Federal Court - Christian Aboriginal Infrastructure Developments ...

Page: 338
[1276] Mr. Van Leeuwen based his projections of the Plaintiffs’ lost income upon the assumption
that SYFC would sell 100 percent of its production in the readily accessible markets of the Yukon
Territory and Alaska. Although he was aware that the Plaintiffs were also considering sales to the
Japanese market and he said in his oral evidence that probably about 15 percent of the mill’s
production would be exported to Japan, he did not use any sales to the Japanese market in
calculating the average value of SYFC’s product.
2010 FC 495 (CanLII)
[1277] Mr. Van Leeuwen grounded his opinion as to sales from the mill upon the view that 75
percent of the kiln-dried, planed lumber would be sold to the Alaska market, with generally the
remaining 25 percent sold to the local market in Yukon. The “kiln-dried, planed lumber” would be
the product after completion of Phase 2 of the capital investment plan, a fundamental assumption in
the preparation of his report.
[1278] With respect to the Alaska market, Mr. Van Leeuwen estimated that some 65 to 70 million
board feet per year would be consumed in that market. This is a reasonable estimate that he derived
from the MacDowell Report. He was cross-examined at pages 1988-1989 about the different types
of measuring but not as to any implication of there being a difference.
[1279] In commenting on the Alaska market, Mr. Van Leeuwen noted that this used only 20
percent spruce, pine and fir (“SPF”) in 1998. He assumed that the consumption of SPF would
increase due to the significant cost advantages and he assumed that 75 percent of the lumber
produced by SYFC would be sold to the Alaska market.