“How many more communities need to suffer before Ford starts caring?” — NDP MPPs push to protect sawmill jobs in Northern Ontario

KAPUSKASING – Following devastating news of the indefinite shut down of Ear Falls sawmill, NDP MPPs Guy Bourgouin (Mushkegowuk – James Bay) and Lise Vaugeois (Thunder Bay – Superior North) released this statement:

“The shutdown in Ear Falls is another devastating hit to Northern Ontario — and it echoes what we’re seeing at a number of pulp and sawmills, idling operations.” said Bourgouin. “Once again, workers and communities are paying the price while the province refuses to protect jobs, and our economy, while federal funding remains untenable, so long as they continue to delay their budget. These aren’t isolated incidents — they’re symptoms of a broader crisis in our forestry sector. The government needs to step up with real support, real investment, and a long-term plan to protect Northern jobs and sustain these industries.”

“How many communities are the provincial and federal governments going to allow to collapse? Losing the sawmill will decimate Ear Falls.” said Vaugeois. “We knew when the mill in Terrace Bay was shut down there would be disastrous effects across the north. With the threat of another mill closing in Kapuskasing there will be more and more job losses across the forestry industry. The tariffs are compounding previous failures to act. Our governments need to invest in updating equipment and bringing pulp mills back to life and they need to step up and start building the housing every community desperately needs using some of the best lumber in the world from right here in Ontario.”