Released on September 8, 2021
Proposed Mill To Create 700 New Jobs, Help Double Forestry Sector Growth
Today, the Government of Saskatchewan announced the approval of timber allocations to support the proposed One Sky Forest Products (One Sky) Oriented Strand Board (OSB) mill in Prince Albert.
"Forestry is northern Saskatchewan's largest sector and supports nearly 8,000 jobs and hundreds of businesses," Energy and Resources Minister Bronwyn Eyre said. "The One Sky project will help achieve the ambitious goal in our Growth Plan to double the province's forestry sector by 2030 and further strengthen Saskatchewan's economy."
The $250 million One Sky mill will have a capacity of 600 million square feet (3/8-inch basis) of OSB annually, requiring approximately 845,000 m3 of timber. The Government of Saskatchewan allocates timber through the Ministry of Energy and Resources under The Forest Resources Management Act. The province is allocating the majority of the timber required for this project, while the remaining balance will be secured by the company through commercial agreements negotiated with other mills, Indigenous timber allocation holders and private landowners.
"We are extremely pleased with today's announcement from the Government of Saskatchewan awarding One Sky Forest Products and our partners the fibre tenures necessary to move our project forward," One Sky founder and Chair of the Board Brian Fehr said. "We have been working with our Saskatchewan investors and First Nations partners for over a year to get to this point and are eager to move to the next phase of project development. We thank the Government of Saskatchewan and look forward to developing this important project for Prince Albert, our First Nations partners and the people of Saskatchewan."
"Saskatchewan's growing forestry sector is supported by abundant ecosystems that cover more than half of our province," Environment Minister Warren Kaeding said. "We welcome sustainable developments and will work with industry partners to ensure that our forests continue to be well managed, healthy and sustained over the long term."
One Sky's production facility is expected to create over 700 jobs in northern Saskatchewan. With the North American residential construction industry forecasting a decade of growth, One Sky will enter the market producing performance-rated OSB sheathing, which is a preferred wall, roof and sub-floor sheathing material. This timber allocation will also support the growth of other, value-added manufacturing in the forestry sector in the province.
One Sky Forest Products Ltd. is a privately held Saskatchewan corporation formed to construct and operate the One Sky Oriented Strand Board plant in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan. In partnership with Peak Renewables Ltd. and local investors, Montreal Lake Business Ventures, Meadow Lake Tribal Council together with Big River First Nation, and Wahpeton Dakota Development Corporation, are contributing equity and fibre to the project. The company is also sourcing fibre from additional First Nations communities located near Prince Albert.
In 2020, more than $1.1 billion worth of Saskatchewan forest products were sold, an almost 30 per cent increase over the previous year.
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For more information, contact:
Robin Speer
Energy and Resources
Regina
Phone: 306-519-5006
Email: robin.speer@gov.sk.ca