CoverIndex

Forest and Paper

Canadian Cellulose Company

1 picture · 1979

Founded
1973 (provincial takeover of Columbia Cellulose; new company Canadian Cellulose Company, Limited)
Head office then
British Columbia (Prince Rupert / Castlegar operations; reports as Canadian Cellulose Company, Limited)

Canadian Cellulose ran the British Columbia pulp mills that had belonged to Columbia Cellulose, a Celanese subsidiary started in the late 1940s. The northwest side was pulp at Prince Rupert and a sawmill at Terrace. The Interior side was kraft pulp and a sawmill at Castlegar (Celgar). The province took the failing company in 1973 so the Prince Rupert mills would not close.

Prince Rupert pulp and Castlegar kraft were large northern and Interior employers. The 1973 takeover was meant to keep northwest B.C. mills open.

Why it mattered

Prince Rupert pulp and Castlegar kraft were large northern and Interior employers. The 1973 takeover was a provincial attempt to keep northwest B.C. mills open after Celanese tried to leave.

Now

BCRIC acquired the company in 1980. The name became BC Timber, then Westar Timber in 1984. Castlegar sawmill and southern timber rights went to Pope & Talbot in 1992. The Prince Rupert pulp mill later ran as Skeena Cellulose and closed after another provincial rescue and sale. There is no Canadian Cellulose Company today.

Sold (1980) · Now: BC Timber / Westar Timber (mills later sold separately)

Still open

  • UNBC says the name changed to BC Timber in 1981; the B.C. TFL 55 appendix says 1980. Both are cited.
  • Full later chain for the Prince Rupert mill after NWBC (Paper Excellence and others are often named in news) is not all pinned here.
  • Mercer ownership of Celgar is widely reported but the exact purchase year is not used unless needed; Castlegar left Westar in 1992 with Pope & Talbot.
Two foresters in yellow hard hats mark a standing tree and write on a clipboard in mossy timber.

Canadian Cellulose Company · 1979

Two foresters in yellow hard hats mark a standing tree and write on a clipboard in mossy timber.

the picture

Sources

The pictures

References

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