Kenora is the second-largest city in resource-rich Northwestern Ontario. Surrounded by natural resources including vast Boreal forest, a diverse base of minerals, pure water on Lake of the Woods, freshwater fish and other abundant resources, Kenora supports a growing set of manufacturers that transform raw resources into high quality products.
Strategic location
The City of Kenora is located in close proximity to large provincial, national and international markets. Winnipeg, Minneapolis, the Canadian prairies and the U.S. Midwest are all located nearby making Kenora an ideal location for regional manufacturers serving these markets.
Type of manufacturing
The manufacturing industry in Kenora focuses on four main sectors:
- Forest products
- Durable goods
- Mineral products
- Consumer goods
Industry facts
- Kenora's manufacturing sector contributes over $43 million to the City's GDP
- The Kenora District accounts for 18% of Northwestern Ontario's manufacturing labour force, most of which is based in the City of Kenora
- Kenora's highly-skilled workforce is comprised of a working age population (ages 25 to 65) of over 8,500 workers
- Kenora is home to the world's largest TimberStrand engineered wood product mill
Key opportunities for growth
- Avalon Advanced Materials plans over $500M in new investment in a lithium processing operation
- New exporting manufactures like Lake of the Woods Brewing Company is bringing new streams of funds into the community through the export of food and beverage products
- There are opportunities for Kenora to play a role in bringing new forest products to market by leveraging stable access to fibre and residuals
Sector profile
View the 2017 Manufacturing Sector Profile for complete details on the manufacturing sector including opportunities for growth and major sector employers.
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