Vale Inco -

Discovered in 1956 in the wilderness of the boreal forest north of the 55th parallel, the Thompson orebody led to creation of a brand new community. Named after Dr. John F. Thompson, Inco's Chairman at the time, Thompson, Manitoba was built on a bend in the Burntwood River and was to become known as the "Hub of the North."

Today Thompson, a city with a population of about 15,000, has one of the busiest airports in the province. As well as being a mining centre, it has become a leading cold-weather testing site in Canada, particularly for the automotive and snowmobile industries. As the economic "Hub of the North", Thompson is constantly seeking to diversify its economic base and is doing so with assistance from Inco as a good corporate citizen in the community. In 2006, Inco marked the 50th anniversary of the discovery of the Thompson orebody, which led to the development of the world's first fully integrated nickel mining and processing complex - and the community of Thompson.

Investing In the Community

Over the last half century at Thompson, Manitoba, Inco has generated thousands of jobs, has paid billions of dollars in wages, purchases and taxes, and has significantly contributed to the region's broader social and economic fabric.

Today, the company continues to be the cornerstone of the town's economy, paying more than $90 million (Cdn. $125 million) a year in wages (excluding benefits) to 1,500 employees and around $70 million (Cdn. $100 million) in purchases from local suppliers. We also spend in the range of $3.5 million (Cdn. $5 million) a year in exploration annually.

Inco is committed to continuously improving the quality of life in our northern community. In the early years, we assisted in the development of a community ski facility, a golf course and other major community 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.

We have also made significant donations to projects over the years that benefit all Manitobans. For instance Inco contributed $250,000 to the Health Sciences Center in Winnipeg; $100,000 for development of a marsh habitat at Lynch Point in southern Manitoba operated by Ducks Unlimited. It also is an ongoing supporter of numerous arts and cultural organizations in the province ranging from Royal Winnipeg Ballet to the Museum of Man & Nature.

Community Involvement

In addition to donations, Inco also sponsors events such as Thompson's annual Winterfest and the Nickel Days summer festival. It is also proud to be a corporate sponsor of the Safe Workers of Tomorrow program in Manitoba, an important joint union-company initiative that champions the safety of young workers entering the workforce. Inco also partners with the local museum, Heritage North, where museum volunteers (many of them Inco retirees) conduct guided surface tours of the Thompson nickel producing operation. Inco has also helped sponsor the Thompson Recycling Center Blue Box program. And the company leases its Moak Lake property north of Thompson to Continental Mission which conducts camp programs for northern youngsters, many of them from nearby First Nations communities.

Inco also maintains open communications on environmental issues through its Public Liaison Committee. Comprised of about a dozen volunteer members of the community, the committee meets quarterly to discuss Inco environmental issues that may be of a concern to Thompsonites. Inco also operates a 24-hour-a-day environmental hotline should residents at any time have environmental concerns about Inco's operations. It has also introduced a website providing real-time sulphur dioxide emissions information in the community. To create awareness about the hotline and website, Inco advertises regularly in the media.

For additional information about Thompson, see our latest Good Neighbours Report on Health, Safety, Environment and Community.

Read Manitoba Operations' magazine Celebrating the Years of Discovery 1956-61, written to commemorate the pioneers who found the Thompson ore body and who put the complex and town site on the map. (17.7 MB)

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