Duane Hicks
Resolute Forest Products has said it will be heating “critical” areas of the mill to allow it to restart if a successor owner is found, but Fort Frances Mayor Roy Avis feels there are questions he wants answered.
“I know they’re going to put it in asset protection mode. [But] I really don’t know what that means—what parts they’re heating, whether they’re heating at all, whether they’re not,” said Mayor Avis.
“We’re trying to find out exactly what that means.”
The mayor feels the mill being in asset protection mode does not have to do with Fire Chief Frank Sheppard serving a number of orders to the mill manager regarding concerns about the fire protection system.
Rather, it stems from discussions between the provincial government and Resolute.
Natural Resources and Forestry minister Bill Mauro confirmed this, telling the Times that following weeks of negotiations with his ministry, Resolute decided “to heat the mill in asset protection mode at no cost to taxpayers.”
“Part of those negotiations included an offer from the province to forgive a portion of money that Resolute owes to the Crown to have the mill heated over the winter months,” Mauro added.
“Instead, Resolute is moving forward with their own plan to heat critical parts of the mill.
“We are still hopeful that a buyer can be found,” Mauro added.
“The Ministry of Natural Resources and Forestry will work with any potential buyer that may be interested in purchasing the mill.”
Assuming critical areas of the mill will be heated this winter, Mayor Avis said the town and its community partners won’t be resting on their laurels.
“Our goal was to make sure that the facility would be maintained at a level that it would be able to be sold,” he noted.
“We would know that if a purchaser came on board, that there would be no extra costs involved regarding the maintenance of that facility.
“Going forward, I would say that we have to . . . regroup,” Mayor Avis added.
“I know there’s been challenges issued that we should be out looking for another buyer because there doesn’t appear to be anybody out there.
“We will be involved,” he pledged. “We’ll probably take a breath of fresh air for the next three weeks, but we’re very concerned with what’s going on and would like to try to make sure that that asset is being used next year.”
Mayor Avis also said the push for an Enhanced Sustainable Forest Licence (eSFL) must continue.
“That takes a long time but I do believe that in order for a company to come in and buy this mill, they have to have a sustainable wood source at a reasonable cost,” he remarked.
“Going forward, the provincial government should get involved in that process if they want to help Fort Frances and the district and the First Nations protect the asset of this community,” he noted.
Mayor Avis said further discussion on the future of the mill will take place in January, when town council and administration meet with representatives from Unifor here in Fort Frances.
Meanwhile, local MPP Sarah Campbell, who has been fighting on behalf of Fort Frances and surrounding communities to get the mill heated and for an eSFL, said Resolute’s decision to heat parts of the mill this winter is “an important step to ensure the future viability and success of the Fort Frances mill.”
“It provides us with hope, and time, so that a future buyer can be found to take over the mill and restore a significant number of well-paying jobs to the community,” Campbell noted.
“Now that we have cleared this hurdle, we can focus on making the necessary changes to the wood allocation of the Crossroute Forest so that business deal can be reached.”
Campbell also stressed now is not the time to rest.
“The government has made it clear that it will take a considerable amount of continued public pressure to make the changes necessary to the wood allocation that will facilitate the sale of the mill,” she noted.
“It is important for all of us to keep up the pressure on this government to ensure the changes to wood allocation happen.”
Campbell urged people concerned about the future of the local economy to continue to write letters to the premier and the minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, and send a copy of those letters to her.
“There is still time to fill out petitions I have circulating around town at a number of businesses and my constituency office,” she added.
“I will continue to do my part to keep up the pressure, both publicly and privately with the government, until a new deal is reached,” she vowed.
Unifor, meanwhile, has said it supports the move by Resolute.
“We’re very pleased that a short-term solution has been found,” Unifor national president Jerry Dias said in a press release issued Saturday.
“Protecting this mill while we determine its future was an essential first step,” he noted.
Dias said the union, community, and provincial government are exploring options for the mill’s future.
“The reality is that the forestry industry is in recovery—but will only reach its potential if there is government action to establish a fair and economical way to manage our forestry resources and develop a strategy for this vital sector which is rich with potential,” Dias stressed.
Earlier this month, Unifor called on the minister of Natural Resources and Forestry to immediately establish a multi-stakeholder task force to make recommendations regarding forestry licensing and resource management.
“At this time, we would like to thank Resolute, a leader in the industry, for their commitment to protecting the mill and its equipment, and for their co-operation in ongoing efforts to find a buyer for the mill,” Dias said in Unifor’s release.
“We are also grateful to the provincial government for the important role it is playing to secure a future for the mill,” he added.
