COMMUNITY NEWS
LIVING OUR VALUES: WESTERN PROVIDES FUNDS FOR FOOD THIS HOLIDAY SEASON
This holiday season, Western is once again partnering with community organizations in B.C. and Washington State to support one of the busiest times of the year as food bank demand goes up.
“We are proud to continue to support the efforts of organizations to ensure that essential food items reach those in need this holiday season,” said Steven Hofer, President and CEO, Western Forest Products. “Challenging times underscore the importance of giving back. This contribution is one way we put our values into action and invest in communities to build a better world.”
Through Western’s Community Enhancement Fund, the company provides support to local community events, organizations and initiatives. Western takes pride in its commitment to sustainable and stable communities in the areas in which it operates, including through community contributions, the purchase of local goods and services, local employment and taxes.
COMMUNITY NEWS
Land Sale Agreement Between Tseshaht First Nation and Western Forest Products Paves Way for Residential Development
c̓išaaʔatḥ (Tseshaht) First Nation and Western Forest Products Inc. announced today the completion of the sale of a parcel of Western’s private land located in Port Alberni to Tseshaht for residential development. The purchase of the 7.9 acre property supports Tseshaht’s vision to build housing within the City of Port Alberni for its members and the broader community. The parcel of land was formerly used as a parking lot by Western’s Alberni Pacific Division facility.
Celebration Kicks Off Newly Formed Limited Partnership between Western and Four First Nations
The partnership has been given the name La-kwa sa muqw Forestry (pronounced la-KWAH-sa-mook), which means ‘the wood of four’ in the Kwak’wala language. The partnership logo, designed by local artist Diego Matilpi, was also unveiled at the event hosted in the Wei Wai Kum First Nation’s Kwanwatsi Big House.
WESTERN COMPLETES KILN UPGRADE AT SALTAIR SAWMILL AND KICKS-OFF ADDITIONAL $35 MILLION INVESTMENT IN B.C. OPERATIONS
The newly installed $12 million continuous dry kiln at the Saltair Sawmill increases the mill’s capacity for continuous drying of lumber, and also provides environmental benefits by reducing energy consumption. The new kiln adds to the three existing kilns on site for drying lumber. The Saltair sawmill is the largest single-line sawmill on the coast of B.C. following previous multi-phase strategic capital investments of over $42 million to modernize the sawmill since 2013.