Features Mills Sawmilling
Kenora and Ear Falls sawmills expand production

Stephen Boon, Unifor National Representative said, “We are extremely pleased to see both the Ear Falls and Kenora sawmills running at full production and now expanding even further to take advantage of a low Canadian dollar and rebound in softwood lumber prices. EACOM’s Ear Falls Sawmill hired about a dozen employees back in August when it expanded production from four to five days a week. Kenora Forest Products is going even further by adding a full weekend shift and converting to a seven day operation starting next month.”

Boon added, “Most of Ontario’s sawmill industry was shuttered after the 2008 housing crash and many of these operations were almost written off. It is extremely gratifying to see both of these operations thriving 10 years later and providing over 250 well-paying mill jobs in Ear Falls and Kenora.”

Unifor collective agreements at both sawmills will provide employees with 9 – 10 per cent in general wage increases in the final three years of the current contracts set to expire in 2021 for Kenora and 2022 for Ear Falls.