INDUSTRY
The most easterly end
of Coronation Drive hosts the West Hill Industrial park. Here
industries of moderate to small size find their home. The industries
stretch along the CN rail line and are within easy distance of
Ontario's major highway, the 401.
West Hill's little
Industrial Park made the National news with the tragic explosion and
burning of the H.S.E. Hickson Products factory on April 9, 2000. Over
80 firefighters worked on the 5 alarm blaze. West Hill resident's
prayers were answered when prevailing winds kept blowing the toxic
fumes from the spectacular factory fire out over Lake Ontario. The
blaze began around 3:30 p.m. on the factory warehouse roof and
quickly engulfed the entire building and storage yards. Officials
were prepared to evacuate thousands of residents from the area if
needed. A series of explosions tore through the complex causing the
roof to collapse. The heavy plume of black smoke from the fire was
visible as far away as Niagara-on-the-Lake.
In less interesting
times, the heavily treed industrial sites are beautifully laid out
and maintained. Weekends are normally a quiet time here and most of
the members of our family learned to drive along Coronation on Sunday
afternoons. Only last year my wife and I spotted a doe and calf
emerging from the woods, right where this picture was taken. Until
the Hickson fire, Industry and community had co-existed comfortably
in West Hill.
Many of the complexes
along Coronation offer small units that can be rented at a reasonable
cost for family owned manufacturing and distribution centres. The
West Hill industrial park can be a great place to start a
business.
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