The fires ravaging the forests in Nord-du-Québec are disrupting operations at the Résolu plant in La Doré, in Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean. The impossibility of obtaining wood supplies due to the raging fires has prompted the company to suspend its sawing operations on Thursday for at least a week.
“This decision will be reassessed based on the evolution of the fires and our ability to resume transporting wood,” said Louis Bouchard, spokesperson for Resolute Forest Products.
The La Doré plant employs approximately 250 workers and is “by far” the largest employer in the small town of Lac-Saint-Jean of 1,600 inhabitants.
“For the community, it is worrying, underlines the mayor of La Doré, Ghislain Laprise, because it is a salary that does not fit. What is also worrying is the amount of wood that will burn. This wood, we will have to recover it quickly enough to be able to do something with it. »
At this time, Resolute says it is unable to determine how many workers will need to stay home during the disruption to operations. “Some could perform other interim tasks,” notes Louis Bouchard.
According to the company, the two Resolute facilities located in La Doré have the capacity to produce 203 million board feet of lumber and 16 million board feet of processed wood annually.
Even if the fires spared La Doré, the small town suffered the economic and social repercussions of the raging forest fires. Not only is the largest factory interrupting its activities for an indefinite period, but the city is mobilizing to welcome the evacuees from Chibougamau, Oujé-Bougoumou and Chapais.
La Doré has made its recreation center and arena available to disaster victims. The campsite planned for the Truckers’ Festival, which is due to start at the end of the month, offers its sites free of charge to evacuees who have trailers and motorhomes.
The mayor himself welcomed his 87-year-old uncle from Chibougamau into his home. “I have never seen such a situation in 62 years, says Ghislain Laprise, a native of La Doré. Neither did my uncle. Let’s say that here, at La Doré, we are happy that there is rain today. »