The Dryden pulp mill, also known as the Reed Mill, is a paper and pulp mill in Dryden, Ontario. During the 1960s and 70s, mercury poisoning from the mill caused one of Canada's worst environmental disasters: Dryden Chemicals Ltd dumped mercury into the English-Wabigoon River, upstream of Grassy Narrows First Nation, poisoning the fish which were their staple food.[1] Members of the Grassy Narrows and the Whitedog communities downstream from the mill suffered severe mercury poisoning.[2]
The first iteration of the mill was initially built by Charles and Grant Gordon in 1909 on the west side of the Wabigoon River[3] From the early twentieth century to the twenty-first century, the forest industry has played a significant role in Dryden's economy.[4]
In 2019, the Supreme Court of Canada ruled that Weyerhaeuser Company and Resolute Forest Products—previously known as Abitibi-Consolidated—are responsible for remediating the mercury contamination.[5] The environmental poisoning continues to cause significant health problems for the First Nations communities downstream.[5][6] The Government of Canada is building a $20 million clinic to treat the First Nations "suffering from mercury poisoning".[7]
Since a USD $520 million purchase of the mill by Domtar from Weyerhaeuser, in 2007 the mill has produced Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft pulp product.
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