Nick Arkle

An influx of provincial funding will help two Columbia Shuswap employers keep people working in the resource and manufucturing sectors. The Ministry of Jobs, Economic Development and Innovation announced the province would be contributing as much as $8.6 million “to help manufacturers grow and diversify their operations.” Among the recipients announced iwere Downie Timber (owned by the Gorman Group) in Revelstoke, and Access Prescision Machining Ltd. in Salmon Arm. Downie, a lumber-milling and remanufacturing wood processor, will receive as much as $825,000 to purchase and commission a new debarker system, alongside facility upgrades “that will enable the company to reduce reliance on old-growth fibre and optimize operations, while protecting 229 existing jobs within the company.” …“With the rapidly changing log profile and reduced available volume in the Revelstoke area, Downie Timber is having to adapt quickly, increasing its focus on second-growth logs,” said Gorman CEO Nick Arkle.