PC Party Leader Jim Prentice used a visit to the Grande Prairie Weyerhaeuser pulp and lumber mill this morning to emphasize the importance of the forest industry in diversifying Alberta’s economy.
“[It] employs essentially 13,000 people in this province, contributes $4 billion dollars to our GDP, and 620 of those employees are right here at the Grande Prairie Weyerhaeuser facility. This is an industry that’s not always well appreciated for the strength that we have, and it allows us to keep enormous portions of the Alberta forest under continuous management.”
He added that the Weyerhaueser and TransCanada Bear Creek cogeneration project at the facility is the perfect example of innovation in Alberta.
“We face a couple challenging years so the need is for us to make sure that we diversify our economy, that we build on our strengths, and that we continue to keep our industrial sector strong. That applies to the agricultural sector, to the forest industry, and it applies as well to the energy industry and everything else that we do.”
With little more than a week left before the provincial election, Prentice is checking off the last stops on his campaign tour.
He is making stops in Fairview and Rycroft as well today before heading south to Calgary.