Shellbrook Chronicle Th The voice i off th the P Parkland kl d ffor over 100 years Shellbrook, Saskatchewan Friday, April 26, 2013
VOL. 102 NO. 17| PMR #40007604
www.shellbrookchronicle.com
Big River Mill set for fall opening Despite suffering a sizable setback, the long shuttered Big River Lumber Mill should be up and running before the end of 2013. Carrier Forest Products President, Bill Kordyban said that the company is currently readying the mill for production and expects the facility to be up and running by this fall. “We are looking forward to starting up. Things seem to be going well,” said Kordyban. The mill was initially set to open in conjunction with the former Prince Albert Pulp and Paper Mill but that mill’s start up date has been delayed for a second time with the facility now slated to start production in 2014. Part of the viability of the Big River Mill is the sale of the lumber by-products. In the past, Prince Albert was their most convenient partner but Kordyban said they will likely have to find another market for the waste materials. “It would be our preference to sell our chips there (Paper Excellence) but it doesn’t look like they will be starting up in time so we may have to look for another place for chips but the hogfuel looks like it may have a home at Paper Excellence in their co-generation plant,” said Kordyban. Pulp mills utilize wood chips in the production of pulp while hog fuel is unprocessed wood waste that can be used in a co-generation plant to generate electricity. Carrier does not currently have a deal in place with Paper Excellence for the sale of their hogfuel. Though it isn’t yet fully operational, the company is using their Big River asset to assist in production for its other Saskatchewan facility in Prince Albert. Trucks have been rolling down the highway between Prince Albert and Big River carrying lumber from facility to facility. Carrier has been utilizing the kiln at the Big River mill to dry lumber cut at their Prince Albert facility. Meanwhile, the company is slowly growing its workforce as full implementation of the mill approaches this fall. “We’ll be slowly ramping up as we get closer and closer to operating. We will be hiring on a progressive basis,” said Kordyban. At its’ peak, the mill could potentially employ upwards of 100 people. He expects that some of those people
Thousands of board feet of lumber are stacked outside of the kiln at the Carrier Forest Product’s Big River Lumber Mill. The mill is set to open this fall after being closed since 2006. will be former Big River Mill employees who still reside in the area. “It is sure heartening they may have gone to work in the oil patch or in mines but they want to come back,” said
Kordyban. “We’ve had good interest from people applying for jobs.” The Big River Lumber Mill, purchased by Prince George, BC based Carrier
Lumber in 2011 from EACOM Timber, has been closed since 2006, when then owner Weyerhaeuser decided to close it along with the Prince Albert Pulp and Paper Mill.
RCMP lay charges after break and enters Shellbrook RCMP are pursuing charges against one male adult and one youth with three counts of Break and Enter following an incident on the weekend. On early morning April 20, shortly after midnight night, police responded to a 9-11 call, followed by alarm calls to a nearby residence. The police were able to apprehend three persons leaving the area with stolen goods in their possession. Shellbrook RCMP continue to investigate this incident.
If anyone has any information in relation to the above crime please call the Shellbrook RCMP at (306)747-2606. If you wish to remain anonymous, Saskatchewan Crime Stoppers at 1-800-222-2477 *8477 on Sasktel Mobility Network or submit a tip online at www.saskcrimestoppers.com Crime Stoppers is anonymous and does not subscribe to call display and calls are not raced or recorded
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