THUNDER BAY -- The sale of the nearly 50-year-old Lakehead Labour Centre is forcing at least one of its tenants to temporarily close its doors.
“As an injured worker who has an office here and since we run entirely on donations, we can’t afford to move anywhere,” said Eugene Lefrancois, trustee for the Thunder Bay and District Injured Workers’ Support Group.
“We’re going to have to close up shop and hope we land on our feet at some other union.”
The Lakehead Labour Centre was built in the late 1960s by the Port Arthur Labour Association and was run by the organization until the mid-90s when it was bought by the United Steelworkers and United Food and Commercial Workers unions.
The building on Fort William Road was rezoned last year to allow for commercial and retail space.
“I, for one, hate to see it go, but I guess it’s just inevitable. This has been around for as long as I can remember and it’s going to be missed,” said Lefrancois, adding having so many labour groups in one building was a convenience for injured workers.
They would have their claims handled by their respective unions and then the support group would help them live with their injury.
“Once they’re injured, their world changes,” said Lefrancois.
“This is a port in the storm and now the port is gone.”
The sale of the building was initiated three years ago and USW Local 1-2010 second vice-president Bruce Frost said it took that long to get the land rezoned and deal with some environmental issues.
The new owners have taken over and are leasing the building to the current tenants on a month-by-month basis, but they will be given at least two months’ notice before they will have to relocate.
Frost said the age of the building is what caused the USW and UFCW to sell.
“The building is almost 50 years old and needs significant repairs,” he said. “It’s a money losing venture.”
The monument on the front lawn of the property dedicated to those who have died on the job will be put into storage until the injured workers group or the Thunder Bay and District Labour Council finds a new permanent location for it.
There is disappointment with the move because the centre has been the house of labour in the city for so long, said Frost, but unfortunately the sale had to happen.
“We realize the history in this building and what it’s meant to labour. I’m hopeful labour will still remain united and will find a different location to do it from."
The USW is looking at properties throughout the city for a new home and so is the Canadian Union of Public Employees Local 87, which has called the labour centre home since 1967.
“It’s a sad day,” said president Marie Dean. “Unfortunately, that’s where this path is taking everyone. The building is old. It’s something that needed to probably be repaired quite a lot. There’s no reason to continue to maintain it because a lot of other unions have gone out and built their own buildings.”
“It’s an unfortunate thing, but time moves on,” said Dean, adding CUPE Local 87 has known about the sale for more than a year now and the building has been up for sale for quite some time.
The union is looking for a new home and they’re hoping to partner up with another union and lease space in the Intercity area to stay accessible to their members from both the north and south sides of the city.
