Metis settlements partners in new plant

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Three Metis settlements are major players in a $90 million wood products plant proposed for the High Prairie area.

Gift Lake, Peavine and East Prairie Metis Settlement -- known collectively as the Tri-Settlement Councils -- are partners in the plant, which would be built at High Prairie.

The oriented strandboard (OSB) plant will be the largest of its kind in the world, turning out 550 million square feet of lumber every year for the American housing and industrial market, said Ray Stewart, president of Polyboard Manufacturing Company of Alberta, in a telephone interview from his Oliver, BC ranch.

The other shareholders are Stewart, Rick Cretain and Ross Kneteman.

Twice as large as most existing plants, three 747s could be parked in the building, he said.

Polyboard had earlier considered sites near Rocky Mountain House and Athabasca. YFY Pulp and Paper Canada Ltd., which wants to build a $600 million chemithermonechanical mill near the town, is also competing for the timber.

The OSB plant will create 145 jobs directly and 300 in woods' operations where traditional harvesting methods will be used.

The polyboard project would be very welcome, bringing badly needed jobs to the settlements where the unemployment rate is quite high, said Harry Supernault, spokesman for the three settlements in a telephone interview from East Prairie.

"We met LeRoy Fjordbotten (minister of forestry, land and wildlife). We're very optimistic. YFY never came to the settlements or tried to negotiate before. All of a sudden, they're knocking on our door. They want to meet with us."

The Polyboard project is environmentally sound, claimed Supernault. "It had to be before we'd pursue anything. If we manage this product aspen, we can continue going forever."

He said it'll be difficult for YFY to get federal approval for its project. And with Daishowa Canada building a pulp mill at nearby Peace River and needing lots of timber, there's no room for YFY, he said.

He indicated the Metis settlements were pleased to be invited by Polyboard to join the project.

"The town needs it. The people of High Prairie and surrounding area needs it. There hasn't been any industrial development of this sort in High Prairie."

Supernault said none of the money invested in the project comes from money to be received as part of the Alberta Settlements Accord. He declined to say how much the settlements are investing.

Since it will not sent pollutants into the air or water, it's "obviously" a cleaner project than the YFY mill, Stewart claimed. "We easily meet federal and provincial requirements."

"We have aboriginal shareholders. I can assure you we'll have aboriginal employment. There's no question about that," he said.

"When you've got an equal partner in aboriginal people and they've got major representation on the board of directors, they have a say in how the company is operated," said Stewart.

If Polyboard's plan is rejected, the company will abandon Alberta and look at other locations like Alaska, Stewart said. "This is the last timber you've got that's economically feasible for a board plant."

High Prairie is 366 kilometers northwest of Edmonton.