Ford Government Neglect Leaves Terrace Bay Mill, Workers at Risk

The Official Opposition demanded clear answers from the Minister of Natural Resources on whether the government will take immediate steps to heat the Terrace Bay mill and protect both workers and the surrounding community. NDP MPPs Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay – Superior North) and Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk James Bay) released the following statement:

“Despite producing some of the best pulp in the world and providing good union jobs, the mill has sat idle for two years, and this winter the government is refusing to heat it,” said Vaugeois, “putting equipment at risk of freezing and raising serious concerns about toxic leaks and environmental harm. At the same time, the Ford government handed $128 million in public grants to the mill owners with no strings attached, leaving workers wondering why there were no job protections built into these grants.

When the mill was first idled, early estimates to bring it back were about $200 Million dollars. That sounds like a lot of money until you remember that the Conservative government spent $250 Million to get liquor into corner stories six months early. Why doesn’t the government give the same priority to the northern forestry industry?”

“Across the North, existing mills that anchor local economies are struggling without the basic funding needed to modernize, operate safely, and carry out essential winter maintenance,” said Bourgouin. “Every dollar must be invested in the workers at existing facilities who have kept this sector alive for generations. Supporting innovation and protecting jobs in the North are not competing priorities, they must go hand in hand.”

Ontario NDP

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