To meet the growing demand for housing in Atikokan, Ontario, Canada, Dave Bjorkman is opening Northwestern Modular Homes to provide an affordable alternative to stick-built homes. He says modular homes from the U S. are less expensive than Canadian models, so he buys from Skyline in Lancaster, Wis., Highland Manufacturing of Worthington, Minn., and Homark Homes of Red Lake Falls, Minn. The atikokanprogress.ca tells MHProNews with stick-built homes costing $175-200 per square foot, he can provide a basic modular home for $95-105 per square foot. A recent study shows the expansion of the lumber mills, the hospital and likely a mining operation will create a tight housing market in the Atikokan area. Bjorkman is a businessman familiar to the people of the city, and is also the town locksmith.

(Photo credit: winnipegfreepress–modular home at Lake St. Martin, Manitoba, Canada)