Saskatchewan Show Expands to Meet Needs of a Growing Industry

After the success of the inaugural Saskatchewan Forestry Expo show in the summer of 1999, the city of Prince Albert is continuing to work hard to meet the needs of the fast-growing provincial forest industry, with plans for an even larger Forestry Expo this coming summer. The dates for this year's show are August 8 to 10 2001. "Making contacts and forging business relationships is extremely important in this province," states Lionel Letendre, co chair of Saskatchewan Forestry Expo. "To create the opportunity for as many companies as possible, the Saskatchewan Forestry Expo will be expanding indoor and outdoor space considerably for this year's show." An additional 160 exhibit sites have been allocated to meet the anticipated demand. "Given the amount of sawmill and processing development, we expect that there will be a lot more interest from processing suppliers," says Letendre. While low lumber prices have resulted in a rescheduling of some of the planning and implementation work, significant progress is being made on building much needed forestry infrastructure right across the province.

A case in point is Weyerhaeuser's Big River sawmill expansion, now close to completion. This will increase mill production by over 90,000 cubic metres a year. Meanwhile, Weyerhaeuser's $180 million oriented strand board plant in the community of Hudson Bay recently began producing product. In northeastern Saskatchewan, a joint venture between the Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation and Ainsworth Lumber Ltd. recently signed an agreement for 320,000 cubic metres per year, securing a wood supply for their proposed sawmill and finger jointing plants. While the forest industry continues to develop in Saskatchewan, only a small percentage of the total Annual Allowable Cut in the province is currently being used, leaving ample opportunities for even further growth in the industry.

Prince Albert, home of Saskatchewan Forestry Expo, is seeing benefits from a larger forestry industry. "Saskatchewan forestry is expanding and Prince Albert, the third largest city in Saskatchewan, is the centre of this growing provincial industry," says Prince Albert Mayor Don Cody. "Well established companies are needed to service the expanding forest industry and associated value-added enterprises. "The city of Prince Albert continues to expand to meet the demand," Cody added. He and others cite examples of city growth, such as a new 39 acre, $20 million retail development that is currently underway, and 100 additional housing starts for the city in 2000. Saskatchewan Forestry Expo organizers can be reached at (306) 7632189 or by email at forestry@inet2000.com Information on the show is available on the Web at www.saskforestryexpo.com

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