Mackenzie celebrates return of pulp mill, 220 jobs
MACKENZIE – The restart of the Mackenzie pulp mill has generated approximately 220 direct jobs, 500 indirect jobs and provided the local community with a significant economic uplift, Premier Gordon Campbell announced today at a grand re-opening celebration.
“I would like to thank Paper Excellence for their valuable investment in the community of Mackenzie, the Omineca region and the province of British Columbia,” said Premier Campbell. “I also want to thank Minister Pat Bell, the McLeod Lake Indian Band, the entire community and all partners for working together to ensure working families in this region have an opportunity to build a future right here in Northern British Columbia.”
Premier Campbell was joined by Minister of Forests and Range and Prince George-Mackenzie MLA Pat Bell, forest workers and their families, municipal leaders, local First Nations, union representatives, and people from many other sectors of the community to welcome Paper Excellence B.V. as the new mill owners.
“It’s a joy to see the Mackenzie pulp mill operating once again, providing jobs for workers and families and contributing to the economic health of the region,” said Bell. “The recent return to production and today’s celebration represent the culmination of many, many months of hard work, time and energy invested by a dedicated group of partners.”
The Ministry of Forests and Range played a key role in helping the Mackenzie pulp mill secure a new fibre supply. The ministry reached an economic development agreement with the McLeod Lake Indian Band that provides a five-year, four-million-cubic-metre fibre supply opportunity for the Mackenzie pulp mill.
The Province is also investing $10.75 million for an improved road, connecting the communities of Mackenzie and Fort St. James, to ensure logs and wood fibre for bioenergy can move more efficiently between the two communities.
The production capacity of the Mackenzie facility is more than 235,000 metric tons of market pulp annually. Paper Excellence expects its Mackenzie operation will supply 80 per cent of its product directly to affiliated mills in Asia, with the other 20 per cent going to customers in North America.
The mill first started to produce pulp again on Wednesday, Aug. 4 when they turned out a small batch in gearing up to once again become fully operational.
