Princeton’s mill celebrated not just new owners but a new name as well with the handover of forestry tenures from Weyerhaeuser to West Kelowna-based Gorman Bros on March 19.
The provincial government’s approval of tenure transfer was the last step in a process that began with Gorman’s purchase of the mill and tenures in 2025, which will now operate as Similkameen Forest Products.
The transfer of the timber tenures has happened quickly since being announced in September 2025, as far as tenure transfers go and especially with the new legislative requirements to consider public interest.
“Six months is pretty incredible, and that speaks to the work that Gorman Brothers has been able to do, but also the work of the Forest Service in engaging with all of the stakeholders to be able to fulfill our legal obligations to consult with First Nations and make sure that when a package comes to me, that I can perform the public interest test as well,” Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said.
“Here you have a company that is continuing to make investments in British Columbia in a time where things are tough right now in forestry,” he continued. “You’ve got a company made here in B.C. that is investing $120 million. That speaks well to the future of forestry and gives me the hope and optimism and most importantly the hope and optimism for the workers here.”
Parmar added that tenures used to be traded like hockey cards, without consideration for First Nations, workers and the communities impacted.
Now, in order for timber tenures to be approved, consultation with First Nations, assessments of the public interest including impacts on communities, and the distribution of holdings across B.C. all must be considered.
The Ministry of Forests received nearly 300 letters in support of the Gorman tenure transfer from individuals, businesses, First Nations, contractors, community forests and unions during the public input period.
“This is a good step forward for a sustainable forestry sector, not only for Princeton and the Similkameen but also for the Merritt timber supply area and the southern Interior,” Princeton Mayor Spencer Coyne said. “The Princeton mill is a major part of the economic backbone of the Princeton area and has always been an important community partner. Gorman’s has proven itself to be a trusted partner and the Town of Princeton and the community look forward to continuing our relationship.”
Gorman CEO Nick Arkle was also enthused about the announcement, and happy to share the new name for Similkameen Forest Products. He thanked the Upper and Lower Similkameen Indian Bands for giving their support, and for the support from everyone else in the community.
“When we purchased this operation, people always talk about oh it’s gonna be a different culture, you’re gonna struggle with it and within a month, it felt like a well fitting glove, we realized we all think along the same lines, we’re all trying to achieve the same thing and we’re gonna do it together,” Arkle said. “Thank you all for for trusting us. The world’s changing and more and more people are wanting a say and some input as to how we are operating out there on the land base, what kind of products we’re producing from that, how we work with our communities, and so I see this as a major support for us in that people are trusting us.”
The transferred tenures total approximately 682,000 cubic metres, with tenures located near Oliver and in the Merritt and Okanagan timber supply areas. It adds to the Gorman Group’s existing tenure of approximately 734,000 cubic metres per year.
Following the announcement and celebration, a brief tour of the mill was held, showcasing the upgraded and automated lines inside. Just five hours into the first shift of the day, one of the two lines had already processed more than 3,400 logs.
The tour included a visit to the nerve centre for the mill’s operations, a startlingly quiet space — for a mill — straight out of the old visions of the future. It had a captain’s chair and an array of monitors displaying dozens of different steps in the mill process. The room itself was located on the roof of the old mill, added on during the expansion upgrades from 2018 to 2020 that all happened without shutting down the lines.
The mill processes a range of trees, with an average diameter of 6.4 inches, up to a maximum 20. Usually the trees are pine or spruce, but the mill also processes cedars.
During a ten-hour shift, 50,000 to 60,000 blocks are produced, with two shifts per day. Most of the wood is turned int two-by-four or two-by-six pieces, but larger ones are also converted into blanks that are shipped to Gorman’s West Kelowna location for further processing.
Prior to recent changes south of the border, the mill’s output was effectively split into thirds, with one-third staying in Canada, one-third going to Asian markets, and one-third going to the U.S. Now, only about 17 per cent goes to the U.S. with the remainder going toward other markets, including potentially to the U.K.