Oleksandr (Alex) Bakal

The newest employees at the sawmill in Sapawe have travelled thousands of kilometres from Europe to make a home for themselves in Northwestern Ontario. Resolute Forest Products has hired 31 Ukrainian men and women who moved to Canada because of Russia’s war against their country, and the company will take on several more later this month. At the plant, which currently has a workforce of just over 100, the new recruits are filling a variety of roles, including in production cleanup and support, quality control, and even in a supervisory capacity. …Although the introduction to the workplace has gone well, there are some challenges in finding permanent housing for the mix of singles, couples and families. Resolute has invested in temporary accommodation, including leasing the Atikokan Hotel and renting a dormitory at the Quetico Lodge and Conference Centre.