FORT FRANCES, ON — Observers say they have never seen so many people at any meeting of Fort Frances town council.
With the fate of the Resolute paper mill on the agenda, the viewing gallery was jammed Tuesday evening, requiring town officials to provide seating for spectators to watch the proceedings through a video feed to a separate room.
The special meeting called by council gave stakeholders and community members an opportunity to express their concern about the growing prospect the idled mill will be demolished by a company with which Resolute has already reached what it calls a "backstop" agreement.
According to one councillor, Michael Behan, the loss of the mill would have "a 7.6 per cent tax impact" on Fort Frances.
Speakers endorsed council's effort to head that off by supporting a sale to an investment group that proposes to reopen the mill to produce specialty paper.
Deputations at the meeting included Unifor, the Chamber of Commerce, neighbouring municipalities, the Couchiching and Manitou First Nations, and the Ontario Secondary School Teachers Federation, among others.
Some of the speakers called on the Ontario government, specifically Northern Development Minister Greg Rickford and Natural Resources & Forestry Minister John Yakabukski, to intervene to prevent the mill's destruction, and to ensure a wood supply for a new operator..
Rickford sent a letter to council prior to the meeting stating that the government "is keenly watching the private negotiations" to revive the mill.
Fort Frances council had been expected to consider passing a resolution at the meeting criticizing Resolute's handling of the disposition of the mill, but the matter was put off until next week's council meeting.
