Lecours Lumber's sawmill and planing mill in Calstock, Ontario, to close after failing to negotiate new lease on its First Nation land, receives notice to vacate premises by Nov. 16

Wendy Lisney

LOS ANGELES , October 16, 2012 (Industry Intelligence Inc.) –

Lecours Lumber Co. Ltd. is closing its sawmill and planing mill in Calstock, Ontario, because it has been unable to negotiate a new lease on the property, the company announced on Oct. 15, reported the Kapuskasing Northern Times the same day.

The company was issued an order on Sept. 21 to vacate the land and must remove all of its equipment by Nov. 16. Termination notices have been given to employees affected in sawmill, planing, logging and office operations.

Lecours is a family owned business that has operated a sawmill on the same land since 1943, said Benoit Lecours, the company’s president, the Kapuskasing Northern Times reported.

The land is held in trust by the federal Crown for the Constance Lake First Nation (CLFN). Lecours Lumber’s lease was not allowed by the Crown because CLFN and Lecours were unable to agree on the lease terms.

Lecours Lumber and CLFN had been in talks since 2005. The latest 25-year lease expired Dec. 31, 2008, but the company was allowed to continue its operations at the site while negotiations were under way, reported the Kapuskasing Northern Times.

The primary source of this article is the Kapuskasing Northern Times, Kapuskasing, Ontario, on Oct. 15, 2012.

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