National Forest Week runs Sept. 22-28. (ID 49280919 © Rlesyk | Dreamstime.com)

By Austin Mattes

Billion dollar industry

National Forest Week: Local forestry company a ‘shining star’ in industry

Sep 19, 2024 | 4:00 PM

More than half of Saskatchewan is covered in trees, but according to the CEO of Forest Saskatchewan, most people aren’t aware of just how significant the forestry industry is to the province.

“It employs thousands, hundreds of thousands of people across the country in Canada,” said Carl Neggers. “It’s probably a $25 to $30 billion economic opportunity and in Saskatchewan we’re closely reaching $2 billion this year. We have probably 1,500 to 2,000 active employees (in Saskatchewan) directly involved in the industry.”

National Forest Week runs Sept. 22 – 28. Neggers said it’s a great opportunity to educate the public, not just on the economic impact of the industry, but also in what it gives back.

He referred to Mistik Management in Meadow Lake – which is owned by two parent companies NorSask Forest Products LP and Meadow Lake Mechanical Pulp Inc. What started as a small donation turned into over $30,000 worth of donations from forestry companies across the province thanks to the ‘Log a Load for Kids’ event. It’s a national fundraiser that Mistik Management joined a few years ago. Funds raised are directed to the Jim Pattison Children’s Hospital Foundation.

“The way it got its start, we did a $500 donation, but in turn, we challenged all the other local forestry companies in the province, along with our contractor workforce, to see if they would match. And many of them did. I think the first year we were around $10,500. Last year, I think we were up around $15,000 and so far this year we’re around $12,500. So, we’ve gotten really good support from all our local contractors and mills,” said Mystic Management General Manager Robert Follett.

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Neggers said Mistik Management has been a ‘shining star’ in terms of giving back.

“They’re the ones that really incubated Log a Load and also encouraged participation, not just by the forest industry players, but it also encouraged truckers and loggers and community participants.”

The ‘Log a Load For Kids’ event will be held this Sunday, Sept. 22 at Lions Park in Meadow Lake from 3:00 p.m. to 6:00 p.m.

In general, Neggers said Meadow Lake has been very important to the forestry industry in Northern Saskatchewan and that profits are often reinvested back into the community.

“Meadow Lake Tribal Council and Meadow Lake are vibrant participants in that community. These (forestry) businesses contribute to those local economies and support opportunities for employment. They reinvest in their communities. When looking at profits, they’re making sure that if lumber prices go low, that they’re maintaining their employment at a certain level because most of the people that work in that mill are Indigenous from those First Nations and making sure that profits don’t go into shareholders hands. They go back into community and to make sure the needs of the community are being met through profit sharing.”

During National Forest Week last year, the government of Saskatchewan highlighted Meadow Lake Tribal Council’s NorSask Forest Products as an example of what’s possible for ‘longevity and sustainability by Indigenous-owned businesses in the sector’.

It said NorSask’s sawmill began supplying product to the Tribal Council’s Bioenergy Centre, which re-uses sawmill waste like sawdust and bark to create renewable power. This allows NorSask to power its sawmill and sell excess electricity back onto the power grid, while cutting its greenhouse gas emissions.

The forestry sector produces mostly pulp, lumber and oriented strand board in Saskatchewan; 70 per cent of which was exported internationally.

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austin.mattes@pattisonmedia.com

Twitter/X: @AustinMattes