Franklin Forest Products

With the downsizing of the allowable cut in TFL44 in the 1980’s the west coast was the hardest hit (Clayoquot Sound). Pat McKay was a contractor at Kennedy Lake Division of MacMillan Bloedel at the time and lost his logging contract in 1992. To survive and keep his crew working he joint-ventured with various small business operations and First Nations bands until the mid-1990s. An old logger had l

eased the site from the government and planned to build a sawmill. Unfortunately, he ran into difficulties and the sawmill sat partially built and idle. Pat approached the leaseholder in 1990 and after lengthy negotiations they came to an agreement for purchase and lease takeover. The lease was transferred to Pat September 16, 1992. At the same time as Pat was negotiating for the sawmill and lease, he was also lobbying the provincial government (through the job protection commission), MacMillan Bloedel, the IWA, First Nation, and anyone else that would listen: He was going to need a wood supply to keep his logging crew employed and create jobs at the mill. Pat was successful and was awarded a 30,000 m3 cut of “Marginally economic wood” (low grade timber) to support his endeavors, providing that he completed the mill and created the new jobs. Logging started on December 1, 1994, the same time operation was started at the mill. Pat was successful in completing the condition of his allowable cut. At the peak of operation Franklin Forest Products employed 80 people including 12 First Nations.