Former Abitibi Paper Mill in Iroquois Falls to undergo transformation

A former paper mill in Iroquois Falls has a new lease on life and will be used as a construction materials hub for a new Far North medical facility.

Plans are underway to transform the former Abitibi Paper Mill in Iroquois Falls into a multimodal logistics hub for northeastern Ontario.

On July 25, BMI, the company that owns the mill and property around it, shared details of its vision with the community.

The Abitibi Paper Mill saw a great deal of paper for newspapers roll out of the building during much of the 20th century, but with the decline of newsprint, the building has been idle for more than a decade.

Until now.

BMI Group has been working with the municipality to figure out ways to repurpose the property and calls the initiative ‘Abibiti Connex.’

“The vision is to become a multimodal logistics hub for the north,” said John Veldman, chief operating officer for BMI Group.

“The vision is to attract tenants that may need trans loading, that may need rail service or any kind of logistics (and) movement of goods. So that’s one of the items.”

BMI Group owns more than 2,000 acres of land on the banks of the Abitibi River. Veldman said more than 200 acres are shovel-ready for industries to build and around 1,800 acres are agricultural.

“In fact, we’ve cleared about 220 acres so far of farmland … beautiful black muck soil that can, yeah, grow beautiful crops,” said Veldman.

Iroquois Falls mayor Tory Delaurier calls Abitibi Connex a “game changer” for Iroquois Falls.

“We’ve been working very hard over the last few years to try and get redevelopment of this site, and things are coming together,” said Delaurier.

BMI Group invited the entire community to an official launch and ribbon-cutting ceremony.

Public tours of the old mill were given and many people in attendance for the announcement remembered working at the mill.

They said they are excited and hopeful for what’s to come. That includes Iroquois Falls resident Gilles Forget, a former mill employee and former mayor.

“I think council is doing an excellent job, too,” Forget said.

“You know, they never gave up. When somebody comes into the community and offers something, you can’t say ‘no, I don’t believe you’. You have to encourage them.”

‘I could kiss them’

“I’m so happy I could kiss them,” said Marguerite Grenier resident of Iroquois Falls.

“Very happy; it’s going to help us.”

“Well, since we lost the mill, it’s been downhill for lots of people and lots of them now have to travel to work,” said Nicole Boucher, another resident of Iroquois Falls.

Abitibi Connex has signed up a couple of clients so far. One is a firm that will coordinate the delivery of construction materials to Moosonee for a new hospital, and it’s also been helping establish O’Clay, a field-to-fork food hub company that delivers fresh food to the James Bay Coast.

“People get excited when O’Clay shows up because they know that they’re gonna get quality products,” said Natasha Marin, Deputy Grand Chief of Mushkegowuk Council.

Ontario Northland is another partner working to grow Abitibi Connex. It’s investing more than $3 million to improve the rail line between Porquis Junction and Iroquois Falls.