Northerners know what it means to put in an honest day’s work, provide for their families, and take care of their communities. But in Ear Falls, that northern way of life is under threat.
In October, Interfor announced the indefinite closure of the Ear Falls sawmill. Over 160 jobs have vanished, and the community is left waiting—hoping that leaders in Ottawa and Toronto will step up, restore these jobs, and fight for the future of Ear Falls.
But Ear Falls did not just stand by, they united. Workers, families, municipal leaders, Unifor, and MPP Sol Mamakwa stood shoulder to shoulder to demand action. One thousand northerners petitioned Queen’s Park to step up.
But the response from Premier Ford and Prime Minster Carney? Deafening silence.
The indefinite closure of Ear Falls’ sawmill, and the silence from Conservative and Liberal governments lay bare the legacy of under-development, under-investment, and under-representation that holds Northerners back.
It’s a failure of common sense. Ontario’s housing crisis could be solved by putting Ontario lumber and Ontario workers to work. Instead, we’re left with idle mills, layoffs, and unaffordable homes.
Across the North, from Atikokan to Kapuskasing, we’ve seen this story play out. Communities bend over backward to attract industry, only to be left behind when profits dry up. When northern mills close, families lose jobs, local businesses shutter, and towns fade away.
For too long, Northern Ontario has been treated as a resource pit—somewhere to extract, not to invest or build. Resource booms siphon profits out of communities, downturns leave behind unemployment, environmental contamination and inadequate infrastructure.
The Ear Falls sawmill is a community lifeline. Interfor’s CEO – who pocketed $3.2 million last year – only concern is its bottom line. Shareholders come first. Workers and communities come last.
This fight isn’t just about Ear Falls. It’s about every northern community ignored by political insiders and taken to the cleaners by CEOs. Today it’s Ear Falls. Tomorrow it could be Dryden, Fort Frances, or Red Lake.
This is a northern fight to build, to work, and to thrive in the place we call home.
Together, we are northern strong. It’s time to make our voices heard—in political backrooms and corporate boardrooms. Northern Ontario’s future will be built by Northern Ontarians.
