Mantha’s News From the Park – Forestry Industry Difficulties

Written by MPP Michael Mantha on 20 April 2012

Many moons ago, before being elected as your MPP, I worked with Cherokee Logging as a cut and skidder operator and as a sawmill worker with Gogama Forest Products.

My family, along with many families and communities in the North relied solely on the forestry industry. During my time working in the forestry sector, many friends lost their jobs as the demand for wood decreased. I saw communities devastated by the closure of sawmills. I also became a statistic.

According to the CIBC world markets report, when it comes to job losses and mill closures, Ontario has the worst reputation across Canadian provinces. Ontario’s Forestry Coalition has reported that since 2002, the forest industry has shed 10,000 direct jobs and as many as 40,000 direct and indirect jobs.

Without the appropriate public policy in place, the loss of jobs and economic prosperity is likely to continue.

Failure of this government to act and to protect the forestry sector will impact sustainable economic development for communities across northern Ontario including members of the First Nations who are looking to forestry as a means to improve the economic standing of their respective communities.

In this riding we have several mills that are operating at lower capacity, experiencing job losses and in some unfortunate cases, have closed completely.

In Algoma-Manitoulin alone communities such as White River, Nairn Centre, Dubreuilville, Chapleau, Espanola, Thessalon, Wawa, Manitouwadge, and Hornepayne have all been effected. There are many other jobs associated with this industry that are experienced job losses.

We spoke with various forestry operations that can’t find contracts, or can’t take ones they are offered because they are being offered below operating cost prices.

We have folks working for the trucking companies who feed these mills, and they too are losing their jobs at staggering rates, not to mention the increases in commercial licensing fees for owner operators.

Soaring electricity rates and inadequate infrastructure; these are exactly the kinds of problems that government needs to effectively address if we hope to stave off further job loses, and grow northern industry in the future.

I am hearing from many of my constituents that they are frustrated by what they see coming from the government. Day after day we see policies that disproportionately disadvantage northerners, or fail to take the realities of northern life into account.

It’s about time this government stood up for Northern Ontario workers and made policies to improve the economy in the north, not destroy it.

Michael Mantha, MPP/député
Algoma-Manitoulin