Port Alice pulp mill re-opens

The pulp mill in the tiny Vancouver Island community of Port Alice re-opened Friday after going into bankruptcy in late 2004.

The North Island community was hit hard by the mill's closure. (Courtesy: Village of Port Alice)

The mill was taken over last year by a new group of investors Neucel Specialty Cellulose which negotiated a new, lower-cost contract with the workers.

• FROM DEC. 5, 2005: Pulp mill to start up again after near-unanimous vote

They have made changes to the mill, turning it into a producer of dissolving sulphite pulp, which is used to make drugs, LCD screens and cigarette filters.

Neucel has already spent millions on the mill, and says it plans to spend up to $100 million more over the next five years.

Mayor Larry Pepper says most of the 300 workers who lost their jobs a year and a half ago will be employed again at the 90-year-old plant.

He also told CBC Radio that the company seems to be well funded, and is the best chance for his community's survival.

The village and the company are holding a barbeque on Friday to celebrate the re-opening of the mill.

• INTERVIEW: B.C. Almanac's Mark Forsythe speaks with mill worker Pete Smith and Port Alice Mayor Larry Pepper.