Hornepayne, Ont. lumber mill workers wait for news

Workers at the sawmill in Hornepayne want to hear if they will ever return to work.

Three weeks ago, Haavaldsrud Timber said it would shut down if it could not negotiate a new power agreement for the neighbouring co-gen plant.

The company imposed a deadline of today to get a new power deal.

The union steward at the mill said employees have not heard anything about the future of the operation.

Serge Trudel said he's been "calling on the phone, and I got our local office calling them as well. I've been trying to contact the HR with the company. They're not answering. They're not replying to their e-mails. Nobody's answering."

Trudel said many mill employees are feeling discouraged this week.

"Everybody's stopping me on the street. I can't even go for a walk without being stopped. Like, from the post office to my place is ... a five minute walk. [It] took me an hour yesterday. [I'm] getting stopped from everybody, driving by or walking by. Everybody's frustrated."

About 40% of the town's workforce is employed at the mill.

Usually workers get company notifications on the bulletin board at the work site.

"But nobody's working and, the superintendent is on holidays right now," Trudel said.