Prince George, BC — A sawmill destroyed by a deadly blast in Prince George, BC, last year will be rebuilt. The Sinclar Group Forest Products company says final design plans haven’t been completed, but it intends to rebuild the Lakeland Mill, with construction expected to begin in spring 2013.
Sinclar president Greg Stewart says he can’t give details of the size and capacity of the plant yet, but he wanted to let the community know the company is going ahead with the project, which should be complete by the summer of 2014.
The company says mill will incorporate the most advanced safety protocols to ensure a safe work environment.
Two men were killed when an explosion and fire ripped through the mill on April 23, 2012, just three months after a similar blast killed two workers at a sawmill in Burns Lake, BC.
Wood dust has been implicated in the explosions, and the BC Safety Authority issued a report earlier this year recommending sawmills take more action to manage the dust.