Lodge helped to cut energy costs

The Ontario government is helping a lodge on Rainy Lake reduce energy costs by investing in the installation of a solar energy system, Northern Development and Mines Minister Rick Bartolucci announced Monday.
“We’re on the side of northerners. That’s why we’re helping small northern businesses cut costs by promoting the use of alternate energy sources,” said Bartolucci, who also chairs the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund Corp. (NOHFC).
“We are helping businesses to explore renewable energy options and reduce consumption costs while positioning themselves for future economic growth,” he added.
The NOHFC is providing $33,031 to Silver Muskie Lodge to purchase and install a solar energy system. The project also includes expansion of the electrical room to accommodate a battery bank.
The lodge and its facilities—located on Rainy Lake—currently use a diesel generator for electrical power.
“Our government has made a commitment to help small businesses reach their goals for economic growth,” Bartolucci said. “Investments such as this one help to promote prosperity in the region and create new opportunities for northerners.”
Other McGuinty government initiatives for northerners include:
•a $1.8 billion investment, over the next five years, in upgraded and expanded northern highways;
•investments in northern health care, including $25 million to reduce wait times in the north, $6.6 million for telemedicine, and major hospital expansions and improvements in Sault Ste. Marie, North Bay, Sioux Lookout, Thunder Bay, and Sudbury; and
•the opening of the first Northern Ontario School of Medicine, to training doctors in the north, so they will practice in the north.
These initiatives are part of the government’s Northern Prosperity Plan for building stronger northern communities.