THUNDER BAY – An abandoned sawmill on Thunder Bay’s waterfront where a major fire broke out Monday is already the subject of a legal dispute over cleanup from another large fire in 2015.
City manager Norm Gale confirmed Tuesday the city is in legal proceedings with the owner of the former Great West Timber site, listed as Great West Lumber, Inc.
“There is ongoing litigation between the parties as a result of property damage due to a fire in 2015,” Gale said in a statement via email.
A massive fire consumed a sawmill building on June 17, 2015, leaving debris that included hazardous materials.
An investigation by the Ontario Fire Marshal into the blaze was brought to a standstill in 2015 until the owner complied with a Thunder Bay Fire Rescue order to clean up the property.
It’s unclear what action, if any, was taken as a result, or whether the OFM investigation was ever fully concluded.
The property was owned at the time by the Buchanan group of companies, which sought bankruptcy protection for Great West Timber in 2011.
A spokesperson for Buchanan could not be reached on Tuesday for comment.
