Unions, NDP in northwestern Ontario call for government action amid sawmill shutdowns
CBC
Local unions representing mill workers in northwestern Ontario are continuing to push the provincial and federal governments for support amid growing uncertainty within the forestry sector.
Leaders with Unifor, the United Steelworkers and Ontario’s New Democratic Party (NDP) issued a joint letter to both governments on Wednesday, urging them to “take immediate action to prevent the closure of the Ignace sawmill and reopen the Ear Falls sawmill and Terrace Bay pulp mill.”
The Ignace sawmill, owned by Domtar, is the latest mill in the region to face an impending shutdown. The facility is expected to begin idling in March and displace between 19 and 25 workers, according to the township.
Meanwhile, Interfor’s sawmill in Ear Falls has been shut down since October, and AV Group’s pulp mill in Terrace Bay has been idling since January 2024.
And on Thursday, Thunder Bay Pulp and Paper announced it is discontinuing its newsprint mill operations due to a decline in demand, affecting 150 people.
“Forestry is not just an industry in northern Ontario — it is a way of life. It sustains families, supports local economies, and provides the wood products essential to building Canadian homes,” says Wednesday’s joint letter.
“The indefinite closure of the Ignace, Ear Falls and Terrace Bay mills threatens not only the livelihoods of its workers but the future of sustainable forestry in our region.”
The letter is signed by Jacques Jean of United Steelworkers Local 1-2010, Mushkegowuk—James Bay MPP Guy Bourgouin, Thunder Bay—Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois and Unifor’s regional director Samia Hashi.
It asks the governments to create an industrial forestry strategy to protect jobs, defend against economic threats such as tariffs, and do more to modernize the sector.
As well, the letter calls for mill workers to “receive an equity stake in the operation.”
“For decades, forestry workers have carried this industry through cycles of boom and bust, often enduring wage cuts and uncertainty. They deserve more than a paycheque; they deserve a stake in the future they help build,” it says.
The letter includes a petition with more than 250 signatures, and requests a response by Feb. 13.
The office of Kevin Holland, Ontario’s associate minister of forestry and forest products and MPP for Thunder Bay—Atikokan, provided an emailed statement on Wednesday, which says “we are actively working with local leaders and industry partners to support workers and communities through this period.”
“Our government is already supporting affected workers [to] ensure they have access to the resources they need,” it says.
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