 home businesses in the town. In regards to green energy, the town has invested pretty heavily in solar, with the town KAPUSKAS ING, ON Photo Credit: Jonathan Beausejour