Building a bright future

With the reopening of the Midway mill, the local economy is enjoying the benefits already

Midway Mayor Randy Kappes welcoming the many dignitaries, partners, shareholders and guests to the ribbon cutting for the mill in Midway. — Photo courtesy the Boundary Creek Times

Midway's mill has been a community landmark for decades, and recently it became much more. It has been reopened and brought back to life—a venture that turned out to be a true community effort in every sense.

“The mill has always been a source of great pride for our community and the surrounding area,” said Randy Kappes, mayor of Midway. “Driving home at night, coming around the corner and looking across Midway lit up by the lights of the mill yard again is like the light at the end of the tunnel—a beacon signalling hope for our future and great possibility.”

A turn of events

Once owned by Fox Forest Products out of Montana, the mill was considered for purchase by Vaagen Brothers Lumber in Colville a few years ago, but the deal fell through at that time. Recently, however, a positive turn of events resulted in the local communities banding together to bring the Midway mill, now known as Vaagen Fibre Canada, back into operation.

“The people of Midway and Greenwood got together and formed Boundary Sawmills Incorporated, and raised a bunch of money,” said Mark Deverson, plant manager for Vaagen Brothers Lumber. “They had to find a person to run the mill, and since Vaagen Brothers was already familiar with the mill, they got a lease deal for them.”

The results of this transaction are widespread, and have benefited Midway and its residents in a myriad of ways. There are currently 42 people working at the mill, with everyone from logging truck drivers to contractors finding solid employment opportunities and a bright future there.

“Already you can see in the town that the vibrancy has come back to the place,” said Deverson. “I’m from Grand Forks, so I do a bit of a commute every day, but it’s great to see the place back up and running for the village, for the economy of the valley in total—right from Christina Lake through to Rock Creek. It’s going to provide a positive impact . . . it definitely has a ripple effect.”

A flourishing economy

Economically speaking, the increase in business is something that most everyone in the area can appreciate.

Through direct and indirect employment, not to mention the development and expansion of amenities that results from such a boost, Midway is attracting more people every day.

“From the municipality’s point of view, the mill is the primary economic engine of the community—directly employing and causing a good deal more spin-off employment,” said Kappes. “The mill is also 40 per cent of our municipal tax base and helps maintain the great amenities Midway has built up over the years. The mill gives young families a reason to live here and (also gives) our community the opportunity to be the well-balanced, thriving village it once was.”

Mayor Kappes pointed out that the advantages are both short- and long-term. The village will see some more immediate effects, such as the payment of back taxes and high-paying jobs becoming available, bringing it back to its former glory.

Midway will also have a fantastic starting point from which to build a bright future that will keep the community flourishing. Kappes does indicate that there is much more work to be done, but that the potential rewards greatly outweigh the effort it will take to get there.

“Though this project represents a big turning point for our community, it is not the end of our work,” said Kappes. “We must make good use of the momentum we have created. We have to continue to forge our own future and apply our new skills to  ensure that our future remains bright.”

One big happy family

Already the economic progress has been greatly appreciated; in a time when many people are concerned about finding work, the Midway mill employees are well taken care of.

“We’re Vaagen Fibre Canada, which is part of Vaagen Brothers Lumber based in Colville—and they are an amazing family-owned company,” said Deverson. “You hear a lot of companies talk the talk—well, they walk the walk. They had a Christmas party down there, we all went down to Colville and they paid for the motel and everything else, they opened their arms up and let us be part of the family.”

Despite the fact that the Colville mill is a separate facility in a different country, its staff has gone above and beyond in making sure that the Midway mill has all the tools it needs to be successful.

“People (from the Colville mill) come up to me and offer suggestions on how they can help,” said Deverson. “They are willing to come up on weekends on their own time to come help get the mill running—there is a real sense of family with the company. And the team here is just amazing—everyone’s happy to work. People (are) walking around with smiles on their faces . . . they repeatedly tell me it’s the best job they’ve ever had. It’s a real positive atmosphere here, and that just stems from the philosophy of the parent company.”