KENORA – Member of Parliament for the Kenora riding, Bob Nault, issued the following statement regarding an overnight fire at Kenora Forest Products which resulted in the loss of a building and two drying kilns used to dry lumber.
“Although I was sad to hear that the fire damage was extensive, I am certainly grateful that there was no loss of life or injuries reported.
“Today, I had the opportunity to speak with the owner of Kenora Forest products, Ailbe Prendiville, who was very confident that the mill will continue operating next week despite the loss of the two kilns. The good news is that Mr. Prendiville believed that there would be no foreseeable job losses or temporary layoffs resulting from the fire damage.
“I also had a discussion with Unifor’s national representative, Steve Boon, and provided him with an update regarding my conversations with Kenora Forest Products officials. He was pleased to hear that mill representatives are confident that workers will return to work next week as operations are expected to resume.
“I want to acknowledge the remarkable efforts of the firefighters who were able to limit the amount of damage the fire could have caused. It goes without saying that the firefighters lived up to their reputation.
“As the Member of Parliament, I will continue working with officials from Kenora Forest Products and Unifor to support them in their efforts as they begin the rebuilding process.”
