Curtailed Port Alberni sawmill will not reopen as is; owner announces working group
A Vancouver Island sawmill where work has been curtailed since last October will not be reopening in its current configuration, its owner announced Thursday.
Western Forest Products Inc. said in a statement that it will not restart its Alberni-Pacific Division facility in Port Alberni as currently set up. Instead, the company "has established a multi-party working group to explore potential viable industrial manufacturing solutions for the facility."
A report commissioned last year by WFP, Tsawak-qin Forestry Limited Partnership and Huu-ay-aht First Nations found that manufacturing options for the facility are "very limited," the company said.
The new working group includes representatives from WFP, the United Steelworkers union, "Indigenous partners and contractually aligned business," the company said, adding that it will meet over the course of 90 days to explore options for the site.
“We believe the coastal forest sector has a strong future and we have and plan to continue to invest in partnerships, people and facilities to achieve a long-term sustainable business model in B.C. that evolves with the changing fibre supply, forest policies and global markets,” said WFP CEO Steven Hofer in the statement.
“We are committed to exploring options with partners to advance potential solutions for the APD facility and appreciate the support of the working group members who have stepped up and joined us in this important work.”
Approximately 90 employees were affected by the curtailment of the Alberni-Pacific Division.
Thursday's announcement is the latest in a flurry of updates on the province's forestry industry that have been made at the start of this year.
Last week, Premier David Eby announced both the creation of a new, $90-million fund for innovation in rural communities and a $50-million upgrade project at the Paper Excellence mill in Crofton, B.C., which will be funded in part by the federal government.
Mill closures and curtailments have also been announced, including at Canfor facilities in Chetwynd and Houston, B.C.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Widow looking for answers after Quebec man dies in Texas Ironman competition
The widow of a Quebec man who died competing in an Ironman competition is looking for answers.
Tom Mulcair: Park littered with trash after 'pilot project' is perfect symbol of Trudeau governance
Former NDP leader Tom Mulcair says that what's happening now in a trash-littered federal park in Quebec is a perfect metaphor for how the Trudeau government runs things.
World seeing near breakdown of international law amid wars in Gaza and Ukraine, Amnesty says
The world is seeing a near breakdown of international law amid flagrant rule-breaking in Gaza and Ukraine, multiplying armed conflicts, the rise of authoritarianism and huge rights violations in Sudan, Ethiopia and Myanmar, Amnesty International warned Wednesday as it published its annual report.
Photographer alleges he was forced to watch Megan Thee Stallion have sex and was unfairly fired
A photographer who worked for Megan Thee Stallion said in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that he was forced to watch her have sex, was unfairly fired soon after and was abused as her employee.
Amid concerns over 'collateral damage' Trudeau, Freeland defend capital gains tax change
Facing pushback from physicians and businesspeople over the coming increase to the capital gains inclusion rate, Prime Minister Justin Trudeau and his deputy Chrystia Freeland are standing by their plan to target Canada's highest earners.
U.S. Senate passes bill forcing TikTok's parent company to sell or face ban, sends to Biden for signature
The Senate passed legislation Tuesday that would force TikTok's China-based parent company to sell the social media platform under the threat of a ban, a contentious move by U.S. lawmakers that's expected to face legal challenges.
Wildfire southwest of Peace River spurs evacuation order
People living near a wildfire burning about 15 kilometres southwest of Peace River are being told to evacuate their homes.
U.S. Senate overwhelmingly passes aid for Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan with big bipartisan vote
The U.S. Senate has passed US$95 billion in war aid to Ukraine, Israel and Taiwan, sending the legislation to President Joe Biden after months of delays and contentious debate over how involved the United States should be in foreign wars.
'My stomach dropped': Winnipeg man speaks out after being criminally harassed following single online date
A Winnipeg man said a single date gone wrong led to years of criminal harassment, false arrests, stress and depression.