George Farkouh was mayor of Elliot Lake from 1989 to 2006. Shortly after he was elected, the two uranium mining companies accounting for the lion’s share of the town’s employment announced they would be shutting down. At the time, the population of Elliot Lake was 16,000.
In this video, George tells us about the steps taken by the municipal government to save the town and offers advice to other Northern Ontario resource based community should they ever face the same dire situation.
In discussions with the newly elected New Democratic government led by Bob Rae, he learned about a position paper advocating the decommissioning of the town, an outcome that he himself and the Northern Ontario NDP cabinet ministers - Floyd Laughren, Shelley Martel and Bud Wildman – refused to contemplate.
Armed with a $250 million rescue package from the province, the municipality mobilized the community to come up with a plan that led to the transformation of Elliot Lake into a thriving retirement community. The transformation was made possible by the transfer of 1,500 company owned housing units to the municipality and the establishment of Elliot Lake Retirement Living as a not for profit corporation.
George also tells us about the town’s decision to barter 170 townhouses for a $1 million promotional campaign by Bob Izumi’s Real Fishing Show that showcased Elliot Lake as a four-season recreational paradise.
Elliot Lake Retirement Living built an 18-hole championship golf course and a Hampton Inn hotel to accommodate retirees checking out the town. A building boom of multi-million dollar homes on surrounding lakes further stimulated the economy thanks to the passage of the Elliot Lake Act in 2001 that resulted in the release of 250 Crown land water lots.
Today, the population of Elliot Lake has stabilized at approximately10,000 and there’s a waiting list for retirees looking for rental accommodations.
George urges other resource dependent communities facing mine and mill closures to never give up on their communities, to harness the energy of their citizens and come up with a realistic, workable plan before seeking the help of senior levels of government.