Business

Months of uncertainty about the future of Ivaco Rolling Mills ended with employees receiving a huge Christmas gift on Thursday, December 22.

The region's largest employer, located in L'Orignal, has received the go-ahead to proceed with upgrades that will help modernize the aging facility.
The company had been considering a $20-million capital investment to correct emission problems in the bag house as well as other upgrades to the plant.

Despite a few closures and the near-miss of a major commercial development, Champlain Township's economic outlook is relatively rosy for a municipality of its size, according to its economic coordinator.

A decision to shut down a home-delivery partnership between Beau's All Natural Brewery's and an Ottawa-based charity was reversed by Queen's Park late last week after an outpouring of public outcry quickly worked its way up the ladders of provincial government.

The BottleWorks partnership, between Beau's and Operation Come Home, expects to raise money for the charity through delivery fees and help a few homeless youth by providing them with jobs.

Cooter Muck Probiotics, the makers of the Compostgenie green-bin deodorizer, recently moved from the Vankleek Hill industrial park to a new location on Highway 34.

The move to the larger warehouse, located just north of the town limits, took place on September 1. According to CEO Adam Webster, who co-founded the company with Scott Russell, the new facility will allow them to take better control of an increased demand for its product.

Not the type of tree you would see in the forest, but rather, your family tree. And one step at a time, her research and work allows people to discover the “branches” on their trees – in other words, learn about who they are and where they came from.

One would think the staff at Beau's All-Natural Brewery would be looking forward to a few days of rest following the long weekend that was Oktoberfest.

But if you love what you do - and what you do is brewing beer - then you have no problem showing up to work Monday morning and conjuring up two special batches with two of the world's finest beer connoisseurs.

It will be the end of an era when Harden's Jewellers closes its doors for the final time at the end of this year.

After more than 60 years in business, the Harden family has decided to close its Hawkesbury store. The Hardens have two stores, one in Hawkesbury and one in Kanata.

Harden's Jewellers was established in 1949 by Bill and Julie Harden. As newlyweds, they opened their first store in Hawkesbury, Ontario and became well known in the community and surrounding areas for their fine giftware and jewellery.

Despite concerns expressed over a proposed transportation depot at Highway 34 and Aberdeen Road, council members in Champlain Township took the advice of their planning consultant and approved a zoning change for the project.

The depot would be used year-round by truck traffic for Mike's Waste Disposal, an idea opposed by nearby residents at a meeting last month. Neighbours cited concerns about noise pollution, air pollution, the potential for site and groundwater contamination, and property devaluation.

Representatives from Colacem Canada presented their case for a new cement plant to Champlain Township council last month, saying it could be built next to the existing Bertrand rock quarry near L'Orignal within three years.

Colacem Canada has owned and operated the existing cement plant on Kilmar Road in Grenville-sur-la-Rouge since 2007, though its representatives were quick to distinguish it from the proposed plant in L'Orignal.