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Resolute: New sawmill will help support Thunder Bay pulp and paper mill

Resolute Forest Products today announced the construction of a new sawmill in the area of Atikokan, Ont. The $50-million investment will involve the construction of a single line random length (16 ft.) sawmill with an annual capacity of 150…

Resolute Forest Products today announced the construction of a new sawmill in the area of Atikokan, Ont. The $50-million investment will involve the construction of a single line random length (16 ft.) sawmill with an annual capacity of 150 million board feet. The completion target is early 2014.

When the Atikokan project is complete and the company’s upgraded Ignace facility re-opens, Resolute will have three modern sawmills in Northwestern Ontario, with a combined production capacity approaching approximately 600 million board feet. The company states that, in addition to producing lumber, the sawmills will contribute to the long-term competitiveness of Resolute’s pulp and paper operations in Thunder Bay through the supply of residual chips, as well as support efforts to reposition the Fort Frances pulp mill, which is currently idled.

Resolute’s announcement was welcomed by Ontario Natural Resources Minister Michael Gravelle. “This is extremely good news for the economy in Northwestern Ontario, and specifically the Atikokan area. Over the past 18 months, the company has announced over $175 million of investments in the province, and I am certainly encouraged that a new sawmill in Atikokan could potentially make a positive contribution as Resolute continues to look at viable options for its Fort Frances pulp mill.”

Resolute Forest Products has a diverse range of products, including newsprint, commercial printing papers, market pulp and wood products.