LONGLAC -- After struggling with wood supply over the summer, Buchanan's sawmill in Longlac ran out of wood for a few days in early October.
A situation Greenstone Mayor Renald Beaulieu called a "business-to-business" relationship stuggle has produced rumours since July but he hopes the issue can be resolved for the sake of 300 mill and woodlands workers in his community.
"For me, living here, to think there's a shortage of wood for the sawmill, that's next to unbelievable because we live in an area where that's all you see," he said.
"For us, what's ke is I'm interested in seeing thsi business-to-business transaction move on."
Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry Bill Mauro pointed out the province re-allocated Longlac's wood supply to the A.V. Birla Mill in Terrace Bay when Buchanan's Long Lake Forest Products Inc.fell into bankruptcy and shuttered operations in 2012.
"When that mill opened, they knew they didn't have a guaranteed supply of wood from the government," Mauro said.
Mauro recognized job security is becoming a concern in the single-industry town. and suggested the ministry will lend the company assistance, MNRF be needed.
No one from the Buchanan Group was available for an interview.
