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Meadow Lake Tribal Council - Over 25 Years Creating Health, Community Wealth and Good Governance. |
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NorSask Forest Products remains
the Meadow Lake Tribal Council’s leading forestry industry company. With
approximately 110 million board feet of softwood lumber produced
annually, production at NorSask continues to operate efficiently. Ways
of lowering operating costs continue to be explored and the markets are
continually monitored so that NorSask produces the lumber in highest
demand. NorSask continues to harvest its trees in cooperation with Mistik Management and their 3.3 million hectare forest management area. As a 50% owner of Mistik Management, MLTC has a well-managed supply of softwood for production at NorSask. It is also fortunate that the hardwood harvested is useful to Mistik’s other 50% owner, the Meadow Lake Pulp Partnership. This arrangement helps NorSask keep its fiber costs down. The spin-off activities created by the NorSask sawmill have proven very beneficial to several First Nations contractors in the region. Also, a good percentage of full-time employees at NorSask are First Nations people. Some of these individuals have also received certified skills training at some level offered by related MLTC programs. Despite an approximate 27% duty on Canadian lumber sold to the United States, NorSask continues to sell its products to the United States. Continued discussion with the United States, the World Trade Organization and the North American Free Trade Agreement trade panel will hopefully eradicate this duty paid by Canadian lumber producers. NorSask has responded to this challenge by continually lowering operating costs and increasing the sawmill’s overall efficiency. Both NorSask and MLTC thoroughly believe that responsible management and innovative processes will sustain NorSask’s record of success until a final resolution is reached.
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