The Government of Saskatchewan has announced that it has allocated nearly 1.2 million cubic metres of timber to One Sky Forest Products to set the stage for the company to open an oriented strand board (OSB) mill in Prince Albert.
One Sky Forest Products was formed in 2020 by Montreal Lake Business Ventures, Meadow Lake Tribal Council, Big River First Nation, Wahpeton Dakota Nation and Tatanka Oyate Holdings, who brought in industry shareholder Peak Renewables Ltd., a British Columbia forest products company.
“I had said that I was not going to do anything without Indigenous people in British Columbia, Alberta, or Saskatchewan,” said Peak Renewables founder Brian Fher. “I can tell you that without a doubt we would not be here without strong Indigenous partners.”
One Sky plans to begin construction on the $400 million USD plant, which is almost 550 million CAD, in the summer of 2025. The plant will create an estimated 800 direct and indirect jobs. Indigenous Forestry Investments (IFI) will partner with One Sky on the project.
Jobs will be created for Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the region, and there are plans to develop training programs for indigenous people looking to build a career in the forestry sector.
One Sky’s four Indigenous shareholders formed IFI to provide one unified voice for the Indigenous shareholders and the communities they represent, as well as provide clarity when seeking additional investors.
“Ownership means we will benefit from the wealth generated, create careers for our people, and involve our businesses in the supply chain,” Indigenous Forestry Investments Board of Directors Chair Gary Daniels said.
Saskatchewan leads the country in Indigenous participation in the forestry sector. Currently, 32 percent of the province’s timber supply is allocated to Indigenous companies, and 27 percent of the forestry sector workforce is Indigenous. The government of Saskatchewan is looking to make those numbers even higher with this project.
“In Saskatchewan’s Growth Plan, the Government of Saskatchewan set the target of doubling the size of the forestry sector by 2030 and encouraging increased Indigenous participation,” Premier Scott Moe said. “This allocation positions the industry to meet that growth target, working with Indigenous businesses and creating jobs for northern residents, further protecting and promoting Saskatchewan.”
The new OBS plant will be located at the old pulp mill in Prince Albert, which closed nearly two decades ago. Montreal Lake Business Ventures board member and Montreal Lake Cree Nation Councilor Eldon Henderson said the community already has ties to that land from a previous venture.
“Years ago, Lac La Ronge Indian Band, Peter Ballantyne Cree Nation, and Montreal Lake Cree Nation had a joint venture, and we had ownership in this plant adjacent to the pulp mill, and it was called Wapawekka Lumber. So now we go forward a few years to 2024; now we’re building a very sophisticated OSB plant,” explained Henderson.
Construction of the plant will begin next summer with the hope of opening in 2027.