Northern Pulp closure will be felt on P.E.I., says forestry company

Nova Scotia's decision to not allow an extension for Northern Pulp in PictouCounty will have impacts on P.E.I.

On Friday, the Nova Scotia government announced it would notamend the Boat Harbour Act, forcing the closure of Northern Pulp's effluent facility by the end of January.

Boat Harbour is a former tidal estuary next to Pictou Landing First Nation that for five decades has been treating the mill's waste water and is heavily polluted.

The company said that decision will force the closure of the mill, which is the largest player in the province's forestry sector and could kill as many as 2,700 related jobs.

Greg Ryan, co-owner of Ryan Wood Producers in Montague, P.E.I., said Northern Pulp isn't a huge part of his business, but will stillimpact him and others on the Island.

"We'll keep going there right now, but we'll find out in the next few weeks what is going to take place," he said.

"It affects a lot of industries and that, right from your fuel company, tires, machine shops, right down the line so it's quite a circle that it's going to impact."

P.E.I. Premier Dennis King said the province will be working with the forestry industry to identify opportunities to mitigate the impact on local industries.

Mi'kmaq applaud decision

He said the government is satisfied the decision addresses the potential threat to the shared Northumberland Strait ecosystem.

L'nuey, P.E.I.'s Mi'kmaq rights initiative, released a statement applauding the decision and lendingtheir support to other First Nation leaders in an effort to protect the environment.

The P.E.I. Fishermen's Association said it also supports the decision, and Nova Scotia's plan to support the forestry industry's transition to one less dependent on pulpwood.

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