Grand Council Treaty 3 leaders have given their approval to the construction of Weyerhaeuser's $250-million Trus-Joist timber strand mill for Kenora, contingent on some conditions being met. Among their list of 27 conditions include hiring 85 per cent of the mill's workforce locally, protecting culturally sensitive areas from logging, providing an annual royalty on timber resources plus other compensation from the company. Weyerhaeuser, which began construction of the plant over the summer, had not responded to the conditions as of late October. Federal government officials say such an agreement between industry and First Nations is common in the northern territories where new development takes place on land claimed by First Nations.
