The Member of Parliament for Cowichan-Malahat-Langford is calling on the federal government to explore how it could potentially use the Crofton mill. MP Jeff Kibble is floating the idea of it being used by the Department of National Defense. …On Friday, crews were loading logs onto a ship at its deep sea port. It’s one of the key assets of the property that has the region’s MP calling on Ottawa to consider the property’s purchase. “What I recommended is that the government immediately conduct a feasibility study to see if this is an opportunity to expand the base at Esquimalt. We know that the opportunity to have a deep water industrial site is rare and we also know that the navy is expanding rapidly,” said Kibble. Kibble served in the Royal Canadian Navy for 28 years. …When asked about Kibble’s proposal, Domtar said it’s “exploring a variety of possibilities for the future of the site”.

• In related coverage by Darron Kloster: Could Crofton be a navy town?