Thirteen Resolute facilities across Quebec’s Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region welcomed a total of 5,000 members of the public this past Saturday during a series of highly successful open-house tours. The events marked the first such joint initiative by our facilities, which included our Alma, Dolbeau, Kénogami and Saint-Félicien pulp and paper mills, our Girardville, La Doré, Mistassini, Saint-Félicien and Saint-Thomas sawmills, our Normandin planer mill, and the Larouche and Saint-Prime joint-venture engineered wood facilities, as well as Hydro-Saguenay’s Murdock-Wilson hydroelectricity generating station. Each open house was very well-attended, with visitors patiently queuing outside at some locations.
The visits provided our neighbors in each community with an opportunity to get to know Resolute and tour our operations. They also allowed each facility to showcase what it can offer potential employees. The forest products industry, along with many other industries in Quebec’s northern regions and elsewhere, has been impacted by labor shortages in recent years. Resolute is eager to attract talented individuals to pursue rewarding, high-quality jobs in an environment where they can learn, grow and contribute. To this end, human resources teams were on hand to receive resumes and answer questions from job-seekers of all ages and backgrounds. In 2017, Resolute hired 1,041 new employees, and we expect to hire an additional 1,000 employees by 2019.
Shuttle busses were organized to accommodate people who wished to visit multiple sites. Employees were proud to welcome their families, and many retirees returned to their former workplaces in order to see how things had evolved. Although children under twelve years old were not permitted to participate for safety reasons, our youngest visitors enjoyed their visits, impressed with the bustling atmosphere and imposing machines.
Production equipment remained operational at each of the facilities so that visitors could observe the action firsthand. As safety is a top priority at Resolute, all visitors were required to wear safety boots. Additional protective gear, mandatory for everyone on the premises, were provided by the facilities, including hard hats, cut-resistant gloves, safety goggles and ear plugs. These precautions demonstrated Resolute’s diligent approach to health and safety.
We are pleased that so many of our neighbors took part in our open house events. Thank you to everyone who came to visit us!
