Mettle tested

Persistent whispers, coupled with not-so-subtle signs, that all was not rosy at the local pulp and paper mill had town residents holding their collective breath of late waiting for the shoe to drop.
It finally did—with a resounding thud—yesterday afternoon when Resolute Forest Products announced it was idling indefinitely its kraft mill and #5 paper machine here by month’s end, throwing 239 people out of work less than a month before Christmas.
The company has vowed to work with the affected employees, all levels of government, and other local authorities on programs “to lessen the impact of the idling.” But no doubt those pledges ring hollow with workers who made wage and other concessions to help keep the mill here afloat.
Obviously their sacrifices largely were for nought.
As well, the company’s pledge that employees affected by this idling also will be considered for job vacancies and opportunities at other company facilities does little good for Fort Frances if it means more families having to skip town in order to get work.
There remains some hope given the idling will be done in a manner to protect equipment so it can be restarted down the road, and Resolute said it is exploring alternative product possibilities for both the kraft mill and #5 paper machine.
But while it’s premature to trundle out doomsday scenarios, there’s no question this is devastating news—not only for the affected workers and their families, but others whose livelihood is directly tied to the mill. And of course, the local economy also will take a hit, which almost surely will impact countless other jobs.
It’s true the forest industry, along with other resource-based industries, are cyclical by nature—and it could well be that fortunes will turn around in three months, six months, or perhaps a year from now. Then again, as we move inevitably toward becoming a “paper-less” society, with ebooks rising in popularity while the page counts of newspapers and magazines continue to drop off, the prospects of ever returning to full capacity are dim.
In short, the writing has long been on the wall.
Fort Frances certainly isn’t the first community in Northwestern Ontario to face hardships stemming from the woes of its primary employer, and many have survived the blow. There’s no reason to think we cannot do so, either, but it’s clear the true mettle of our community will be put to the test in the weeks and months ahead.
Time will tell if we pass or fail.