Dear Editor,
Premier Ford is telling Ontarians he is the one to take on Trump and will protect jobs in Ontario. How his government protected jobs in forestry?
October 2021, the VP of Communication for Resolute FP Canada Inc. by email to the FF Times reporter confirmed the Crossroute SFL was extended by the Minister on February 27, 2018, and the extension was based on the Audit findings of Arborvitae Environmental Services Ltd. The extension of the Licence term was at the very end of the Wynne government.
The term extension granted Resolute was the right to harvest and process forest resources from the Crossroute Forest at its facility in Fort Frances until 2032. Resolute announced the permanent closure of its Fort Frances facility in May of 2014,
No audit findings from any Audit Company were presented to Cabinet for the five-year period 2012 to 2017 in the application to extend the term of the Crossroute SFL. Resolute idled the Fort Frances mill December 2013.
September 10, 2020, the Minister amended the Crossroute Licence to extend to 2032. These amendments are recorded in Appendix “G” of the Crossroute SFL.
Fort Frances and the Company’s facility located at Fort Frances were deleted from the Licence at this time.
These amendments concluded the licensing for the amalgamation of the Crossroute and Sapawe Forest.
Atikokan Forest Products Ltd. held the SFL for the Sapawe forest. This SFL was cancelled by the Minister on August 10, 2011. On April 30, 2012, an enhanced Forest Resource was issued to 8173460 Canada Ltd (aka Rainy Lake Tribal Resource Management Inc. and apparently exempt from any competitive process.) to take on the forest management responsibilities of the Sapawe Forest to bridge the period until a SFL was issued for the forest.
In 2017, Rainy Lake Tribal Resource Management Inc. was assigned a Forest Resource Licence and Forestry Agreement. The company became a director of Boundary Waters Forest Management Corp. at inception.
The legislation requires the Minister to complete a completive process to issue a new Licence. The amended Crossroute SFL is not new and the holder of the Forest Resource Licence is exempt from the competitive process.
The strategic demolition of the paper mill building and the Kraft mill ensured a company interested in securing a wood supply would not look at Fort Frances.
March 2022, the provincial government announced its first Biomass Action Plan. The Biomass facility built in 2010 in Fort Frances with millions of tax payer dollars was in the midst of being demolished.
The Crown Forest is a public resource. The provincial government is solely responsible for the stewardship and sustainability of the forest and the communities that depend on the forest for their wellbeing: not the companies that harvest and process resources from the forest.
The licensing process requires the applicant to provide the government with information related to the use of these public resources. The use involves employment- jobs, revenue for all three levels of government.
Resolute in the Boundary Waters forest has secured a significant allocation of wood without having to provide the government with any commitment for its use. Resolute has reaped the benefit but is not responsible for the benefit the company has.
Premier Ford has the opportunity now to review the government’s process to Licence the use of forest resources in Ontario before the election. Will he walk the talk?
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