Mill sparks optimism about forestry future
Some sunshine broke through through the gloom in Saskatchewan's forestry sector this week with the news Prince Albert's pulp mill could reopen.
Paper Excellence wants to buy the sprawling plant from Domtar, with an eye toward reopening in a year or two, an announcement that was well-received by former mill workers, politicians and business operators.
Many remember the days when the old Weyerhaeuser pulp and paper complex was Prince Albert's biggest private employer and the linchpin of the industry in Saskatchewan.
"Elation would be a pretty good word," Prince Albert Mayor Jim Scarrow said about the sale announcement on Monday.
At its height, the mill complex employed 700 people directly, with hundreds more working in forestry spin-off jobs.
However, amid poor market conditions, it closed in 2006. The paper-machine operation was dismantled and the pulp mill was mothballed.
Paper Excellence now says it plans to spend $200 million to convert the plant to make dissolved pulp, a major component in the material rayon.
"It's a very useful product in that it takes our forests, in that it's exactly the same fibre, and makes it into a very useful article of clothing," Scarrow said.
The mill announcement was also welcome news to some local First nations who are also looking forward to selling their trees. Equipment for harvesting trees has been sitting idle, but it's hoped that will change, Prince Albert Grand Council Chief Ron Michel said.
"They were just selling some here and there, and now ... hopefully we'll get that thing started and get our equipment back in the forest," he said.
Michel also wants to see more First Nations people employed in the Prince Albert mill. The province is spending about half a million dollars to train them to work there.
A union that represents pulp and paper workers also hailed the announcement.
"[It's] great news for Prince Albert and for Saskatchewan, with the creation of hundreds of full-time manufacturing jobs and thousands of hours of construction jobs," said Communication, Energy and Paperworkers Union of Canada Western regional vice-president Jim Britton.
Meanwhile, not everyone was delighted to hear Paper Exellence was slated to take over the mill.
That's because the buyer is a subsidiary of Asia Pulp and Paper, which Greenpeace spokesman Richard Brooks called a notorious forest destroyer.
"I think Canadians want to be proud of the companies that operate in the resource sector in Canada and this is a company that no Canadian can be proud of," Brook said.
Energy and Resources Minister Bill Boyd say the government is happy with the conditional sale of the mill and promised that Paper Excellence will have to follow strict environmental guidelines.