The Ford government is being accused of abandoning Terrace Bay.
A proposal to purchase an AV Terrace Bay Pulp Mill was presented to the government last June.
Thunder Bay-Superior North MPP Lise Vaugeois told the Ontario Legislature on Tuesday that it came from the United Steelworkers and an unnamed industrial developer.
It proposed continuing to produce pulp or converting the mill to produce biofuels.
She says the business plan was presented to the Ministry of Forestry, but the province has yet to respond.
“The same company with the same proposal is now repurposing an idled mill in Quebec,” says Vaugeois.
“The Ontario government has clearly abandoned the community of Terrace Bay, leaving them with toxic waste and the loss of their tax base.”
Natural Resources Minister Mike Harris says the mill is still on the government’s radar.
He says they have been working with different proponents on how to revitalize the facility.
“As it sits right now, the facility, unfortunately, is in quite disrepair,” says Harris.
“We’re continuing to work with different proponents to be able to revitalize the facility. As I said, we will continue down that path.”
The mill was idled in January 2024, impacting nearly 400 employees.
