The price of lumber hit another all-time high on Monday. It was selling for $1400 per thousand board feet.
It takes about 6000 board feet to build the average 1000 square foot house.
A new Port Alberni mill wants to sell its lumber at a cheaper price to Vancouver Island customers. CEO of San Group, Kamal Sanghera, told CHEK News that he saves money when he sells the lumber on Vancouver Island because he doesn’t have to pay to ship it, so he wants to pass that on to people on Vancouver Island.
The discount is small, only 5–7 percent, but it can make a big difference to local builders.
San Group also says their lumber is more environmentally friendly because the trees are grown right here on the Island.
In an interview with CHEK News, Bruce Molander from San Group said it’s really important to them to keep things local. “Keep the logs local, keep the jobs local, keep the manufacturing local.”
So far the mill has put out a half-a-million board feet into the Vancouver Island market. They are working with partners and stores on the Island to make sure their lumber is sold at a lower price.
