Canfor Corporation went into more detail today about two major announcements it made yesterday. One is to not rebuild its plywood plant in Prince George destroyed by fire last May. That leaves 260 people to collect severance pay and, if they’ve haven’t done so already, find a new job.
However, there’s a slight possibility they could find work in Fort St. John. That’s because Canfor is also taking some of the fire insurance money and using it to build a new wood residue facility in this city. This is Mark Feldinger, the Company’s Vice-President of Manufacturing…
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The $13.5 million project, at site of the local Canfor sawmill, is a response to the B.C. Hydro call last February for proposals which will utilize forest-based biomass. In so doing it is expected to help address the impact of the Mountain Pine Beetle infestation.
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Forests Minister Pat Bell says the decision by Canfor not to rebuild in Prince George is disappointing. He notes he repeatedly told company management following the fire that it could expect Provincial support if it decided to rebuild. However, he also says he understands the company’s decision to invest instead in its other operations.
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