No decision made on BC sawmill rebuild following deadly blast
by Canadian Manufacturing Daily Staff
Lakeland Mills says no decision has been made following Burns Lake rebuild announcement
PRINCE GEORGE, B.C.—Ownership of a British Columbia sawmill leveled in a deadly April explosion and fire says it hasn’t decided whether it will rebuild the facility.
Sinclair Group Forest Products, which owns Lakeland Mills in Prince George, B.C., issued a statement regarding the sawmill after competitor Hampton Affiliates announced plans to reopen its Burns Lake sawmill following a similar incident in January.
“As we have said before, the conditions are favourable to support a positive decision about whether we will be able to rebuild,” Sinclair president Greg Stewart said in a statement.
“That said, our timeline and our operating environment are different than Hampton’s. We will make every effort to make a decision as soon as possible.”
Two sawmill workers died and another 22 were injured in the blast at Lakeland Mills.
The blast at Burns Lake, located approximately 225-kilometres west of Prince George, killed two and injured 20.
Hampton’s Burns Lake sawmill is expected to reopen in early 2014.
