PREMIER ANNOUNCES TASK FORCE ON WEYERHAEUSER CLOSURE

Premier Lorne Calvert today announced that he has struck a task force comprised of the Saskatchewan Forestry Centre, the Province of Saskatchewan, the City of Prince Albert and the union representing workers following news that Weyerhaeuser is closing its Prince Albert pulp and paper mill and laying off 690 employees.

The task force, to be chaired by Prince Albert Northcote MLA Eldon Lautermilch, will explore all options to create a viable future for the industry in Prince Albert.

"This morning's news from Weyerhaeuser is a devastating blow for our forest industry, for the families who depend on the pulp and paper mill for jobs and for our province," Calvert said.

After learning the news, Calvert contacted senior Weyerhaeuser management, who indicated that the closure was a business decision made at the board level in the United States and is due to worldwide market factors such as the high Canadian dollar and a decreased demand for paper products.

Other companies have announced closures of Canadian and American paper mills in recent months. However, this announcement was unexpected because the Prince Albert operation is modern, efficient and staffed by productive employees.

"Clearly, as government, we want to see either a viable pulp and paper mill continue in Prince Albert, whether it is operated by Weyerhaeuser or another company, or some other long-term operation to replace it with another wood product," Calvert said. "While today's announcement is a setback, we must remember we have a huge forest resource in our province and there are many forestry opportunities for companies willing to make the investments.

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