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Vaagen Reopens

The Vaagen Fibre Canada sawmill in Midway BC will be resuming operations today Monday, April 20th.

Proper safety procedures in regards to the Covid-19 situationhave been put in place and vetted through WorkSafe BC. At the onset, a regular 10-hour shift will employ 44 individuals as well as truck drivers to move the lumber and residuals.

Since being designated as an essential service by the B.C. government, Vaagen Fibre has been developing processes and procedures to safely and economically begin operations again.

“We are making every effort to get our employees and contractors back to work” says Dan Macmaster, Fibre Manager at Vaagen. “Our communities depend on our mill. Our local community forest depends on our mill. Our partnership with the Osoyoos Indian Band depends on our mill. We have initiated an excellent safety plan in response to Covid-19 and slowly want to get our entire operation contributing to the local economy again.”

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Even with an unprecedented drop in the lumber market due to Covid-19 and restrictions put on construction in Canada and the U.S., Vaagen Fibre recognizes the importance of their operations to the local communities. “In many of our rural towns, industries like ours are vital for direct employment, job opportunities for contractors, as well as indirect economic benefits for many businesses. We will continue to do our best to support our local residents and First Nations partners.”

Vaagen Fibre is a non-tenured sawmill that relies on open-market purchasing of logs. Macmaster says that partnerships and relationships with landowners and other licencees is critical to procuring wood to supply the mill. “It is definitely challenging to bring in a supply of wood when so much of our forest land-base is controlled by mills that are currently not operating. As one of the only mills in the southern Interior that has no forest licences to develop cutting permits, we are at the mercy of other licencees to sell us logs. If they choose not to operate, it puts real pressure on us to maintain operations.”

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