Town of Cochrane Strategic Plan – Final Report October 2014
These corporations provided an annual dividend of $325,000 to the Town in 2011.57 According to
a report by KPMG, “CTS is facing the prospect of increased competition, with the prospect of its
competitive position and profitability eroding over time.”58
Northland Power is establishing a 30MW solar energy project i n Cochrane, with an anticipated
start date of spring 2014. The firm has a Feed-In-Tarriff contract with the Ontario Power Authority.
4.2.9 Hydroelectric Station
The Taykwa Tagamou Nation and Ontario Power Generation have created a partnership and will
begin negotiations on a hydroelectric generating station. The project will create “enough energy to
service 25,000 homes…[and] up to 100 jobs.”59
4.3 Environmental Factors
4.3.1 Geographic Location and Climate
The Town of Cochrane is situated on Highway 11, near the northern end of Ontario’s road
network. It is a two-hour drive to the Québec border. Both of these factors suggest a greater role
for certain tourism audiences than is currently recognized.
The community is located in the Boreal Forest biome, a vast stretch of coniferous forest and
wetlands that covers almost 60% of Canada. The boreal forest stretches across the country in a
1,000km- wide swath between the tundra in the north and the temperate forest and grasslands in
the south. Refer to the 2009 Cochrane District Agricultural Economic Impact Study for more
detailed information on soil types, land classification and the impacts of climate change on this
area.
At 49° latitude North, Cochrane is near the northern margin of the hemiboreal humid continental
climate. This means that the town experiences extremes in seasonal temperatures, from winter
lows in the -40s °C to summer highs in the upper 30s °C. In general, Cochrane residents have very
cold winters, with averages in January of around -18°C. Late summer and fall see cooler
temperatures, while spring and summer are relatively warm, averaging 17°C in July.60 Such
temperature extremes have significant financial implications for the community in terms of road
maintenance. Facility heating costs and snow removal expenses in the winter are costly items in
the Town’s budget.
57
Cochrane Telecom Services. (n.d) Milestones. Available at: http://www.puc.net/archives_milestones.html#sidemenu
KPMG (2011). Corporation of the Town of Cochrane Municipal Organizational and Operational Review.
59
Cochrane Times Post. (2013). TTN and OPG Partner for New Hydroelectric Project. Available at:
http://www.cochranetimespost.ca/2013/08/07/ttn-and-opg-partner-for-new-hydroelectric-project
60
Environment Canada. (n.d) Cochrane, ON. Available at: http://weather.gc.ca/city/pages/on-33_metric_e.html
58
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