Onwards Atikokan Report

Early in 2003 a group of graduate students from the University of Waterloo’s School of Planning took a look at the economy and prospects for Atikokan in Northwestern Ontario. They were interested in finding how this small but vibrant town has fared in the two decades since the closure of its huge iron mines. They also wanted to help define how the town can meet the ongoing challenge of reinventing its economy. The group’s report, has implications for small ex-resource communities throughout Canada’s mid-North.

This report proposes a framework for achieving community visions and development goals. It is intended for community members, entrepreneurs, and governments, both in Atikokan and across Northwestern Ontario. We use the Town of Atikokan as a case study to explore the challenges faced
by and the strengths of resource communities, and provide concrete recommendations for improving their quality of life. This analysis is based on interviews and surveys with local residents and prominent community members, experience from visits to Atikokan, and comparative examples of other similar towns. Since they also face similar challenges and opportunities, the insights gained from this case study can be applicable to other communities across the region.

As with all places, Atikokan’s history is unique. Once a thriving mining community, the closure of the mines has tested the resilience and determination of the townspeople. They face a declining local economy, decreasing population, and less capital for development. Their struggle brings to the forefront a basic question regarding small communities: Should they continue to exist or be allowed to die out peacefully? Based on the premise that these towns should continue, the report highlights a number of the challenges facing the region, and the strengths Atikokan can harness to attract growth to sustain itself.

The strategies identified in this report focus on the need for further collaboration and diversity of opportunities within Atikokan. Collaboration should be the foundation of many of the initiatives undertaken in resource towns. The spirit of collaboration is evident in many projects that Atikokan has undertaken and needs to be further encouraged in the community, together with neighbouring towns, and within the entire region.

Creating a healthy and vibrant economy in Atikokan will require many diverse activities. This may involve a multiplicity of partners to help the town be flexible and adaptable to change. Diversification in small community-oriented businesses will further provide an even distribution of jobs and allow more profits to remain locally. A coordinated plan with clearly established priorities and criteria will help both diversity and collaboration to flourish.

Resource towns in the region should survive because their existence benefits Northwestern Ontario as a whole. Towns such as Atikokan have endemic challenges but also possess unique strengths. The development framework detailed herein aims to help these communities capitalize on their
strengths, to grow and prosper.

This report contains more than forty concrete recommendations in the areas of town beautification, community development, tourism, regional networking, and the establishment of broader networks. Many of these can be done immediately, while others will require more time, effort, and patience. We believe that they are not beyond Atikokan’s reach. Already a remarkable example of perseverance in the face of adversity, Atikokan can demonstrate what is possible when a community achieves its vision.