The San Group’s mills and remanufacturing plant in Port Alberni are running only intermittently after a curtailment began in October due to a log shortage.
Kevin Somerville, vice-president of operations of the Langley-based company, said Wednesday that San Group’s large-log mill is back up and running, but supplies are inconsistent. “At times we run and then at times we don’t. We don’t have a steady diet [of logs] at this point.”
San Group announced in mid-October that it was temporarily shutting down its large-log mill and remanufacturing plant in Port Alberni. At that time, it had some supply to run through its small-log mill. The move affected about 75 workers.
Supply is off-and-on for the small-log mill and it, too, will be up and down, Somerville said.
Since the curtailment, the large-log mill has run for about a week, was down for two weeks and restarted Tuesday at noon, he said.
San Group purchases logs on the open market, through timber sales and First Nations, with most of its supply coming from Vancouver Island and the Central Coast. Supply has been tight for all buyers.
Explanations for the fibre shortage range from wildfires to red tape, past overharvesting, lack of time for planted trees to grow to maturity, and logging deferrals to protect older forests.
The remanufacturing plant was initially out of operation for two weeks but has been running at “half throttle” since, Somerville said.
Lumber produced at the mills goes to support the plant, which makes products for the retail market.
The company has about 250 employees in the Lower Mainland and Port Alberni.
The province put liens on the San Group’s Port Alberni sawmill lands earlier this year, saying it was owed $22 million in stumpage fees.
