Press Release
(For immediate release)
Little Brook, NS – July 28, 2021: The Municipality of the District of Clare has sold the Clare ecoparc to a local group of investors to transform the site into a private sector-led business park.
The municipality acquired the former Comeau Lumber Ltd. lumber mill, in 2011. A portion of the site was paid for completely with Federal Gas Tax funds for $225,000, while the remaining assets became property of the Municipality of Clare at tax sale. Over the years, the municipality has preserved the site’s existing infrastructure with the long-term goal of transforming it into a private sector-led business park.
“This collaboration is an excellent opportunity to encourage economic development in Clare,” states Yvon LeBlanc, Deputy Warden for the Municipality of Clare. “The industries that are setting up at the ecoparc are ideally suited to help us achieve our vision of transforming the site into a business hub, which will have positive economic repercussions for Clare and beyond.”
As for the type of activity planned for the site, the buyers envision it as a place that caters to innovation, serves as a hub for innovation and provides services and products while fostering innovative business development. To date, the following companies have expressed interest in moving to the business park: Clare Machine Works, JD Composites, Enginuity Inc., Oakleaf Crane and Inspection Services Ltd., Ignite Labs and Shoreline Transport.
Vince Stuart of Clare Machine Works was the driving force behind this transaction until his untimely passing on July 16 of this year.
Fellow investor Joel German of JD Composites states, “Vince Stuart was renowned for his entrepreneurial vision and innovation. It is not without heavy hearts that we are moving forward with his dream of focusing on innovation as we build on the businesses already established on site that are using cutting-edge technology to add value and reduce risk for existing industries.”
Gary LeBlanc of Oakleaf Crane and Inspection Services Ltd. adds: “I am very honoured to be a part of this collaboration. Our team is motivated to realize a dream envisioned by Vince and supported by our community leaders. As Vince often said, ‘It’s easy to dream when you have a team.’”
In the agreement reached with the municipality on July 12, the buyers are responsible for developing the 50-acre property on Highway 1 in Meteghan and preparing it for future investment.
“Investments in this property go beyond simply adding value to the site, they also benefit the community in terms of investment attraction and job creation,” noted Stéphane Cyr, Chief Administrative Officer of the Municipality of Clare. “The vision for this space reflects the municipality’s commitment to community development and innovation, such as our investment in rural high-speed Internet and our modernization plans for the Clare Veterans Centre. We look forward to welcoming new and ground-breaking businesses back to this location.”
In the time leading up to the sale, the municipality recovered the purchase amount of the property and generated additional revenue by disposing of some of the site’s surplus assets.
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Settled in 1768 and incorporated in 1879, the Municipality of Clare is located at the southwestern tip of Nova Scotia with approximately 8,000 residents. The Municipality of Clare is the only municipality in the province that conducts business and offers services in both official languages, French and English.
Media Contact / Interviews:
Yvon LeBlanc
Deputy Warden
Municipality of Clare
902-769-2031
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Stéphane Cyr
Chief Administrative Officer
Municipality of Clare
902-769-2031
This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.