"We suspect [the dryers] now, but I don't want to say that 100 per cent," fire chief Jeff Rowland said, standing by the destroyed warehouse where small flames were still visible yesterday. "Once we investigate it, we will have a better idea."
At a news conference yesterday, Canfor vice-president Mark Feldinger said the company is embarking on a review to decide whether to rebuild the plant, which has a value of about $80-million.
The plywood plant workers - 15 to 20 per cent of Canfor's regional work force - are eagerly awaiting an answer. Jobs at the plant pay an average of $25 an hour before benefits.
"Eighteen months is our best estimate today if we were to start tomorrow, what it would take to get engineering drawings in place, vendors lined up, contractors lined up and get it all installed and up and tested and running," Mr. Feldinger said.
"Obviously, the longer it takes us to make a decision, the further out that pushes it. Our employees have a vested interest in us making a decision soon so they can make the appropriate decisions for their lives."
He said the B.C. economy was healthy outside the forestry sector, leading to concerns some tradespeople at the plant might find work elsewhere by the time the plant might be rebuilt. "It's in our interest to make a decision quickly."
The plant was producing about 185 million square feet of plywood each year, largely for the housing market, he said.
Other local operations may be able to pick up the production slack, he said.
Mr. Feldinger said it had been an ordeal, earlier yesterday, to explain all of this to workers at the plant during a 90-minute briefing at the city's civic centre. Media were excluded from the meeting.
"This is probably one of the most difficult things you ever have to do in a career," he said.
Grim-faced workers came out of the meeting, most clutching a four-page handout explaining the situation. They were told they had been effectively laid off by Canfor, which established a temporary drop-in centre in this city to offer advice on subjects that include applying for employment insurance.
The handout noted that the maximum EI benefits would be $435 a week - a sum some workers said would not go far covering such expenses as mortgage payments and rent. Others worried about somehow regaining access to the property to recover personal tools such as millwright's equipment, which could be worth thousands of dollars. The company said it was working on the issue of compensating workers, noting the site was a no-go zone right now due to safety concerns.
"Got to read it, process it," said one man.
"It's a great day, not the end of the world," he said, referring to the bright, sunny day.
Others were not so jovial.
Chris Jenkins, who spent six yeas as a first-aid attendant at the plant, said many workers were "distraught, obviously. It's emotional."
Many workers, he said, were on the job in the plant for more than 30 years. "That was their life. It's gone now."
Mr. Jenkins suggested he would "move on," looking for work elsewhere because he thought it unlikely the plant would be back.
Doug Neurauter, who spent 19 years in the plant working lately in the dryer operation, worried about his EI running out while decisions were made on the plant's future.
Mr. Neurauter, 36, said he expected he might be able to find a job in the forestry sector elsewhere in the region. "It would be sad for them not to let us rebuild," he said, suggesting the plant has been a productive operation.
Jymm Kennedy, president of Local 25 of the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada, came out of the meeting arguing for the reconstruction of the plant.
"That's what we all want. I feel fairly certain Canfor wants the same thing," he said. "We've always brought in wood, sent out plywood. It has always sold. ... [Workers] have all had good-paying jobs, so they have contributed to the community that way."
Fire leaves plant employees in limbo
If company decides to rebuild, it would take at least 18 months, Canfor vice-president Mark Feldinger says
IAN BAILEY
May 29, 2008
PRINCE GEORGE -- Employees at the Canfor North Central Plywoods plant that was destroyed by a fire this week are facing the prospect of being without jobs for a minimum of 18 months - the time the company figures it would take to rebuild.
The 40-year-old plywood plant remained a smoky ruin yesterday, most of its walls collapsed inward, revealing a black, twisted mass of scorched metal - the interior of an operation that employed 252 workers.
The fire that destroyed the plant was one of four over a space of 12 hours that led to a local state of emergency being declared in this community of about 80,000.
It is being described as the largest fire emergency in Prince George history, a cycle of flame that started in the plant, was spread by the wind and eventually destroyed a pile of CN railway ties and a warehouse employing another 15 people. The cause of the fire remained a mystery yesterday although the operation's dryer system was being eyed as the possible source.
"We suspect [the dryers] now, but I don't want to say that 100 per cent," fire chief Jeff Rowland said, standing by the destroyed warehouse where small flames were still visible yesterday. "Once we investigate it, we will have a better idea."
At a news conference yesterday, Canfor vice-president Mark Feldinger said the company is embarking on a review to decide whether to rebuild the plant, which has a value of about $80-million.
The plywood plant workers - 15 to 20 per cent of Canfor's regional work force - are eagerly awaiting an answer. Jobs at the plant pay an average of $25 an hour before benefits.
"Eighteen months is our best estimate today if we were to start tomorrow, what it would take to get engineering drawings in place, vendors lined up, contractors lined up and get it all installed and up and tested and running," Mr. Feldinger said.
"Obviously, the longer it takes us to make a decision, the further out that pushes it. Our employees have a vested interest in us making a decision soon so they can make the appropriate decisions for their lives."
He said the B.C. economy was healthy outside the forestry sector, leading to concerns some tradespeople at the plant might find work elsewhere by the time the plant might be rebuilt. "It's in our interest to make a decision quickly."
The plant was producing about 185 million square feet of plywood each year, largely for the housing market, he said.
Other local operations may be able to pick up the production slack, he said.
Mr. Feldinger said it had been an ordeal, earlier yesterday, to explain all of this to workers at the plant during a 90-minute briefing at the city's civic centre. Media were excluded from the meeting.
"This is probably one of the most difficult things you ever have to do in a career," he said.
Grim-faced workers came out of the meeting, most clutching a four-page handout explaining the situation. They were told they had been effectively laid off by Canfor, which established a temporary drop-in centre in this city to offer advice on subjects that include applying for employment insurance.
The handout noted that the maximum EI benefits would be $435 a week - a sum some workers said would not go far covering such expenses as mortgage payments and rent. Others worried about somehow regaining access to the property to recover personal tools such as millwright's equipment, which could be worth thousands of dollars. The company said it was working on the issue of compensating workers, noting the site was a no-go zone right now due to safety concerns.
"Got to read it, process it," said one man.
"It's a great day, not the end of the world," he said, referring to the bright, sunny day.
Others were not so jovial.
Chris Jenkins, who spent six yeas as a first-aid attendant at the plant, said many workers were "distraught, obviously. It's emotional."
Many workers, he said, were on the job in the plant for more than 30 years. "That was their life. It's gone now."
Mr. Jenkins suggested he would "move on," looking for work elsewhere because he thought it unlikely the plant would be back.
Doug Neurauter, who spent 19 years in the plant working lately in the dryer operation, worried about his EI running out while decisions were made on the plant's future.
Mr. Neurauter, 36, said he expected he might be able to find a job in the forestry sector elsewhere in the region. "It would be sad for them not to let us rebuild," he said, suggesting the plant has been a productive operation.
Jymm Kennedy, president of Local 25 of the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada, came out of the meeting arguing for the reconstruction of the plant.
"That's what we all want. I feel fairly certain Canfor wants the same thing," he said. "We've always brought in wood, sent out plywood. It has always sold. ... [Workers] have all had good-paying jobs, so they have contributed to the community that way."
"We suspect [the dryers] now, but I don't want to say that 100 per cent," fire chief Jeff Rowland said, standing by the destroyed warehouse where small flames were still visible yesterday. "Once we investigate it, we will have a better idea."
At a news conference yesterday, Canfor vice-president Mark Feldinger said the company is embarking on a review to decide whether to rebuild the plant, which has a value of about $80-million.
The plywood plant workers - 15 to 20 per cent of Canfor's regional work force - are eagerly awaiting an answer. Jobs at the plant pay an average of $25 an hour before benefits.
"Eighteen months is our best estimate today if we were to start tomorrow, what it would take to get engineering drawings in place, vendors lined up, contractors lined up and get it all installed and up and tested and running," Mr. Feldinger said.
"Obviously, the longer it takes us to make a decision, the further out that pushes it. Our employees have a vested interest in us making a decision soon so they can make the appropriate decisions for their lives."
He said the B.C. economy was healthy outside the forestry sector, leading to concerns some tradespeople at the plant might find work elsewhere by the time the plant might be rebuilt. "It's in our interest to make a decision quickly."
The plant was producing about 185 million square feet of plywood each year, largely for the housing market, he said.
Other local operations may be able to pick up the production slack, he said.
Mr. Feldinger said it had been an ordeal, earlier yesterday, to explain all of this to workers at the plant during a 90-minute briefing at the city's civic centre. Media were excluded from the meeting.
"This is probably one of the most difficult things you ever have to do in a career," he said.
Grim-faced workers came out of the meeting, most clutching a four-page handout explaining the situation. They were told they had been effectively laid off by Canfor, which established a temporary drop-in centre in this city to offer advice on subjects that include applying for employment insurance.
The handout noted that the maximum EI benefits would be $435 a week - a sum some workers said would not go far covering such expenses as mortgage payments and rent. Others worried about somehow regaining access to the property to recover personal tools such as millwright's equipment, which could be worth thousands of dollars. The company said it was working on the issue of compensating workers, noting the site was a no-go zone right now due to safety concerns.
"Got to read it, process it," said one man.
"It's a great day, not the end of the world," he said, referring to the bright, sunny day.
Others were not so jovial.
Chris Jenkins, who spent six yeas as a first-aid attendant at the plant, said many workers were "distraught, obviously. It's emotional."
Many workers, he said, were on the job in the plant for more than 30 years. "That was their life. It's gone now."
Mr. Jenkins suggested he would "move on," looking for work elsewhere because he thought it unlikely the plant would be back.
Doug Neurauter, who spent 19 years in the plant working lately in the dryer operation, worried about his EI running out while decisions were made on the plant's future.
Mr. Neurauter, 36, said he expected he might be able to find a job in the forestry sector elsewhere in the region. "It would be sad for them not to let us rebuild," he said, suggesting the plant has been a productive operation.
Jymm Kennedy, president of Local 25 of the Pulp, Paper and Woodworkers of Canada, came out of the meeting arguing for the reconstruction of the plant.
"That's what we all want. I feel fairly certain Canfor wants the same thing," he said. "We've always brought in wood, sent out plywood. It has always sold. ... [Workers] have all had good-paying jobs, so they have contributed to the community that way."
