EAGLE VALLEY
NEWS
Meals to Wheels organizers aim to keep serving Page 3
Local author open for questions Page 8
Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2014 PM40008236
Vol. 59 No. 7 Sicamous, B.C., • 1.25 (GST included) • www.eaglevalleynews.com
Cool creations: Competitors in the Sicamous Snow Days Downtown Snow Sculpture Contest were busy on Sunday putting together their frosty creations. Left – The Sicamous Dental Clinic’s team of Alexandre Li, Emily Liu, Shirley Schandelle, Dina Spelay and Jeanette Mack take five after building Garfield the cat, complete with dental floss. Right – Sam McKellar, events co-ordinator for the Lodge/Haven, gets the snow flying as she sculpts away. Photos by Victoria Rowbottom
Preparations underway to re-open Malakwa mill By Lachlan Labere Eagle Valley News
Rumours about the former Louisiana Pacific Mill in Malakwa reopening are true. Citing economic reasons, Louisiana Pacific closed the sawmill in 2005, resulting in the layoff of 91 employees. The mill was last operational about four years ago under a different owner. Since then, there have been a number of attempts get the mill going again. This time, however, Ray Hansen says it’s the real deal. Hansen, who lives onsite at the mill, will be general manager for Elite Forest Products Ltd.’s Malakwa operation. He says the property was purchased in the spring by Lower Mainland investors who plan to have the mill up and running by mid to
late spring. “We are going to start readying the mill next month and bring in the mechanics and stuff,” said Hansen. “We figure it will take anywhere from one to two weeks.” Hansen says the mill’s new owners have already invested about $100,000 in upgrades and improvements, in addition to securing their own timber licence. “We did some upgrades last fall. We didn’t get them all finished, but we upgraded the electrical, we upgraded the chipping system and so, you know, they have spent a considerable amount of money,” said Hansen. “And the wood licence was of course, those are very expensive nowadays, we’re talking millions.” Initially, Hansen says about 15 to See Asian market on page 2
Thawing out: The former Louisiana Pacific Mill, under new ownership, is expected to be up and running by mid-April. Photo by Victoria Rowbottom