'It's a unicorn facility': Old Iroquois Falls paper mill becomes logistics hub for new James Bay hospital
BMI Group also recently reached a deal to purchase the old paper mill in Espanola
There are workers once again punching in at the old Abitibi paper mill in Iroquois Falls.
Once the lifeblood of the small northern Ontario town, it shutdown a decade ago and the property was purchased by BMI Group.
After years of cleaning up the sprawling riverside site, the mill complex has been renamed Abitibi Connex and is being marketed as an industrial hub for mining, forestry, agriculture and other businesses.
WATCH| See what it looks like in a northern Ontario paper mill 10 years after it closed
The first tenant to move in is Pinnacle Logistic Solutions, which is working for construction company Pomerleau on the $1.8-billion hospital being built in Moosonee.
Vice-president of sales Aaron Gerber said having a railway line that goes right into the old mill made this the perfect fit.
"There's no road transportation into Moosonee, so our options are strictly rail in terms of getting project cargo to site. And that's one of the reasons why this location, this facility is so strategic and so important to the project," he said.
"This is a tremendous facility. You know, we spent a lot of time searching for the right location, the right facility to support the project and this one of a kind. It's a unicorn facility."
Gerber said there'll be some workers hired in Iroquois Falls, with hospital construction expected to "kick into high gear very soon" but says it will "ebb and flow" over the next five years.
John Veldman, BMI's chief operating officer, said the company is focused on making Abitibi Connex a "multi-modal logistics hub."
But they have also rented out space in the 140,000 square foot complex for boat and RV storage and are considering residential development on the 40-hectare site.
"We'd also like the community's input to look at what this site could look like and be used for," he said.
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