Industry

The agricultural industry remains the foundation of the local economy. But other industries have long-term connections with Carrot River.

There has always been a forest industry in the Carrot River community since the area was settled.  This has played a major role in the development of the economy of the entire northeast.

On January 3, 2007, Weyerhaeuser closed its sawmill operation in Carrot River, announcing that the facility no longer fit with the companys' long-term strategic plan.  Throughout 2007 and into 2008, the lumber industry suffered its most dramatic decline in recent memory as a result of the mortgage crisis with the housing industry in the United States.

As of April 2008, Weyerhaeuser is maintaining active negotiations with a number of prospective buyers.  The community is optimistic that a buyer will successfully negotiate a purchase agreement for the site and position itself for startup when lumber prices rebound.

As of September 2009, C & C Wood Products Ltd. of Quesnel, B.C. have purchased this site and will be doing renovations in 2010.  By August 2011 they hope to be up and running.

Further updates will be provided when new information becomes available.

Premier Horticulture Inc.

World demand for horticultural peat moss from Carrot River continues to grow. The very high quality of the material makes it a unique resource.

The main bog where the peat moss is harvested is 40 kms north of Carrot River.  The summer of 2009,  Premier opened another bog 40 kms south of Carrot River in the Peesane area.  The material is vacuumed up and loaded into trucks to be delivered to the processing plant in Carrot River. The processing includes drying the material, and compressing it into 3.8 cubic feet bags.  Premier Horticulture Inc. is now packaging and shipping nearly 2 million bales each year to markets throughout Canada, the United States and Asia.  Forestry nurseries in British Columbia, mushroom growers on the West Coast  and thousands of mix plant and greenhouse operations across North America use Carrot River's sphagnum peat moss.

The increase in production has also meant a corresponding increase in employment, nearly doubling in recent years. Approximately 70 people are employed by this industry. Premier Horticultural Inc. peat moss is another value-added Saskatchewan product, which provides both direct and indirect economic benefits.

Through 2009 and 2010, the Town of Carrot River has been actively involved as a partner with Premier Horticulture Inc. to develop an access route to a 5,000 acre sphagnum peat moss bog site located 30 kilometres north of the Town of Hudson Bay.  This new resource site could provide 70-100 years of peat resource to the processing plant located in Carrot River.  Getting the new resource site online will have many benefits including:  increased employment in harvesting, processing and trucking; allow Premier to expand and diversify product lines; provide very long-term industry stability which sustains population and tax base for local governments.

Approximately $494,000 has been invested to March 2010 to predesign and design a 22 kilometre roadway.  Included in this work is biological, heritage, environmental, traditional use analysis.  Some public consultation has also been conducted.   The financing of the above costs has been provided by Western Economic Diversification.  Public tenders for the road project are expected in the summer of 2010 with construction to be completed by March 2011.

Telephone (306-768-2794) Fax (306-768-3848)
Email  joanne.bernesky@premierhort.com

Mazurek Industries Ltd.

Mazurek Industries Ltd., is a welding and machine shop that does fabrication as well as repair work. With 5 lathes, 3 milling machines, shaper, radial and column drills, and 160-ton press, they offer a complete machine shop service. They do portable welding as well as drive shaft and PTO repairs, hydraulic cylinder repairs and have a portable boring bar. They also carry a large inventory of bearings, seals, pulleys, sprockets, bolts, steel, aluminum, specialty barstock and other parts. Over the years, the building has had two additions making it almost triple the size it started. In 2000 the business celebrated their 25^th year of servicing Carrot River and surrounding areas. With 110 combined years of experience in the field, they can accommodate any work requests without problems.  

Kevin Mazurek  - President
Ray Mazurek - Vice-President

173 Birch Road
Box 268
Carrot River, Saskatchewan
S0E 0L0

Telephone (306-768-2588)   Fax (306-768-2248)

Website http://mazurekindustries.com

Email  mazurek.ind@sasktel.net