By Angela Brown

Former Maple Leaf building turning into fish plant

Jun 5, 2017 | 5:00 PM

Regional commercial fishers will have more opportunities to sell their product in Saskatchewan, now that a Vancouver-based company has plans to open a new fish plant in North Battleford.

Local sources have confirmed Arctic Blue Holding purchased the former Maple Leaf Foods building at 99 Canola Avenue in North Battleford’s industrial park on May 31, and will be remodeling the building for a new fish plant.

The facility has been vacant since Maple Leaf Foods closed operations at the facility in 2013.

Marie Hildebrandt, president of Saskatchewan Cooperative Fisheries Ltd. (SCFL), said it will be a boon for Saskatchewan commercial fishers now that there will be a new fish plant in the province.

“It’s fantastic news,” said Hildebrandt. “What I like is it employs our own people.”

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She said SCFL has been in talks with Arctic Blue Holding as a potential new buyer for Saskatchewan fishers’ product for some time.

“We wanted a fish plant in Saskatchewan. This way, it employs Saskatchewan people and our fish don’t have a long ways to travel.”

The SCFL represents more 600 commercial fishers, who are mainly based in central and northern Saskatchewan.

Hildebrandt said SCFL tries to identify buyers that can offer a good rate for the fishers’ catch. However, it is up the fishers to decide where they want to sell their product at the end of the day.

“We try to find them the best buyers, price-wise, so they can make a decent living,” she said, adding that Arctic Blue Holding will be offering good prices for the local product.

Hildebrandt said having a new buyer located in the province that offers competitive prices will be good for Saskatchewan commercial fishers’ livelihood.

No timeline has been released yet on the when the facility will begin operations. More information on the plans for the facility is expected from Arctic Blue Holding in the coming days.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW