Stora Training Assistance

The Province of Nova Scotia is helping Stora Port Hawkesbury to train employees to operate its new and highly sophisticated supercalendered paper-making facility. The province is investing $9.9 million in training funds this year and next.

"This is an investment in Nova Scotian workers," said Economic Development and Tourism Minister Manning MacDonald. "The hundreds of employees who're taking this training are acquiring high-end skills that command very good salaries. And those jobs are more secure now than ever. After all, Stora has just made a commitment to the tune of three quarters of a billion dollars in this province."

Stora's training program has already involved more than 300 employees. The province will disburse its investment this year and next, although the training will continue for another three to five years at the company's expense.

"The provincial government's contribution played an important part in our expansion," said Fred Hussey, vice-president, Operations, Stora Port Hawksbury. "Support for workforce training is normal in the pulp and paper industry, both here in North America and in Europe."

"The alternative to having trained personnel from Nova Scotia would have been to bring in qualified and experienced employees from other provinces and countries," added Mr. MacDonald. "And we wanted to make sure that the opportunity went to Stora's existing work force."

Stora's new paper-making facility began operating last spring after two years of construction. The company invested $750 million in the new plant and state-of-the-art equipment. The construction project employed 2,300 workers at its peak and pumped $68 million into the provincial treasury in direct and indirect taxes.

"A few years ago, Stora was contemplating a major reduction and huge layoffs in Nova Scotia, said Mr. MacDonald. "Instead, the company made a decision to re-invest, to build the world's most advanced paper-making plant right here in Nova Scotia. Our training investment helped to secure that decision. And it's helped to secure the future of more than 800 jobs in the Strait area."

Stora Port Hawkesbury Ltd., annually produces 190,000 tonnes of newsprint, and when in full production will produce 350,000 tonnes of supercalendered paper, which is used for magazines and catalogues. The company employs 850 people in its two mills in Point Tupper and woodlands operations in eastern Nova Scotia. Another 1,000 contractors and their employees supply wood to Stora. The company generates $189 million in economic activity and $18 million in provincial tax revenues every year.