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Still no plan for reopening of Vaagen Fibre mill in Midway

Rumours surfaced online claiming that a timeline for opening had been revealed
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On Jan. 6, 2023, Vaagen Fibre Canada announced the indefinite shut down of its Midway mill operation. Chris Hammett photo.

Contrary to rumours that have appeared on social media, Vaagen Fibre currently has no timeline for its reopening.

According to Dan Macmaster, the company’s fibre supply manager, the mill’s operations are “almost exactly the same” as they were a month ago.

“The lumber market is even worse than it was before,” Macmaster said.

On January 6, Vaagen Fibre announced that it would be shutting down the Midway mill operation, citing challenges with accessing wood fibre.

Now, more than six weeks later, there is “still no fibre there to buy,” Macmaster said.

While the provincial government has announced some options to support mills in their pursuit of wood fibre, Vaagen Fibre’s problem has been too large for those initiatives to repair.

As such, the company is continuing its process of laying off its employees and helping them find new work, whether that is temporary or long-term.

“By March 15, there will just be a couple of people left,” Macmaster said.

Although the future remains uncertain, Macmaster is confident that as soon as it becomes viable to do so, the mill will resume its operations.

“The ownership refuses to sell this mill or give up,” he said.

“They’re determined to open up again — whether it’s soon or in the (distant) future.”