Our Communities: A History of Partnership

Inco has long been committed to continuously improving the quality of life in our northern community. We have assisted in the development of a community ski facility, a golf course and other recreational facilities. We have made some notable community donations, including $245,000 (Cdn. $350,000) for a civic park, $50,000 (Cdn. $75,000) toward a mammography unit at the Thompson General Hospital and $40,000 (Cdn. $60,000) toward refurbishment of a theatre facility used by the community and school system.

Benefiting All Manitobans

Since our involvement in Manitoba began, we have also made significant donations to benefit all Manitobans to projects beyond Thompson, including $175,000 (Cdn. $250,000) to the Foundation for Health Capital Campaign in Winnipeg and $70,000 (Cdn. $100,000) for development of a marsh habitat at Lynch Point in southern Manitoba operated by Ducks Unlimited. Inco contributed $40,000 (Cdn. $60,000) toward a World Wildlife Fund research project to preserve the burrowing owl species that lives on the Canadian prairies.

We continue to be active and generous supporters of our community on an ongoing basis. In 2002 and 2003, for example, our community giving budget was $70,000 (Cdn. $101,000).

Supporting a Wide Range of Activities

On an annual basis, we provide funding to a wide range of recipients, from civic and cultural to athletic and educational endeavours. At the same time, we sponsor events such as Thompson's annual Winterfest and the Nickel Days summer festival and other programs including a Youth Environmental Centre and, in cooperation with the United Steelworkers of America, a Workers of Tomorrow safety initiative for young people.

For many years, we have been partners with the local museum, Heritage North, where volunteers, many of them Inco retirees, conduct guided surface tours of the nickel producing operation. We participate in the Thompson Recycling Centre, sponsoring its Blue Box program.

Helping to Improve Quality of Life

In 2002, Inco contributed $70,000 (Cdn. $100,000) toward the Burntwood Regional Health Authority's new 40-bed personal care home in Thompson. The state-of-the-art facility is designed to improve the quality of life for many seniors residing in Thompson as well as 25 nearby communities.

For more information on community development initiatives in Thompson, please see the Aboriginal Partnerships section of this report.

A Plan for Tomorrow Thompson is still a very active mining and processing centre for the company, but the orebody is finite. “Mining is the past and present at Thompson,” says Dan McSweeney, Superintendent of Public and Government Affairs at Thompson Operations. “The future has to consist of something more.” Recognizing this reality, in 2003 we introduced a 10-year, $1.8 million (Cdn. $2.5 million) community development initiative to assist the town of Thompson achieve a more diversified economic base. Working in partnership with the community’s Economic Development Advisory Committee, we are confident that such a goal can be achieved. “Thompson already has a good foundation in starting to build its own future,” says McSweeney. “It has become a leading cold weather testing site for automakers from around the world. Snowmobile manufacturers are also testing here and the aviation industry has also done some work in Thompson.The city is also becoming a hub of regional transportation and has huge tourism potential with thousands of lakes and rivers and a rich First Nations heritage.” “There is no reason why the community’s future cannot be bright.”