MARATHON—The Town of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg reached a significant milestone on April 20.
On April 27, 2022, Mayor Dumas shared his vision and reaction to that agreement.
In terms of how long the process took to get both partners to the point that they are now, Dumas, spoke about how discussions regarding the future of this area, really began in 2012. It was then, that they began looking at opportunities as a result of Marathon Pulp, declaring bankruptcy, in 2009. The mayor and council reached out to the government to discuss what options existed in terms of what they could do with the property. “We began talking about this project with Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, more closely over the last couple years, and we looked at opportunities for the delivery of freight to and from the world. During its time as Marathon Pulp, Salties were transporting goods, so we knew that the Port could accommodate this type of activity,” said Dumas.
Both Dumas, and Michano, knew there was great economic opportunity to attract suppliers willing to ship goods to and from the Port that they were proposing to build. Proactive discussions continued and as a result this MOU was signed on April 20, 2022.
Moving forward, both partners knew other steps were required. Dumas outlined the fact that the next step both parties agreed upon was that it would be best to appoint a board of directors who would take over the responsibility of running the Port Authority. Dumas and Michano, both saw the need to take this responsibility away from the Town of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg.
“We agreed that this was best and a board would run it. We would then hire a director who would manage the board, coordinating and managing the daily ins and outs of Port Authority business,” added Dumas.
A crucial step the mayor felt would be important to consider, was to look at what kind of funding would be available for this project both from the Northern Ontario Heritage Fund and FedNor. "Consulting with an engineering firm, would also be needed to ensure that they receive advice as it pertains to the logistics of developing, and maintaining the Port, including the areas around the Port,” said Dumas.
The potential for economic development in and around the area surrounding the proposed Port Authority, was huge. For years, mayor and council knew that there was significant business interest with respect to the surrounding property. The development of this Port Authority on Peninsula Harbour, was already described by Dumas as a project that would provide economic opportunities for both Biigtigong Nishnaabeg and the Town of Marathon.
“This MOU would facilitate the establishment, creation, and operation of a commercial Port Authority on Peninsula Harbour that will create new employment and economic development opportunities by servicing regional mining, forestry, logistics and manufacturing industries while respecting the environment and Lake Superior,” said Dumas.
As a final note, the mayor reviewed the key steps in the timeline for this project, reiterating that they would want to get the board appointed as soon as possible, then hire a director to manage it.
In the next month the plan is to outline a business agreement with the Town of Marathon and Biigtigong Nishnaabeg, and Chief Duncan Michano, in order to continue moving forward and making this Port Authority a reality.