Hampton questions province following AbitibiBowater deal

Government efforts to help Thunder Bay's forest industry faced more criticism at Queen’s Park Wednesday.

Earlier this week it was reported that AbitibiBowater reached a tentative deal with a Montreal firm to sell the former Fort William Division mill for scrap metal. MPP Howard Hampton (NDP, Kenora – Rainy River) said such a move would eliminate any hope of reclaiming the 350 jobs the mill once provided.

He also asked why the government isn't pushing efforts to find new ways to bring the mill back into production.

But Forestry Minister Michael Gravelle said that while the McGuinty government backs a proposal to produce corrugated cardboard at the mill, it was a deal that ultimately fell through.

Hampton said he wants the province to utilize unused funding from the Forest Sector Assistance Program to find a new way to bring the mill back into operation.