FORT FRANCES, ON — The union that represents forest industry workers across northwestern Ontario is accusing the province of failing to take a leadership role to prevent the demolition of the Resolute paper mill at Fort Frances.
Stephen Boon, a national representative for Unifor, says the government of Premier Doug Ford needs to enforce the existing Sustainable Forest Licence for the idled mill, because unless a prospective buyer has a secure wood supply, "there will be no successful sale."
The SFL issued by the province to Resolute for the Crossroute Forest states: "The forest resources harvested pursuant to this licence are to provide a supply of forest resources to the existing forest resource processing facility of the Company located at Fort Frances".
Fibre from the Crossroute Forest currently feeds other Resolute operations in Atikokan, Ignace and Thunder Bay.
Resolute "wants to maintain this practice for years to come," Boon said in a statement. "This is despite the fact that there is abundant unused fibre related to over a dozen mill closures" in recent years within 450 kilometres of Fort Frances.
Boon added that residents of Fort Frances "should be absolutely outraged that Minister Greg Rickford [minister of Energy, Northern Development & Mines, and Minister of Indigenous Affairs] and Minister Yakabuski and the MNRF have failed to step up and take a leadership role in pursuing every possible option to avoid the demolition" of the mill.
Fort Frances town council will hold a public meeting Tuesday evening as part of its ongoing efforts to support the sale of the mill to a group of investors who propose to reopen it with a new product line.
Resolute has said it cannot negotiate with Repap Resources until it signs what Resolute has described as a standard non-disclosure-agreement, an agreement which town officials say prohibits interested parties from discussions with government officials about the wood supply.
Resolute has said it will receive binding offers to purchase until March 15, but it also has a tentative "backstop agreement" with a company that would demolish the mill.
Minister Rickford, in a brief letter sent to Fort Frances council Tuesday afternoon, said the government "is keenly watching the private negotiations" to revive the plant.
"These negotiations are important and must occur before any discussion can occur related to the future wood supply of the mill."
Rickford, however, contradicted the views of the town's leadership on the nature of Resolute's non-disclosure-agreement, saying "In our view (it) should allow for any interested party to have a dialogue with the province."
The minister said he would work with all parties "to navigate this matter...and continue to strive for a positive outcome," but the letter provided no details.
Fort Frances town council will hear deputations Tuesday evening from stakeholders, and will also consider a resolution that criticizes Resolute's handling of the disposition of the mill.
Last week, Resolute lawyers warned the town that the resolution contained false and defamatory statements.
