Mattawa-Bonfield sawmill proposal looks to create 90 jobs, export product overseas: forest products proponent eyes January 2019 production start.

• Author: Ross, Ian
• Position: FORESTRY

All signs look positive for the Mattawa-Bonfield area to host a proposed $145-million sawmill operation by early 2019, according to the area's director of economic development.

"It's a solid business plan," said Donna Maitland, of Toronto real estate and resort developer Gary Medwid's plans to build and operate an export-oriented production facility under the banner of a new forest products player, International Wood Industries (IWI).

"It didn't come together overnight."

Maitland said Medwid, who has a professional engineering background with some past involvement in sawmilling and green energy projects, is bringing an impressive team to this new startup venture.

"I've been working very closely with him," she said. "I'm very confident in what I've seen."

Maitland is acting as Medwid's spokesperson as the entrepreneur intends to remain low key until he has obtained all the necessary permits and approvals for the mill.

The facility will be located on dormant farmland along Highway 17 in Bonfield Township, between Mattawa and North Bay. The land is being rezoned from agriculture to commercial /industrial.

Site plans for the sawmill operation include drying kilns, planer mill, moulder mill, and CNC facilities with a main processing plant building, ancillary buildings, and administrative building.

A heavy truck service road will ring the site and a railroad spur line will be built onto the property.

Medwid did make an appearance at a press conference in mid-July, telling local media that he's eyeing the overseas export market, hinting that product could be shipped as far away as China.

The company and the economic development department are promoting it as a state-of-the-art mill, featuring a high-speed HewSew production line, a Finnish-made technology for small to medium diameter logs.

Maitland believes it might be the first mill in Ontario to employ this technology.

She emphasized the mill will be a "no waste" operation but was unable to confirm if the facility will employ a co-generation plant to power the mill.

"That's certainly something that's being very seriously considered."

The entire project is being privately financed, said Maitland, who was reluctant to talk about financing particulars or the identity of Medwid's partners.

"The good news story here is that there's a mill that's going to employ 90 people, it's self-sustainable, and doesn't rely on government funding in order to start up and operate."

The job fair won't be scheduled...