Council and administration saw the first official plans for the redevelopment of the former Resolute Mill site at last nights council meeting. Included in the plans for the area are several commercial, industrial and recreational opportunities for people in Fort Frances and beyond.
The former Paper Mill in Fort Frances was intrinsic to Fort Frances’ identity and economy for generations. The Mill was the town’s main employer and was a part of the daily lives of most if not all of its residents. Straddling the entry point into Canada (Aazhogan), it also provided an impressive and industrious gateway into Fort Frances, Treaty 3 Territory and Northern Ontario.
The official closing of the mill in 2014 has been felt deeply by Fort Frances and the surrounding region. There is intense community interest in the future plans for the mill site and what those plans will mean for the future of Fort Frances.
The redevelopment of the land represents an extraordinary opportunity to redefine the town’s identity and set the stage for investment and community building for generations to come.
The lagoon is the underground facility that was used for the treatment of the wastewater from the Kraft and paper mills. Originally built in 1970 to handle the wastewater from the mill, prior to this there was no wastewater treated from the paper mill.
Two current key components of the lagoon are a 150-megawatt solar farm and a large-scale computing operation. Other components include electricity transmission infrastructure, electric substations and a battery energy storage system.
