Photo Courtesy: Government of Saskatchewan

By Ben Tompkins

Timber Takeoff

Timber allocation approved for major sawmill expansion in Carrot River

Sep 10, 2021 | 3:00 PM

The Government of Saskatchewan announced today the approval of timber allocations to support the proposed expansion of the Dunkley Lumber sawmill in Carrot River.

The proposed expansion is set to create 240 jobs.

The $100-million expansion will increase lumber production capacity by 75 percent from the current 130 million board feet of lumber annually to 230 million board feet, requiring approximately 821,000 sq. m. of softwood timber.

The Government of Saskatchewan allocates timber through the Ministry of Energy and Resources under The Forest Resources Management Act.

While the province is allocating some of the additional timber required for this project, the majority of timber will be secured by the company through commercial agreements negotiated with Indigenous timber allocation holders and private landowners.

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The Dunkley sawmill in Carrot River currently operates as Edgewood Forest Products. Rob Dunn, manager at their head office, knows what this allocation will mean for the economy of Northeastern Saskatchewan.

“This is done in a very sustainable manner. There’s plenty of opportunity in Northeast Saskatchewan for this kind of thing and so it works really well working together on both the investment and the utilization of a very available resource.”

Other comments were provided by Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre, Environment Minister Warren Kaeding and Dunkley Lumber President Rob Novak, courtesy of the Government of Saskatchewan.

“Dunkley’s Carrot River mill expansion will lead to significant growth in lumber sales and exports and is expected to create 240 new direct and indirect jobs, “Eyre said, “which is very positive news for Northeast Saskatchewan.”

“The announced allocation will more fully utilize Saskatchewan’s timber resources, providing significant benefits for forest communities and the province as a whole,” said KaedingEyre said. “We will continue to ensure that all harvesting is done sustainably and in a manner that protects the long-term health of the forest ecosystems on which we depend.”

“Dunkley looks forward to the completion of its sawmill expansion in Saskatchewan and appreciates the proactive approach by the provincial government in its mandate to grow the forest sector while meeting important sustainability objectives,” Novak said.

“The sawmill will add a second saw line and increase production over five phases of development by the fall of 2023. Saskatchewan is clearly open for business and refreshing to work with.”

Dunkley is a privately owned Canadian forestry company with three sawmills in western Canada. The Carrot River mill, originally constructed in 1976, was acquired by Dunkley in 2019 and operates as Edgewood Forest Products.

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Ben.Tompkins@pattisonmedia.com

On Twitter: @BenTompkins_8