Setting up shop

With the Ring of Fire’s spark continuing to burn brighter, Activation Laboratories Ltd. has nothing but growing to do in Northwestern Ontario.

With three facilities in Thunder Bay and ones in Red Lake, Geraldton and Timmins, the mineral testing company – based out of Ancaster, Ont. – should have their fourth city location fully operational within the next few months.

The new facility, which will employ about 30-to-40 people full time, is located in the former Brick building on Walsh Street and will be the home to all of ACT Labs’ chemistry testing applications so they can expand their local headquarters in the former Confederation College hangar. The expansion is needed to accommodate more sample preparation work.

"The Ring of Fire has pretty much ignited this area," said ACT Labs president Eric Hoffman. "The price of gold has ignited this area. Platinum metals are doing well at the present time. This area is quite endowed with mineral resources."

Hoffman said they’re trying to get labs in the communities nearest to the mineral exploration so they can get the results back faster to the companies.

"It lowers costs because we don’t have to ship the samples and it supports the industry much better," he said. "If we can turn results around quickly for the customers that are high quality and they can speed up their exploration program it in turn will generate more business for us as well. It helps everybody."

Regional manager Ryan Mackie said the price of gold and the chromite found in the Ring of Fire is driving the exploration industry in Northern Ontario.

"I think it’s revitalizing the community in Northwestern Ontario," he said. "We’re starting to see a transfer from the forestry sector to the mining sector."

Out of ACT Labs’ 70 Thunder Bay employees, Mackie said many are former forestry workers. He said he sees no signs of the industry slowing down anytime soon.

Hoffman agreed saying that in the next few years he believes the region will see a number of mines opening up.