Summer forest fires unexpected boon for northern bands

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Summer forest fires that lit evening skies in northwestern Saskatchewan will brighten the lives of nearby communities in the future with a timber salvage plan that comes into effect this year.

The fire that cut a swatch through the Primrose Air Weapons Range in 1993 left an abundance of harvestable logs, approximate 600,000 cubic metres worth, according to Norsask Forest Products of Meadow Lake representatives. That represents almost all of Norsasks' needs for the next two years, saving other areas the company is licensed to harvest.

The Deer Fire timber salvage program will generate revenue for the Canoe Lake Band in the form of jobs and compensation, said chief Guy LaRiviere. Profits from the wood will be split between Norsask and Canoe Lake.

The band's claim to the weapons range was recognized by the federal Indian Claims Commission last summer. The land was traditional hunting and trapping ground for Canoe Lake before the weapons range was built in 1954.