The Ontario government has announced it is contributing up to $250,000 for renovations of Coboconk’s historic train station as part of the community’s Summit Wellness Centre project.
The funds from the province’s Rural Economic Development program will be provided to the Coboconk, Norland and Area Chamber of Commerce (CNACC) to help renovate and expand the train station into a multi-use community hub and business incubator.
According to a media release from the Ontario government, the renovations will create commercial space with rental units for businesses, as well as an innovation hub where smaller businesses can book space on a flexible basis.
“The introduction of these new hub-based services will encourage business clusters with a common mandate within Kawartha Lakes’ key economic sectors, including for-profit medical, agriculture, and manufacturing,” the media release states. “This will help to drive opportunities for new sectors, as the CNACC will be able to provide a space for industry stakeholders to work together to develop new products and services and enhance their overall operations.
Coboconk’s train station is a central part of the Summit Wellness Centre project that aims to create a community health and community space, located off of Highway 35, for the underserved northern areas of Kawartha Lakes. The centre will include doctors and nurse practitioners, a walk-in clinic, pharmacy, lab services, dental services, and more.
The total cost of the project is $16 million, of which $1 million has already been raised by the community. Construction began in July 2023, with the centre expected to open in 2025.
