History

PACIFIC VENEER

Only months after settling in Vancouver, John Prentice and Poldi Bentley formed a furniture and paneling veneer company called Pacific Veneer. They built a small mill, which employed 28 people, on the banks of the Fraser River in New Westminster, B.C. In 1939, Pacific Veneer became a supplier of plywood for aviation and marine applications, as well as Douglas fir plywood and the mill soon employed 1,000 men and women.

The two men had now laid the foundation for a business that could grow. And they had already begun to integrate their operations, creating a company that could rely on its own internal strengths.

EBURNE SAW MILLS LIMITED

In 1940, they bought Eburne Saw Mills Limited, located near the mouth of the Fraser River, and upgraded and converted it to cut hemlock and balsam.

With the Eburne purchase, the company became a shareholder in Seaboard Lumber Sales Ltd., a Vancouver-based wood products marketing and shipping consortium. Seaboard gave the company better access to important offshore markets at competitive freight rates.

HARRISON OPERATIONS

In 1943, four or five small logging operations in the Fraser Valley were purchased. Spring Creek and Harrison still operate today.

ENGLEWOOD LOGGING DIVISION

The drive to secure a stable log supply continued with the purchase of timber rights in the Nimpkish Valley on Vancouver Island in 1944, which became the Englewood Logging Division.

COMPANY RENAMED

Included in the Nimpkish purchase was a small firm called Canadian Forest Products Limited, a name that struck a chord with John Prentice and Poldi Bentley. In 1947, they reorganized all their operations under that name.

HUNTTING-MERRITT

Huntting-Merritt was purchased in 1948, which together with Stave Lake Cedar made the company the largest red cedar shingle and shake producer. Also in 1948, Panel and Fibre started production of hardboard made from residuals.

PULP MILL ACQUIRED AT PORT MELLON

It was now time to reach for new opportunities. The company moved into the pulp business with the acquisition of a small unbleached kraft pulp mill at Port Mellon on Howe Sound. Howe Sound Pulp Company Limited, which was closed when acquired in 1951, was steadily expanded and upgraded to produce bleached pulp.

Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Limited was incorporated on March 29, 1988 as a 50/50 joint venture company between Canfor Corporation and Oji Paper Co., Ltd. of Japan. The mill underwent a massive modernization program in the late 1980s and early 1990s. This modernization expanded the production capacity of Canfor's existing Howe Sound pulp mill by more than half, and added a newsprint mill on the same millsite. It is one of the world's most efficient and cleanest pulp and paper mills.

NORTH CANADIAN FOREST INDUSTRIES LIMITED

In 1955, Canfor purchased 50 per cent of Northern Plywood Ltd. in Grande Prairie, Alberta. The other 50 per cent was purchased later, along with several other bush mills in the area. They are now consolidated into our Grande Prairie Logging Division.

CFP AWARDED PULP WOOD AGREEMENT

In 1962, CFP was awarded a pulp wood agreement in the Prince George Area. This led to a joint venture with Reed Paper Group Limited of the U.K. to create Prince George Pulp and Paper.

CHETWYND DIVISION

The company expanded into the northern British Columbia interior in 1963, purchasing several sawmills and planer mills in the Peace River District including the timber rights and mills of the Fort St. John Lumber Company. These holdings were consolidated into the company's Chetwynd Division the following year.

PRINCE GEORGE PULP AND PAPER

In 1962, a joint venture with Reed Paper Group Limited of the U.K. saw the start-up of Prince George Pulp and Paper in 1965.

INTERCONTINENTAL PULP COMPANY LTD.

Another joint venture with Reed and Feldmuehle AG of Germany created Intercontinental Pulp Company Ltd., which started up in 1968. Prince George Pulp and Paper and Intercontinental Pulp are now wholly owned by Canfor Corporation.

EXPANSION…

The Hines Creek mill in Alberta was built in 1969 and production began in early 1970.

WESTCOAST CELLUFIBRE

Canfor acquired a majority interest in Westcoast Cellufibre Industries Ltd., a supplier of chips to Howe Sound Pulp mill, in 1973. Westcoast Cellufibre is now a division of Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Limited.

PETER BENTLEY

Peter Bentley, who had worked in a variety of positions for more than 20 years, became President and CEO. He is now the Chairman of the Board of Directors.

FORT ST. JOHN

An important expansion in the north occurred in 1981 when the company acquired Swanson Lumber Co. Ltd., which had major sawmills and woodlands operations in High Level, Alberta and Fort St. John, B.C.

CANFOR CORPORATION

On June 27, 1983 Canfor Corporation became a public company. Canadian Forest Products Ltd. is a wholly owned subsidiary of Canfor Corporation.

BALFOUR GUTHRIE

In 1989 Canfor acquired all of the shares of Balfour Forest Products Inc., which included the Clear Lake, Netherlands, Taylor and Polar operations.

DAVID EMERSON

On January 1, 1998, David Emerson joined Canfor as President and Chief Executive Officer.

NORTHWOOD INC.

In 1999 Canfor acquired all of the shares of Northwood Inc., which included the Northwood Pulp Mill, Prince George Sawmill, North Central Plywoods, Rustad, Houston and Upper Fraser operations and the Kyahwood Forest Products joint venture and J.D. Little Forest Centre. The acquisition makes Canfor Canada's largest producer of softwood lumber and kraft market pulp.

HOWE SOUND PULP AND PAPER

Canfor Corporation and Oji Paper Co., Ltd. completed the reorganization of their joint venture, Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Limited, as a limited partnership. The partnership, now known as Howe Sound Pulp and Paper Limited Partnership, is jointly owned by Canfor and Oji, and carries on the existing operations of Howe Sound.

DAAQUAM LUMBER INC AND PRODUIT FORESTIERS ANTICOSTI INC

Canfor purchases Daaquam Lumber Inc. and Produit Forestiers Anticosti Inc., two privately owned lumber and timber harvesting companies baed in Quebec.

BC CHEMICALS

Canfor sells BC Chemicals, a division of Canadian Forest Products Ltd., to Chemtrade Logistics Income Fund.

SLOCAN FOREST PRODUCTS

Canfor purchases Slocan Forest Products Ltd. increasing the company's production to over 5 billion board feet per year.

On April 30, 2004, Jim Shepherd became Canfor's President and Chief Executive Officer.

ENGLEWOOD

Englewood division sale to Western Forest Products Ltd.

NEW SOUTH COMPANIES INC.

Canfor purchases New South Companies Inc. in US East Coast.

HOUSTON PELLET LIMITED PARTNERSHIP

Canadian Forest Products Ltd., Pinnacle Pellet Inc., and the Moricetown Band form a partnership for the development of a wood pellet production facility to be located adjacent to the Canadian Forest Products Ltd. sawmill in Houston, BC.

CANFOR PULP LIMITED PARTNERSHIP/CANFOR PULP INCOME FUND

Canfor separates its pulp business from its wood products business. Canfor transfers to an indirectly owned limited partnership, its northern softwood kraft pulp and paper business, including its Northwood Pulp Mill, Intercontinental Pulp Mill and Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill, together with associated management and employees (the "Pulp Income Trust").

NEW PRESIDENT AND CEO

May 2nd, 2007, James F. Shepard is appointed as President and CEO.

CHESTERFIELD MILL

Fourth Quarter 2007, Canfor acquires Chesterfield Mill in Darlington, South Carolina as part of its New South operations.

PANEL AND FIBRE

January 8, 2008, Canfor permanently closes its Panel and Fibre operation in New Westminster, B.C.

NORTH CENTRAL PLYWOOD

July 30, 2008, Canfor announces that it has decided not to rebuild its North Central Plywood plant in Prince George, B.C., which was destroyed by fire on May 26th, 2008.