Site remediation is expected to get underway in the near future at Fort William First Nation industrial site. FedNor recently announced funding of $515,932 to the First Nation for the environmental cleanup of land that was previously owned by Canadian National Railway, and returned to the First Nation in 1999. Environmental assessments estimate that a total of 1,830 cubic metres of soil in the park is contaminated variously by petroleum hydrocarbons, phenol and vanadium. The wastes will be excavated and taken to a local landfill. After the cleanup, Bowater Inc. will become the anchor tenant in the 225-hectare industrial park.
Of the FedNor funding, $65,932 will go towards the First Nation's entrepreneurial training program, which will consist of a series of online, self-taught computer-based business modules to provide business plan blueprints.
The sawmill is expected to startup in January 2003.
