“It’s not too late to change the outcome”: Deputy Leader Mamakwa releases statement on Ear Falls sawmill closure

QUEEN’S PARK – Deputy Leader and Kiiwetinoong MPP Sol Mamakwa is standing with the people of Ear Falls. Last week, over 150 people employed by the Ear Falls sawmill and their families suddenly lost their livelihoods because of Interfor's decision to shut the sawmill down. This is a devastating blow for surrounding communities in the region as well, as this closure will trigger even more job losses for the local logging and transport sectors.

Yesterday, during the first Question Period since June, MPP Mamakwa asked the Premier: “What is your government going to do to help the 160 families dealing with this loss at the Ear Falls sawmill?”. In his answer to MPP Mamakwa’s question, the Associate Minister of Forestry and Forestry Products mentioned reaching out and providing support but did not specify any tangible actions.

“I want to be clear. Gestures and words are not enough,” Mamakwa said in a statement today. “This is a scary time for the people of Ear Falls, and they deserve to see a real action plan from this government on how they are going to bring these jobs.”

“Christmas is going to be bleak around here... very bleak,” said Nancy Silander, a Dry Kiln Operator who has worked at the sawmill for over 11 years. “We were not even given the courtesy of a warning from Interfor.”

“Last Thursday, they called all of us working the dayshift downstairs and told us that the sawmill is done. Families who have moved to Ear Falls for these jobs, bought homes and built a life aren't going to be able to make their monthly payments anymore. What are they going to do?”.

“We know that this is happening in the context of tariffs and trade tensions between Canada and the United States, but we cannot lose sight of where the real devastation is taking place,” Mamakwa continued. “In Ear Falls and the surrounding areas, this is not a story about politics but about real people losing their jobs and the impact that the largest employer shutting down has on a small community.”

“It’s not too late to change the outcome, and I implore this government to do everything in their power to bring the jobs back to the people and families who have been impacted by the closure of the Ear Falls sawmill.”