2009
December 2009: Transport-Pontiac-Renfrew is a newly formed community based, non-profit corporation with a Board of Directors from Pontiac and Renfrew counties in Quebec and Ontario respectively.They are working to preserve the commuter rail line from Pembroke to Ottawa.
December 2009: The Smiths Falls & District Chamber of Commerce is celebrating their 120th anniversary.
November 2009: The Quail Creek Retirement Centre in Renfrew has expanded and are hiring.
October 2009: 50 construction workers at CFB Petawawa will not have their contracts renewed beginning next month.
October 2009: Lanark Local Flavour received a $20,000 grant from the government of Ontario to promote farming as a career
October 2009: Petawawa – Quality Inns & Suites opened ... 3119-B Petawawa Blvd. ... 613-687-2855.
October 2009: Pacific Safety celebrates its 25th anniversary
October 2009: Bill Mitchell, owner of the Attic Toy Shop is the new president of the Arnprior Business Improvement Area, replacing out-going president, Tara Pocket
October 2009: White Lake Marina, owned by Peter and Andra Bettencourt, will begin offering services throughout the winter, staying open for snowmobilers, renting fishing huts and selling bait and tackle.
October 2009: Kerio Chic shoe store, owned by Keri Laurier opened on John Street in Arnprior
October 2009: The North Renfrew Mall is being demolished after the last store open there closed in July
October 2009: AECL is currently looking to fill 250 positions at the Chalk River Laboratory. For more information please visit: www.aecl.ca
October 2009: Signs At Work opens in Perth
October 2009: The following new businesses recently opened in Smiths Falls: Coffee Culture, Alexio Restaurant, Nick Fish and Chips, The Old and New Shop and Doggie Style Grooming Salon
June 2008: Timminco announces its plan to close Haley Station manufacturing facility. The company's workforce has been in decline for many years. The final closing impacts 24 employees. Click here to read the newspaper article
2007
December 2007: Keata Pharma announces its intentions to purchase Phizer Canada's Arnprior plant, saving 175 jobs: Click here to read the newspaper article
May 2007: Trimag announces it will close its Haley Station manufacturing facility resulting in more than 100 full-time jobs being lost. Click here to read the newspaper article Click here to read the newspaper article
August 2006: On-Line Support officially opens its second call centre in Pembroke in the former Eddy Match Building. The Call Centre projects its workforce will surpass 400 employees sometime in 2007. Click here to read the newspaper article (#1)
August 2006: Phizer Canada in Arnprior announces its plan to close its Arnprior facility within two years.
June 2006: Smurfit-MBI closes its corrugated board plant in Pembroke resulting in the permanent lay off of more than 120 full-time employees.
April 2006: TeleTech opens new call centre in Renfrew, creating approximately 100 full-time jobs.
Click here to read the newspaper on the Smurfit-MBI Employee Action Centre
Click here to read the newspaper article
(#2)
2006
April 2007: American retail giant Value Village announces intentions to open a store in Pembroke, creating 50 full and part-time jobs. The store will open in September 2007. Click here to read the newspaper article from the Pembroke Store Opening
February 2007: Hershey Canada announces intentions to close Smiths Falls manufacturing facility, potentially resulting in the loss of more than 400 jobs.
August 2007: ATC Panels continues hiring spurt. More than 80 jobs added to support new moulding division at Pembroke fibre board plant.
February 2008: Action Centre is set up in Renfrew for displaced workers at Trimag Plant. The plant announced its intentions to close its Haley Station manufacturing faculity in May, impacting more than 100 employees.
May 2008: Atomic Energy of Canada announces its intentions to shut down the Maple X reactor project at its Chalk River laboratories. The reactors were intended to assist with medical isotope production but after years of construction they never reaching their potential.
October 2008: Stone Container announces it will close its pulp and paper plant in Portage Du Fort, Quebec as of October 31, 2008, throwing 218 people out of work, including several Ontarians who live in Renfrew County.
November 2008: ATC Panels announces a further lay off at its fibreboard plant in Laurentian Valley, impacting almost all of the company's 140 employees. The company says the plant shutdown will remain in place until market conditions improve in the forestry sector.
November 2008: Algonquin College's Board of Governors approve plan to build new Pembroke Campus and new building for Perth Campus. The Perth project is scheduled for completion by fall 2011 with the Pembroke project completed by fall 2012. Both projects will create significant construction jobs and lead to more access to post-secondary training in Renfrew and Lanark counties.
2008
December 2008: Zomax in Arnprior lays off almost 80 employees.
March 2009: 'A' Television annouces lay off of almost all of its Pembroke Television station employees as part of a nation wide downsizing to stop financial losses at its conventional TV stations. The job cuts essentially close the Pembroke station which has been broadcasting in the Ottawa Valley for more than 50 years.
March 2009: Sandvik Steel in Arnprior announces layoff of 40 employees.
April 2009: More job losses at Pembroke Daily Observer. 7 full-time employees and 23 part-time employees in the company's mailroom operation are losing their jobs at the century old newspaper as its parent company, Opsrey, tries to cut costs. Earlier this year, the Daily Paper eliminated its Monday paper and cut jobs in its sales and office staff areas.
June 2009: Aquablue Spring Water International announces it is purchasing former Hershey Plant in Smiths Falls. The acquisition will help create jobs in the town which has been hard hit by plant closures in recent months. Learn more: http://www.aquablueinternational.com/news.htm
April 2009: Ottawa Valley Rail announces 30 employees will lose their jobs as a result of the economic downtown which is reducing the transport of materials on OVR's railways in Eastern and Northern Ontario.
October 2009: H. Rose Machining in Carleton Place received more than $230,000 in funding from the government of Ontario as part of their $1.5 million plant for expansion which includes building a 5,000 sqft building, new equipment and 14 new jobs in the next 5 years.
December 2009: Keata Pharma (formerly Pfizer) has been sold to Pillar 5 Pharma. 35 positions were cut in November, however the new company employs 95 people and are looking to expand their current customer base.
December 2009: The Hershey Chocolate Plant in Smiths Falls was bought in June 2009 by Aquablue International. They will be hiring approximately 200 employees.
December 2009: The Walmart expansion in the Township of Laurentian Valley has received approval in exchange for a $50,000 donation to the Pembroke Downtown Development Commission.
January 2007: Commonwealth Plywood in Pembroke announces its planned closure of its veneer division in Pembroke. More than 100 employees are impacted by the pending closure. Click here to read the newspaper article An action centre has been established to help the workers affected by this closure.
October 2008: ATC Panels announces one month lay off of almost 70 workers at its Laurentian Valley fibrboard plant just outside Pembroke. The lay off impacts almost half of the plant's employees.
December 2008: Tel Tech announces its plan to close its Renfrew call centre, effective February 2009. The closing will displace more than 300 workers.
February 2009: Tel Tech officially closes its doors at its call centre in Renfrew.
January 2009: A major New Year's Day fire destroys six businesses in Renfrew, including Deslaurier Custom Cabinets. More than 150 employees are displaced by the blaze. Deslaurier plans to re-build.
December 2009: The Upper Ottawa Valley Chamber of Commerce has a new website that is easier to use. http://www.upperottawavalleychamber.com | 
Current Projects (2009 - 2010)