The area director in Vavenby says there could be new life at the former Canfor mill site when the property is sold.

Carol Schaffer says the mill site has been for sale since the summer, and a decision on an offer for the property could be made by Jan. 15.

“We’re hoping that the land gets sold, and that somebody comes in and wants to put a manufacturing or some type of business on that property that will employ people. It won’t employ the amount the sawmill did, because that land when it’s sold is not allowed to have a sawmill on that, is the covenant on the sale,” Schaffer says.

“I expect it to be sold next year, I don’t know if it will be or not, we’ll find out when the time comes. But in the meantime, we’re just hoping whoever takes it over will invest in our community and in Clearwater.”

Meantime, Schaffer says Vavenby is doing well since the sawmill closed and shed more than 170 jobs.

“So far, we’re doing pretty good, considering what’s happened. Lots of men have gone out of town to work, lots of contractors have gone out of town to work. But there’s other work coming up, and we’re working towards creating work for them as well.”

She says enrollment at the local elementary school this year has actually gone up.