Skeena Cellulose paper mill (closed)

 seaport, paper mill, coal storage/terminal

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This old bleached kraft pulp mill on Watson Island (originally opened 1951) was once the major employer for Prince Rupert, but had been in financial difficulties for most of its history. There have been several attempts by many operators to keep the mill running, including the BC government, but all have been unsuccessful. It has been closed since 2001.

Sun Wave Forest Products, a division of China Paper Group, purchased the mill in 2006. The City of Prince Rupert offered property tax relief from the nearly $6.5 million in back taxes to Sun Wave, provided the mill was operational by the end of 2007. However, the mill was never restarted and taxes never paid, so on Sept 29, 2009 the City of Prince Rupert took over the mill ownership, and ultimately hopes to find a buyer or operator for the mill, but until then will face maintenance and upkeep costs to the tune of $100,000 per month to keep the plant in a mothballed state.

The future: Watson Island Development Corporation (WatCo) www.watdevco.com/ will remediate the contaminated millsite and redevelop the property into an export bulk terminal. WatCo is a venture made up of Metakatla First Nation, Lax Kw'alaams First Nation and Colonial Coal International Corporation.

Colonial Coal holds two coal properties in the Peace River coalfields near Tumbler Ridge.