History:Â
At the moment, the history I've been able to find is a little sketchy. Apparently, sometime prior to 1960, Hay and Company opened this mill. It was later sold to Weldwood Veneer, and finally purchased by Martin Veneer.
Martin began moving operations to Sault Ste. Marie, which eventually resulted in the mill's 150 jobs being terminated, along with a significant portion of the town's overall livelihood.
The mill was finally closed in 1985.
In 2005, arson destroyed part of the building at the rear.
Personal Commentary:Â
Aside from the plant to the rear, this place is largely gutted. There is no equipment of any kind remaining, and the only sign of activity appears to be from skateboarders who have taken to building a makeshift obstacle course.
It's huge. Cavernous, in fact. The open area seems to go on and on, although I'm sure in its day, it was quite filled with machinery, wood, finished product, and everything one might expect from an industry supporting 150 workers, and perhaps even the town as a whole.
It's easy to spot the fire damage from 2005, and doesn't require CSI to figure out where it started. The damage is extensive, although somehow either never progressed to the point of collapsing that part of the structure completely, or was sufficiently contained by the local fire department.
The mechanical section appears as though it could spring back to life at any moment, ready to resume production after a lengthy slumber. But looking at the trees that have sprung up between the rails of the spur, it's obvious activity here has been finished for some time, and won't be starting again.
