Tough news

We all knew—deep down—that Fort Frances was not immune to the woes gripping the forest industry of late. It was a matter of when, not if.
The shoe finally dropped over the past week with word Abitibi-Consolidated was laying off a large number of its salaried staff here (the company isn’t releasing exact numbers but the rumour is upwards of 30) in an effort to return the Fort Frances mill to profitability.
The good news is we still have our mill (for now, at least). But that’s likely of little solace to those who got their walking papers, and certainly axing so many well-paying jobs from the local economy is going to have an adverse impact—in the short-term, for sure, and likely farther down the road.
Sure, many of those laid off were nearing retirement anyway, so hopefully they are able to remain in our community. But the younger victims of Abitibi’s restructuring, faced with few comparable employment opportunities here, may be forced to pull up stakes—contributing even more to the spiralling decline of our population (and ensuing tax base, consumer spending, and school enrolment).
When word of the cuts trickled out last week, the ripple quickly became a wave that washed through town. The mill closures and job cuts other communities endured now had a face here—family, long-time co-workers, friends, neighbours.
And, sadly, more faces will join the list down the road.
The writing has been on the wall for some time now about the health of the forest industry, but have we really been paying attention? Or did we truly believe that Fort Frances somehow would dodge the bullet?
The sound you hear is the bullet bursting that bubble.