Kirkland Lake is extremely well integrated into the regional economy of northeastern Ontario and, to a lesser extent, northwestern Quebec. The major centres of Timmins, Rouyn Noranda and Temsikaming Shores anchor a consistent flow of people, products and services. This is driven by a variety of factors including:

• Access to key services, especially health;

• The rationalization of service and supply processes to meet the needs of industrial clusters throughout the region;

• Changes in employment patterns;

• Social reasons (i.e. access to entertainment, family visits, etc).

The impact on the local market is significant. The past decades have seen a contraction of the local retail sector. Today, Kirkland Lakers are very well provided for in terms of their day to day needs (i.e. groceries, hardware, home and vehicle maintenance, financial and real estate services). Discretionary shopping options however are relatively weak, as this is something that people are more inclined to satisfy through online shopping or out of town shopping. That said, this is where niche opportunities exist. For example, clothing, home décor, seniors services and products.

A similar situation exists within the industrial sector. Local supply companies leverage robust distribution networks to compete with out of town bulk suppliers for the provision of consumables. Keeping that distribution network going however is a challenge. That has been recognized as an opportunity by companies such as Fedex Ground. Specialized equipment, products and services tend to be brought in as they depend on major suppliers with the range of product choices and infrastructure in place to economically and efficiently service short turn around demands. That does not preclude local investment however. Companies that provide industrial services common to different industries (i.e. millwright, electrical distribution and service, environmental expertise, instrumentation), may find that they have a small but diverse core customer base in Kirkland Lake comprising the co-generation plant, mine, forestry mill. This can give them the foundation to service enterprises in Matachewan, Elk Lake, Englehart, etc.