Released on September 14, 2007
Domtar and the provincial government reiterated their commitment today to work toward a late summer or early fall 2008 reopening date for the Prince Albert pulp mill.
"As stated in the Memorandum of Understanding, we are focused on getting the Prince Albert mill operational as quickly as possible, and a late summer or early fall 2008 date is a very realistic timeline," Domtar Vice President of Corporate Communications Michel Rathier said, clarifying his earlier statement to a Saskatchewan reporter about the potential timeline for reopening the mill. "Domtar is committed to working with all stakeholders involved to finalize the business case for positioning this pulp mill as a world-class facility and getting people back to work."
On Wednesday, the provincial government and Domtar signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) which will see the mill re-open.
"While there is considerable work ahead of us, it is important for all parties to stay focused on completing that work rather than being distracted by critics who do not believe in the future of the forest industry in Saskatchewan," Minister Responsible for the Forestry Secretariat Maynard Sonntag said. "We have been working for more than two years to find a way to re-open the PA mill and we look forward to partnering with Domtar on this investment, which will see the mill re-open, will create jobs in the North and will ensure that the province regains control of its forest resources.
"We commend the many parties involved in this initiative for staying focused on completing the task before us so that Prince Albert can once again celebrate the opening of a world-class facility. It is gratifying to see that the hard work by the Forestry Sector Task Force, the union and others has led to formalization of an agreement that will bring significant long-term benefits to the province."
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For more information, contact:
Jay Branch
Executive Council
Regina
Phone: 306-787-6349
Email: jay.branch@gov.sk.ca
Cell: 306-539-3994