By Nigel Maxwell

Local politicians keeping fingers crossed for pulp mill

Nov 15, 2010 | 10:52 AM

While local politicians aren’t talking about what they are hearing about a proposed offer to buy the shuttered pulp mill, but they are not concealing their excitement.

“It's the best news Prince Albert has had in a long, long time,” said Jim Scarrow, Prince Albert mayor.

Paper Excellence, a company based out of the Netherlands, wants to buy the pulp mill from Domtar.

Former mill workers voted during this past weekend overwhelming in favor of a five-year agreement.

“That's an important piece, but there are other important pieces from Domtar, from the Government of Saskatchewan and Paper Excellence, that need to be put together prior to a formal announcement being made,” said Scarrow.

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The NDP MLA for Prince Albert Northcote said he has been hearing rumblings for months regarding Domtar being approached with offers for the pulp mill.

“I would argue that the provincial government has done nothing to facilitate the pulp mill re-opening and if it does re-open, it would open in spite of what the provincial government has done, not because of it,” said Darcy Furber.

Furber said he was not surprised by the news that someone was interested in the mill, given that the value of pulp has been $1,000 a ton for quite a while.

For more on this weekends vote, read “Mill union gives Paper Excellence an 'overwhelming' yes”

nmaxwell@panow.com