Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Operations Minister Steve Thomson, provincial minister of Forests, Lands and Natural Resources, was in Ladysmith late Monday afternoon to join Lee Doney of Western Forest Products today in announcing the company's plans to upgrade its Saltair mill.
This fall, Western Forest Products announced its plan to invest $200 million in its Vancouver Island operations.
A $16-million upgrade to the Saltair sawmill is the first step in Western's capital plan to position the company for the future.
"Western's investment is a commitment to forestry workers on Vancouver Island," Thomson said in a news release. "Thirty per cent of Saltair's production goes to Japan, and the mill improvements announced today will help Western grow its Japanese market."
The retrofit is expected to take one year and will provide jobs for contractors and suppliers who specialize in mill infrastructure upgrades.
The mill will continue running while the retrofit takes place.