Township Of Oliver Paipoonge

One of the most notable features of the Municipality of Oliver Paipoonge is the variety of lifestyles which are accommodated within its borders. Those looking to purchase property can consider numerous options within the municipal area. Families seeking small-town living and friendly neighbours close by can look to the hamlets of Kakabeka Falls, Rosslyn Village and Murillo. Some may prefer planned community living on a 27-hole championship golf course, and be interested in the King George’s Park Estates. Others may seek privacy and large tracts of land, generally found between the municipality’s hamlets. Residential properties are available in a range of lot sizes, population densities and proximity to Thunder Bay and are all taxed at a significantly lower rate than those found in the City and most other regional municipalities.

Trans Canada Highway 11-17, Highway 102 and Highway 61 run through the Municipality. These main routes make travel within the Municipality fast and simple and provide quick access to the City of Thunder Bay. This makes day-to-day living easy, as groceries are available within 15 minutes’ drive of most homes and children can be bussed or driven to school in minutes. As well, community activities and faith services are within easy distance and emergency services can be provided quickly. Post offices are found within the three major hamlets. A hardware store operates near Rosslyn and offers everything from paint to plumbing supplies to snowmobiles. Hair salons, restaurants, dentists, veterinarians and chiropractors offer services within the municipality. Grocery stores operate in the major hamlets and many residents find it attractive to purchase meat and produce from neighbouring farmers.

Eleven churches serve area residents within the municipal boundaries and offer Lutheran, Catholic, United, Baptist, Anglican and Baha’i services. A larger number are located in nearby Thunder Bay.

Health care for most Oliver Paipoonge residents is served from Thunder Bay, where a state-of-the-art hospital, medical specialists, family medical practitioners, walk-in clinics and health units offer emergency and non-emergent care. Ambulance services are provided by Superior North EMS which has bases in Thunder Bay and neighbouring Conmee.

Fire Services are provided by a number of volunteer teams located in the hamlets of Murillo, Kakabeka Falls, Rosslyn, Stanley, Slate River and Intola. Police services are contracted out to the Thunder Bay Police, who provide emergency police response and regular patrols throughout the Municipality.

Oliver Paipoonge is home to a number of service clubs; others are within easy travel in Thunder Bay. Within the municipality a Girl Guide and a Boy Scout troop operate as does an active branch of the Royal Canadian Legion. Groups like the Oliver Agricultural Society and various Women’s Auxiliary units organize special events regularly. In addition, a collection of cooperative residences and organizations provides support services for seniors; among them are the Rural 60+ Centre and the Royal Canadian Legion’s senior residences.

Website: oliverpaipoonge.ca

Oliver Paipoonge’s busy and diverse economy employs people from within and without the municipality. It includes an ample service sector, resource-based industry, agriculture and manufacturing. Among the larger employers are trucking companies, construction, mineral exploration and engineering firms, recycling and wood processing plants and manufacturers of wood products employing a wide range of skilled workers. Whitewater Golf Course alone employs over 30 people.Many small businesses operate in Oliver Paipoonge. The majority of these are service businesses including restaurants, retail establishments, esthetic services, dental, legal and chiropractic professionals and tourist operators which serve the community and highway traffic. Others are agriculture-oriented and include farmers, farm suppliers, veterinarians and agricultural transport businesses.Oliver Paipoonge is also populated by many home-based businesses including welding shops, auto mechanics, small-scale manufacturers and professional services. Lower property tax rates make this option appealing and the availability of high-speed Internet throughout most of the Municipality makes it achievable for a number of professionals.Many of Oliver Paipoonge’s residents are employed in the nearby city of Thunder Bay and make a 30 minute commute to their place of work in minimal traffic on well-maintained roads and highways.Job postings in the municipality and the area within commuting distance of Oliver Paipoonge can be found in the local newspapers and at Service Canada’s Job Bank.

Useful Links:

• Job Bank
• Chronicle Journal
• Thunder Bay News Watch

Education happens only partly within the classroom.  In today’s world this is sometimes overlooked because of the hazards of allowing one’s children unsupervised outdoor play.  In Oliver Paipoonge our slogan “Growing Naturally” encompasses the idea that children can grow up in a safe and healthy natural environment, learning from the world around them.  Our municipality is proud to be a safe place to raise children and very pleased to offer elementary school education within our borders as well as two public libraries, a Rural Roots Family Centre, drop-in play groups and various private daycares.

Children attending elementary school in Oliver Paipoonge are generally within 15 minutes’ drive of their classrooms, making it easy for many parents to drive their children to school.  Excellent bussing services are also provided and children are generally picked up and dropped off at the ends of their driveways.  Most elementary school students attend Kakabeka Falls Elementary school in Kakabeka, Valley Central School in the Slate River Valley or Crestview Elementary in Murillo.  Others have chosen to enroll in Thunder Bay Christian School, a private institution which offers classes from Junior Kindergarten to grade 10.

High school students from the municipality are bussed or driven approximately 30 minutes to Thunder Bay. The majority of students from Oliver Paipoonge attend Westgate CVI, Sir Winston Churchill CVI or St. Patrick High School. Students can also apply to be enrolled in one of the other high schools operated by the Lakehead School Board or Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board.

There are various childcare and parenting resources available to municipality residents.  Chief among these is the Rural Family Resource Centre in Murillo. The Centre offers a toy lending library, education and support for parents. It also has drop-in play facilities where parents can meet and socialize their children. Another drop-in play group operates out of the Rosslyn Community Centre once a week.

Most working parents make use of larger daycare facilities in Thunder Bay. Private daycares and babysitters operate within the Municipality and can be found through advertising and by word of mouth.

Residents seeking continuing or adult education have many resources available in nearby Thunder Bay. Single courses and full programs are offered at Confederation College and Lakehead University and various private career colleges offer skills development and adult education courses. The Lakehead School Board offers English Second Language and high school equivalency programs.

Two public libraries are available to residents. One is located in Murillo near the Municipal Offices. The second is under construction at the Rosslyn Community Centre and is expected to open as a fully handicapped-accessible facility in February 2010.

Useful Links

• Schools in the Area
• 
Lakehead Public Schools
• Thunder Bay Catholic District School Board
• 
Oliver Paipoonge Public Library
• Lakehead University
• Confederation College

Oliver Paipoonge is actively seeking to grow its considerable business community. Industrial property tax rates are significantly lower than larger city centres and more in-line with smaller area municipalities’ rates. The Municipality is committed to community planning which includes zoned industrial areas and has recently set aside and begun infrastructure installation for a second industrial parkland within the municipality.

Business investment opportunities have been identified in biodiesel fuel production, value-added wood product manufacturing, agriculture development and mineral exploration in the region. Due to the recent mill closures in nearby Thunder Bay there is a large skilled labour force in the outlying area. Labour availability and rates in the district are attractive and quite competitive.

Existing industry includes manufacturers of value-added wood products like Superior Thermowood and Global Sticks, a number of engineering and construction firms serving the region, and mineral exploration. Access to a variety of transportation venues has been important to many of these companies. Nearby Lake Superior offers shipping via the Great Lakes to the ocean, the Canadian Pacific Rail is immediately nearby and the Trans Canada Highway traverses the municipality. Oliver Paipoonge’s proximity to the longitudinal centre of the country makes it an excellent location for manufacturing companies with national customer bases.

In addition to the available land and water transport, Thunder Bay International Airport is within 30 minutes’ drive of the municipality, offering business principals wishing to relocate to the area direct flights to a number of Canadian and US cities and easy access to other business interests. High speed Internet, telephone and cellular telephone service is available throughout most of the municipality.

Useful Links:

• Oliver Paipoonge

Raili R. Roy

Two years ago I purchased a home in the municipality of Oliver Paipoonge, located near the hamlet of Stanley on a large tract of land. It’s a decision I know I’ll never regret. Returning to country life had been an ambition of mine for some time, and having driven through the municipality on business regularly I’d come to the conclusion that it was an ideal location to do so. The scenery is stunning: it seems that everywhere I look I see long fields with mountains popping up near the horizon or green forests with creeks running off into the trees. The roads are in good repair and are well laid-out, making it easy to find short-cuts and scenic routes from one side of the municipality to the other, and the people I’ve met are good-hearted and generous and seem genuinely welcoming.

The house I purchased was in bad repair and the land needed cleaning up. One of my first stops was the Municipal Office, where I’ve returned regularly for help, advice and permits for building and brush burning. You and your staff have been wonderful and your encouragement and support much appreciated. I’ve also been gratified to meet my new neighbours, who have made a point of visiting to introduce themselves, congratulate me on my purchase and offer assistance.

I’m self-employed and work mostly from a home office. Within 15 minutes’ drive of my home are a well-stocked grocery store, a post office, a hardware store which has yet to disappoint me, some great little restaurants and a tavern where they make the best burgers I’ve ever eaten. I’ve developed a solid client base among the many businesses in the area and most of my work is conducted via the internet but drives to Thunder Bay for business meetings are quick and easy down the Trans Canada Highway and I’ve yet to find the roads in my area unplowed in the winter.

I’d like to thank you and the Municipal staff for the excellent management and care exercised in the running of the municipality. It’s made my settling-in very smooth and is no doubt partly responsible for the good nature and hometown pride I’ve noted in the other residents I’ve met. Wishing you the best in your continuing efforts to improve the place I’m very proud to call home, I remain.

Oliver Paipoonge offers a large variety of municipal recreational facilities for residents’ use. Two Community Centres – one in Rosslyn Village, the other in Murillo - offer rental facilities for private events, as well as various community sports facilities. Among these are outdoor skating rinks, baseball diamonds and soccer fields found in Murillo, Kakabeka Falls, Slate River, Intola and Rosslyn. In addition to the various outdoor skating rinks the Nor-West Arena offers both recreational and competitive hockey leagues for youth and adults.

Many of the residents of Oliver Paipoonge have been attracted to the area by the outdoor activities available. In the summer these include boating, hunting and fishing, hiking, rock-climbing and horseback riding. Kayaking and canoeing – including some whitewater locations – attract tourists yearly. In the colder months many residents participate in ice-fishing, skating, snowshoeing and winter hiking. Cross-country skiing on the groomed trails in the area is popular, as is snowmobiling on the Thunder Bay Adventure Trails which run through the municipality. The area around Thunder Bay is home to two downhill skiing facilities and a third is located just south of the US border in Lutsen, MN.

Various attractions in the area entertain residents and tourists alike. The Thunder Oak Cheese Farm makes and sells its own Gouda cheese and offers a look at the process. River Rat Rentals offers the opportunity to leisurely float down a shallow stretch of the Kaministiquia on large inner tubes. Pioneer Village Founder’s Museum provides a hands-on experience of life at the turn of the century. Various farms like Belluz Farms, Gammondale Farm and The Dell offer seasonal pick-your-own produce and farm-related activities to the public, attracting many thousands of people every year. The Kakabeka Falls Provincial Park offers camping, hiking, a sandy beach and other outdoor activities like cross-country skiing in the winter, along with views of the spectacular Kakabeka Falls or “Niagara of the North.”

A number of local organizations exist that are dedicated to hosting annual events. Many are agriculture-related and promote activities like Plowing Matches, Tractor Races and old-fashioned Fall Fairs with craft competitions, chariot races and calf roping. A thriving equestrian society holds gymkhanas, horse-races and, for the adventuresome, activities like cross-country rides and “posse runs.” Riding lessons are popular and are offered, along with other equestrian services, at a number of private stables.

Two golf courses are located within the municipality. One of the best-known attractions in Oliver Paipoonge is Whitewater Golf Course, a 27-hole championship golf course with some of the most spectacular scenery in the area.

City attractions are available just 30 minutes’ drive away in Thunder Bay and include a Community Auditorium which hosts international musical and theatre acts, a nationally-recognized theatre company, multiplex cinemas, golf courses, downhill ski facilities and more.

Useful Links

• Kakabeka Falls
• Founders Museum & Pioneer Village
• Belluz Farms
• Gammondale Farm
• Cheese Farm
• River Rat Tubing
• Murillo Fair