EACOM Timber Corporation is inviting the public to an event to celebrate the 100th-anniversary of the Timmins’ oldest and longest-running sawmill.
The event is being held at Bozzer Park on Friday, May 31 beginning at 11:30 a.m. It is expected to run until about 5 p.m.
There will be a barbecue, games, children’s activities, and a friendly softball game amongst the employees.
“Everybody is invited. It’s a free barbecue and there will be fun games for everyone,” said Julie Paquet, Communications Director for EACOM Timber Corporation, who was in Timmins on Friday.
“For us it’s really important because the mill has been part of the community for a hundred years and just about everybody in town has some sort of connection with the mill.”
Prior to the public event, there will be a tour of the mill held for some political delegates including John Yakabuski, Ontario Minister of Natural Resources and Forestry, who is expected to be in Timmins for this event.
EACOM president Kevin Edgson is also expected to be on hand.
“We’ll do a tour of the mill and kind of highlight the advancements that we now have at the mill compared to say, 50 or 100 years ago, kind of showing all the technology and all the progress that has been made,” said Paquet. “Then we’ll head to the park.”
Marc Fleury, Timmins mill manager, said for the community event at the park they are planning to have some historic displays which will include photographs from early days of the mill.
EACOM mill is the former Rudolph McChesney Lumber Company sawmill. Subsequent owners have E.B. Eddy Forest Products and Domtar.
EACOM Timber Corporation purchased the Timmins sawmill in June 2010 as part of an $80 million transaction that saw EACOM buying up sawmill operations in Ontario and Quebec.
Fleury said, “We’re hoping people will come and celebrate with us.”