By Angela Brown

New fish processing plant enters busy marketplace

Jul 11, 2017 | 2:00 PM

While plans are already in the works for a Vancouver-based company to build a new fish plant in North Battleford, another fish company is completing the build for its new processing plant at Ile-a-la Crosse.

Wendel Desjarlais, chief executive officer of Sakitawak Development Corporation, said the new Ile-a-la Crosse Fish Company Inc. fish processing plant is expected to be finished August 2017. 

“I am quite excited by it,” Desjarlais said. “I’m looking forward to doing some new value-added processing for our fishery.”

Desjarlais added he hoped there is enough room in the market for his processing plant, as well as the plant being planned in North Battleford. 

The Ile-a-la Crosse Fish Company’s new facility is a combination processing and packing plant. It will be a 6,000 square-foot, $2.2 million value, federally-certified processing plant. It replaces the existing older plant used for receiving and packing fish only. 

Fundraiser for Humane Society

Guitars and Cars Show 'n Shine to include live music

7h ago

Joins defending-champion, Mariners

North Stars' Burgeson commits to Vancouver Island University

8h ago

RCMP investigation

Preliminary hearing for accused in Cope death to start this week

11h ago

Desjarlais said the plant will be mainly receiving Walleye, Northern Pike, White Fish and Pickerel, as its main stock, but it accepts all fish for processing.  

Ile-a-la Crosse Fish Company’s product will be sold locally as well as across Canada, and internationally. He added the company will be working with the Saskatchewan Food Industry Development Centre Inc. to identify new products for sale.

Desjarlais said primarily the company is aiming to do business with fishers from North Saskatchewan but added “certainly we will receive fish from wherever we can get it, based upon our production, input and the availability to process the fish.”

The project has been in the works since 2012.

angela.brown@jpbg.ca

On Twitter: @battlefordsNOW