Sawmills in Ear Falls and Kenora hope to be adding workers this fall, as the northwest sees a resurgence in the forest sector.

The rebound in the forest sector is getting help from Queen’s Park.

Glen Hansson is the maintenance supervisor at the local sawmill in Ear Falls. He says an agreement with the province on energy rates is helping to pave the way for the addition of a second shift.

“From what I know, the fibre allocations and the availability for us is pretty solid. So, that certainly puts the mill in a good place moving forward,” he said.

A restart at the Kenora sawmill is also expected this fall, but no dates have been announced. However, at the same time, some layoffs are expected in Hudson.

Hansson says they remain optimistic, despite the mixed messages from recent activity on the stock markets. Last week’s energy agreement for relief on industrial rates will help, he emphasized.

“We are running one shift right now. We are 72 employees strong, as the plant sits now. Being involved with this helps us, as it does everyone else with the cost structure of the mill. We’re hoping to add a second shift by the end of October,” he added.

The province also announced an agreement with New Gold, which will help their mining project in Rainy River. A pilot program at Separation Rapids is also providing some hope, in an otherwise daunting market.

Hansson says a deal with Queen’s Park also provides a boost to the woodlands and support services.

“Production has increased since the start-up in August of 2014, and it continues to increase,” Hansson noted. “We’ve got a very good group of people.”

The announcement of a restart at the Kenora Forest Products mill has been followed by news of layoffs this winter in Hudson. However, last week’s announcements of deals with Eacom and New Gold are providing new hope to the sense of a long-awaited recovery for the resource sector in the northwest.