KENORA – With the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company looking to expand its operations to a new 20,000-square-foot facility, the City of Kenora has decided to move forward in helping the beer merchants achieve success.
Using the future land development reserve, city staff hope the new facility on Valley Drive will boost Kenora's economy by creating new job opportunities, developing tourism, and expanding local commerce.
The new location will include a manufacturing and production facility, a retail outlet, a restaurant and a four-season attraction for both residents and visitors.
Inside the facility, the council report states there will be a 150-seat tasting room, catering kitchen and retail space that will operate year-round. The property will also include an industrial warehouse. The facility will take up to 15 acres of land with further development that may be considered for amenities such as hiking trails and community gardens.
In the council report, the Economic Development and Tourism Department's internal review found that there could be around 47,000 incremental visits to the facility once built.
The director of Economic Development and Tourism, Stace Gander, called this “one of the largest employment-creation projects in the last decade.
“This higher level of employment will create overall benefit back to the community as manifested through income dollars. It will go back into the community as noted earlier in the presentation. The project will create 19 full-time jobs and at least 10 part-time jobs,” Gander said.
Coun. Kelsie Van Belleghem said she supports the Brewer’s Village Project - however, she asked Gander to clarify what happens if the Lake of the Woods Brewing Company breaks the agreement.
She said her question is not so much about the project, but the development contribution by-Law, which authorizes the city to enter into agreements with the private sector on projects that benefit the municipality.
“What is our recourse? Can we get that money back through some means if this doesn't go through or they don't meet the terms of the agreement as written?” Van Belleghem asked.
Gander clarified that each project application will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. After council votes to proceed with a contribution project with a private sector member, staff and council have the flexibility to ensure their investment in the project is secure.
“We looked at things like the track record of the existing operation. We know that when an $8-million investment in the council includes a $375,000 contribution that they've got a lot of skin in the game, so they're going to proceed,” Gander said.
On Jan. 16, council voted to proceed with financial contribution of $375,000 to Lake of the Woods Brewing Company.
