Brink Group Founder John Brink has submitted a proposal to purchase Canfor properties in four communities.
This includes the closed sawmills in Houston, Vanderhoof, Fort St. John, and Bear Lake, along with their timber rights.
“We have no choice for our own operation but even more importantly that this has put hundreds and thousands of people out of work,” Brink told Vista Radio.
Along with the proposal, he is looking for support from First Nations, employees, and the BC Government.
The purchased properties would fall under the Brink Forest Product banner which has operations in Vanderhoof, Houston, and Prince George.
“I believe in BC, the BC Forest Industry, and I’m staying. That’s the message that I’m giving even at nearly 84-years-old,” said Brink.
With the purchase, he hopes to expand operations in Vanderhoof and Houston, along with adding to the Fort St. John plant.
Along with the purchase, he hopes to bring back the employees that had been affected and has been in talks with the steel workers union.
“We have to do more value-added manufacturing and change the structural makeup of the industry,” he added.
He also sees the purchase being a benefit to the communities which have felt direct impacts from the sawmill closures, and the further ripple effect.
“I believe in the benefit for northern BC but even more so in all of BC as we’ll show a new direction to where we’ll go in the forest industry,” Brink said.
“75 to 80 per cent of the GDP in the province is generated north of Hope. The industry used to have 120 sawmills, now maybe there’s 60 left and more disappearing.”
The ongoing softwood lumber dispute with the US was also mentioned and how it could continue to affect companies like Canfor.
“Starting in January, their rate may go as high as 35 to 40 per cent. We would probably be less than half of that and I’ve been dealing with that since 2017,” he said.
Vista Radio has reached out to Canfor for comment on the proposed purchase.
– with files from Logan Flint, My Bulkley Lakes Now staff
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