The gravity of the looming loss of 1,000 jobs at Algoma Steel next spring and its impact on Sault Ste. Marie is not lost on mayors of other mill towns.
The Federation of Northern Ontario Municipalities (FONOM) and the Northwestern Ontario Municipal Association (NOMA) call the layoffs at the Canadian steelmaker an “immeasurable blow to workers, families and the community,” the two municipal groups said in a joint news release.
“This is a difficult and uncertain moment for workers, their loved ones, and the entire community,” said FONOM president Dave Plourde, the mayor of Kapuskasing, whose main private employer, Kap Paper, is still struggling to stay solvent as it looks to transition into new product lines.
“FONOM stands firmly with the people of Sault Ste. Marie as they navigate the impacts of this decision. We will continue to advocate for a strong, stable steel sector and for the return of these jobs as quickly as possible,” said Plourde.
NOMA president Rick Dumas, the mayor of Marathon, said workers and communities “should never be caught in the crossfire of a global trade dispute.”
“NOMA remains committed to working with all orders of government to see this trade war resolved, industry stabilized, and good-paying jobs restored in Sault Ste. Marie.”
Dumas was mayor of the north shore town when Marathon Pulp closed its doors for good in 2009, resulting in the loss of 240 jobs. The town has exciting prospects on the horizon with a $1-billion copper mine project in the works, plans for a commercial port well underway and other community revitalization projects.
Both groups are calling on Ottawa and Queen’s Park to work with industry and organized labour to address the impacts of these layoffs and take “concrete steps to protect and strengthen the steel sector across Northern Ontario.”