The Burns Lake sawmill destroyed by an explosion and fire last January will be rebuilt.
In a Tuesday statement from Babine Forest Products owners and stakeholders, the financial challenges connected to timber supply in the Burns Lake area will not stop the reconstruction efforts.
The mill is owned by Hampton Affiliates of Oregon, in partnership with the many aboriginal groups encompassed by the Burns Lake Native Development Corporation (BLNDC). The new Babine sawmill will be two-thirds the size of the old mill to reflect reduced log availability and will have the ability to cut metric and ALS dimension lumber for a variety of markets. Minimal foundation work has started on the site, given winter weather conditions, and major equipment will be ordered shortly. The new mill is anticipated to start up in early 2014.
"The confirming decision made yesterday by the Hampton board of directors to rebuild the Babine sawmill is a reflection of its trust and confidence in our ability to supply the mill with logs based on the solid support of all six First Nations bands of the BLNDC," said Steve Zika, Hampton's CEO. "Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations, Steve Thomson, and his staff have worked hard in fairly and transparently moving the timber supply process forward."
Zika also said "The rebuild effort has also received great support for future critical log supply from the Burns Lake Community Forest and local community groups led by Mayor Luke Strimbold and MLA John Rustad."
Strimbold said he had no prior knowledge about what Zika would announce on Tuesday.
"It was a sleepless night last night," he said. "Today I'm feeling a lot of relief. That was stressful, not knowing what would be said. There were rumours about other things Hampton may look at, that it wouldn't happen at all, questions being asked of me that made me suspicious, but in the end it was a positive announcement."
Minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Steve Thomson said "this is positive news for everyone in Burns Lake. The decision to rebuild the mill is only possible because everyone was able to work together on the timber-supply issues."
The MLA for the area, John Rustad, chaired the legislative committee that studied the province's timber supply problems and issued a set of recommendations to change the industry. It was Rustad's assertion ever since that process that there was indeed enough wood in the Lakes timber supply area around the Babine site to go ahead with the mill's rebuild.
"Hampton's decision provides economic certainty for the people of Burns Lake," Rustad said. "I was with the premier when she visited the workers and the people of Burns Lake and said the province would support the community. So I'm thrilled that together we have achieved this for
the people of Burns Lake."
Strimbold said it was going to be a busy spring for Burns Lake. Tuesday was also coincidentally the day Northern Health announced that the site preparation work was complete for the new hospital Burns Lake will receive.
At the last meeting of Burns Lake council, a preliminary design was chosen for a new community recreation centre, which will break ground in spring.
LAKELAND STILL A QUESTION MARK
Babine was the first of two fatal sawmill explosions in B.C. in early 2012. The other was Prince George's Lakeland Mills.
Like Babine, WorkSafeBC conducted an exhaustive investigation which is now complete, but before any of the causal factors were disclosed to the public - or mill stakeholders - the file was turned over to provincial Crown counsel for their final examination, in case fines or charges should be needed.
Lakeland's owners, the Sinclar Group, was not prepared to make a lengthy statement on the rebuilding of Babine Forest Products, but company officials did issue the following:
"Lakeland congratulates Hampton on its decision and is extremely happy for the First Nations and community of Burns Lake. While we still believe the conditions are good for a positive decision on the Lakeland sawmill, we are still not in a position to make that decision at this point in time."
