Business and Support Services
Working in White River
Employment in White River is expansive in regards to primary and secondary industries, and with a growing industrial sector, our community also has gained the capacity to grow its tertiary business and service sectors. White River currently has two large industrial operations in the community: White River Forest Products, which is a locally owned lumber operation, and Harte Gold Corp’s Sugar Zone Mine Site, a gold mine that has been in operation since 2018 and has been approved for a 15-year operating life. White River has an array of employment options and is always looking for motivated, selfless, and hardworking people to move to town and contribute to this progressive and ever-growing community.
Whether you’re seeking to gain employment in an expanding industry or set up a commercial operation of your own, White River has the support services to point you in the right direction. Our Regional Employment Help Centre assists residents with the fundamentals of gaining employment and offers additional services such as resume editing, critiquing, and aids in searching for careers that fit existing job skills through local ‘help wanted’ ads. If you are a self-starter and want to start a business but don’t know how to maneuver your first few steps, our Economic Development Office can assist you in the basics of business management. Our local Economic Development Officer can assist you with finding federal and provincial funding applications, researching local real estate for commercial use, and other core aspects of setting-up your business in our community.
Working in White River is rewarding, and knowing you’re within a community that offers a wide range of career options adds much-needed security in a time where many people struggle to find a comfortable fit in the world of employment. Contact our local Regional Employment Help Centre at info@wawarehc.com or view job listings on Indeed to see where you may fit best in White River.
Advice for Small Businesses
If you want to make your dream of starting your own business and being your own boss a reality but don’t know where to start, click these links. These articles will provide you all the information you will need to know in order to start your very own business here in White River. These articles contain helpful information about how to start your own business, how to finance your business, how to find out if your business idea is actually feasible, investment readiness, and so much more. If you’ve already started your business this page also contains articles to help with finding statistical solutions, tax-free help, and skills-training for employees.
You can also contact our Economic Development Office at 807-822-1257 or email at troy@whiteriver.ca if you’re looking for more information about business in White River.
Explore the links below for additional information.
Start-Up/Entrepreneurial Checklist
This document lays out the mandatory steps to becoming funding-compliant and offers some recommended strategic options.
Links for Entrepreneurs
7 Steps to a Feasibility Study (How to Conduct a Feasibility Study)
Skills Training for Indigenous Entrepreneurs
Business Planning Help and Training for Rural Ontario Entrepreneurs
Customized Statistics Solutions for your Small Business
Tax-Free Help for your Small Business
Training for Early-Stage Start-Ups in Northwestern Ontario
Support and Networking Services for Women Entrepreneurs in Northern Ontario
Investment Readiness Support in Northern Ontario
BizPal
If you are interested in opening up your own business in White River, visit the BizPal link below to streamline the business permit and licensing application process. BizPal takes the complications out of applying for business permits so you can set your operation up as quickly as possible.
BizPal - Business Permit and Licence Information
Small Business Funding Applications and Assistance
If you are looking for funding services or loans to help start or grow your local business, we’ve compiled a list of some of the best funding and loan programs operated by regional foundations, the provincial government, and the federal government. Check out any of these links below to learn more about that specific program and to begin the application process. Our “Small Business Support Services” page also contains helpful information about how to start and operate a business in White River.
You can also visit our local Economic Development Office at 610 Elgin Street, email through wredc@whiteriver.ca, or call directly at 807-822-2859 to speak with our Economic Development Officer about how you can get help to start a business in White River.
Funding and Grants
NOHFC – Northern Business Opportunity Program
Aboriginal Business and Entrepreneur Development
Financing to Solve Economic, Environmental, and Social Problems
$5,000 Money and Advice for Small Businesses
$3,000 Summer Student Business Funding Grant
How to Find Funding to Fit your Specific Small Business
Loans
$10,000 to $100,000 Small Business Loan Application from BDC (Business Development Canada)
BDC (Business Development Canada) Indigenous Entrepreneur Loan
BDC Loan to Buy an Existing Business
BDC Loan and Advice for Immigrant Entrepreneurs (immigrated within 3 years)