Re-opening of Wapawekka Mill Delayed 3 Weeks

Re-opening of Wapawekka Mill Delayed 3 Weeks

Wednesday, June 18, 2003 at 16:12

The Wapawekka lumber mill near Prince Albert is expected to be up and running by July 7th.

It was hoped the mill would re-open this week, but poor market conditions have resulted in a delay.

The sawmill is jointly owned by Weyerhaeuser and 3 northern First Nations.

Weyerhaeuser spokesman Wayne Roznowsky says the mill is being re-opened on a temporary basis so it can process left-over inventory. He says enough wood is still left in the yard to keep workers going for around three months. After that it’s hoped market conditions will have improved enough to bring back workers on a full-time basis.

Aboriginal people make up about two-thirds of the sawmill’s workforce.