Timmins housing crunch tops issues as gold mines grow

Timmins is short of the housing it needs for thousands of mine workers expected to arrive over the next five to 10 years, local officials and employers say, making housing a top issue before Ontario’s municipal election on Monday, Oct. 26.

High gold prices have pushed several mining companies in and around the northeastern Ontario city to expand or look at reopening closed mines, CBC News reported. The City of Timmins itself says minimal housing growth has created scarcity and affordability problems that are holding back business and economic growth, according to its council housing page.

“With the projection… it is doubtful that we will be able to build the number of units at market or affordable rates that would be needed in that period of time,” said Brian Marks, chief administrative officer of the Cochrane District Social Services Administration Board.

Marks said construction costs have risen to about $500 per square foot from about $200 before the COVID-19 pandemic, while interest rates have more than doubled, leaving affordable projects dependent on government grants. The board has joined other district service boards in a proposal to the federal Build Canada Homes program that could bring about 62 units to Timmins if funded, he said.

Employers are already feeling the pinch. Angela Tremblay, director of human resources with Lakeshore Gold, which runs the Timmins West and Bell Creek underground mines, said new employees struggle to find affordable rentals or permanent homes. The company provides temporary housing and has sometimes put workers in hotels for up to a month. Because local mines are not camp-based, she said, workers need to be able to live in the community.

Benji Potvin, co-owner of Full Beard Brewing Company and vice-president of the Timmins Chamber of Commerce, said one mine has spoken of adding 2,500 employees over five years. “We need houses yesterday,” he said, urging the next council to speed up approvals.

Marks said the new council should make more serviced residential land available, with water, sewer and stormwater already in place, so builders can start right away. Timmins also competes with larger Ontario communities for developers, trades and materials, he said.

For more on housing costs, see our guide to first-time home buyer programs and more stories on our Ontario towns page.

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