Our Northwestern Ontario operations have an innovative recruitment strategy – hire workers fleeing the war in Ukraine. In March 2022, Resolute joined others in the Canadian business community in securing employment opportunities for new arrivals from Ukraine. At our Atikokan (Ontario) sawmill, the human resources team set a goal: hire 20 individuals from Ukraine by the end of the year.
To meet this objective, sawmill personnel turned to partners at Atikokan Employment Centre, Atikokan Economic Development Corporation, Atikokan Adult Learning Centre and the Newcomer Centre of Peel. These agencies provide services such as housing, language training and guidance for obtaining work permits, health insurance and even bank accounts.
Thanks to this collaboration, 17 individuals from Ukraine have started in their new roles at the Atikokan sawmill so far, with an additional seven already hired and on their way to Canada. In September, the facility revised its goal, now aiming to hire 25 new employees from Ukraine by the end of 2022. Resolute also expects to recruit six employees from Ukraine at the Ignace sawmill and 10 at the Thunder Bay sawmill, both also located in Ontario. These 40 newcomers to Canada will help alleviate the ongoing work shortage.
The Newcomer Centre, working with the Community Economic Development Commission Thunder Bay office, produced a ten-minute video showcasing Resolute’s innovative recruitment initiatives and the benefits of living and working in the Atikokan area. Commenting in the video, Scott Manford, HR superintendent at the Atikokan sawmill says, “I want families to be happy, and have a good income, and want to stay in our town.”
Kudos to our team in Northwestern Ontario on finding local solutions and thinking big!
