By Adam Berls

forestry

Brink proposes to buy Canfor assets in Bear Lake, Vanderhoof, Fort St. John and Houston

Sep 13, 2024 | 2:27 PM

PRINCE GEORGE — Despite two recent sawmill closures in Northern B.C., John Brink is not giving up on the forestry industry and is seeing the closures as an opportunity.

Brink has announced that he has sent a letter of intent to purchase sawmill operations and tenure from Canfor in Bear Lake, Houston, Fort St. John, and Vanderhoof. He says that he would buy the sawmill operations in Bear Lake, Fort St. John and Vanderhoof and acquire the forest tenure from Canfor in Houston. Brink says that if Canfor accepts his proposal, he would be creating 5000 new jobs.

Brink has already stated his intent to purchase the Polar sawmill in Bear Lake, but after Canfor’s announcement last Wednesday, he said needed to restate his intent and make it more formal to Canfor, and on Sunday he sent a letter of intent to President & CEO of Canfor, Don Kayne.

Access to fibre has been Brink’s biggest challenge, and says that his proposal would help with that. He noted that he would also expand his operations in Prince George as well, by adding another finger joint plant and another cross laminated timber plant.

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Brink wants to do more than just purchase sawmill operations and tenure. Brink said that he would build a new sawmill in Houston and expand a remanufacturing facility in Houston and add a remanufacturing facility in Fort St. John.

In a news release, Canfor acknowledged that they “have received indications of interest from several parties and will be considering options and engaging in discussions as appropriate.”

Pattison Media is owned by the Jim Pattison Group, a majority shareholder in Canfor.

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X: @AdamBerls

Email: Adam.Berls@pattisonmedia.com