Bruce Oattes is one of only four people employed at Pembroke MDF these past five years.
His job to walk around the massive fibreboard plant, keep the lights on, and make sure the equipment still works.
“Some tough days…it was dark when you come into work and dark when you went home, just doing rounds by yourself,” says Oattes.
Still, day after day Oattes held onto hope that one day the company would reopen. The plant forced to close in 2008 because of struggling economy and high energy costs compared to similar plants in Quebec and the United States.
The hope has now become a reality.
The Ontario Government accepting Pembroke MDF’s application for a break on energy rates. The 20 per cent discount will save the company about $4 million a year for the next five years. By reopening, Pembroke MDF plans to offer 140 new jobs.
“It’s been idle for the last five or six years and it’s great to be part of making it come alive again for so many people,” says Ontario Energy Minister Bob Chiarelli.
Chiarelli says the reopening of the plant will have a ripple effect in the community. The local lumber industry will once again have a strong customer and so will other businesses within the supply chain.
Bruce Oattes is simply happy to see other people working in the massive facility once again.
“It was very strange to come in and not hear the noises, not smell the smells.”
With a report from CTV’s John Hua.
