People in The Pas, Man. are worried about the future after the town’s largest employer announced Monday it would be closing its doors in December.

Tolko Industries will close its Manitoba operations after nearly two decades in the northern Manitoba community.

Manitoba Premier Brian Pallister said “supports” have been offered to Tolko “recently and in previous years” but in the end it wasn’t enough to convince Tolko to keep the plant running.

“Certainly we’ve made every effort to have dialogue with the people at Tolko to do what we could to assist them in their decisions but their decision is ultimately as was announced and so we have to accept that,” said Pallister. “It’s their company after all.”

Pallister would not provide specifics on what kind of support was offered. He said the impact of the closure will affect many families.

“I’m tremendously sympathetic to the people that are affected and I can commit to them that we’re working in every way we can to address the longer term benefits that we want to see accrue to the people of the north in our province.”

Pallister said the government will be unveiling an economic strategy for northern Manitoba, but acknowledged it likely won’t help the people of The Pas in short-term whose jobs are on the chopping block.

“It’s not a happy day for people in the Pas,” said Pallister. “We’ll do everything we can to mitigate and to work with and not only that community but other communities across the north to look for real sustainable job opportunities for people going forward.”

Ann Marie Clark has owned the Home Hardware Building Centre in the Pas for two years, but it’s been in her family for 18.

Clark said the loss of Tolko is definitely going to have an impact, an impact already being felt by her business. Clark said one customer has already cancelled construction of a new home.

“People are scared about what the future is going to hold,” said Clark. “It’s hard to say how dramatic it’s going to be… it’s definitely going to have an impact.”

Funky Threadz owner Jerome Conaty said everyone in The Pas has some ties to the mill.

“We’re all in a bit of shock,” said Conaty, whose father moved their family to The Pas in the 1970’s to work at the mill when it was operated by a different company.

Conaty said he’s highly involved in the hockey community and estimated half of the coaches, volunteers and board members, who volunteer their time, have jobs at the mill.

Conaty wants to see the federal and provincial governments help facilitate economic development in the north, but he said he doesn’t want to see a bailout.

“I’m not a fan of bailouts,” said Conaty. “That doesn’t provide a long-term solution. It’s just a band aid solution.”

Pallister doesn’t believe a bailout for Tolko is the answer either.

“We can’t take resources away from every Manitoba family and prop up companies if they can’t make money,” said Pallister. “If we do that there’s less money available for everybody else.”

“What we’re after is to make sure that short-term problem is replaced by long-term growth.”