To the editor:
The Ontario government has given this Abitibi/Resolute power and trees for over a century to build company and communities. Crown use doesn’t mean Crown ownership, as former MNR Ministers Mauro, Gravelle and Ramsay would have you believe. The rights still belong to the people, or at least they should.
Intervention by current Minister of Natural Resources, MNDM and this new Ford government to stand up for the resource-based communities, as public stated, such as Fort Frances, need to occur and quickly. They cry their ‘Stand for the People’ and ‘Open for Business’ slogans but we have yet to witness that for Northern Ontario or in Fort Frances.
There are resource/economic based possibilities, with the buyer, with this Fort Frances mill, there is wood available, but Resolute holds the strings to its availability and does not want to allow supply. That is against the Competition Act of Canada, control of supply. We saw Ford holding hands with Resolute in Thunder Bay in October, what’s with that, is that why the proposed Fort Frances operation can’t get wood and go ahead?
Fort Frances needs to stand its ground, Northwestern Ontario communities and all Northerners stand up to these greedy Corporate Machines such as Resolute. One only need to look at Iroquoius Falls to witness the ruthlessness and callousness to their former loyal communities, people and Ontario. Needless destruction, intent-full, by ‘Ruthless Resolute’, now on the rampage again. Unnecessary, but again planned hurtful intent. We need corporate citizen’s for Ontario and Northern Ontario, not the calamity show we are witnessing again.
Former Mayor, Iroquois Falls
James A. Brown
