Federal Court - Christian Aboriginal Infrastructure Developments ...

Page: 80
B.I.D. Group was involved in several very large projects for major players in the British Columbia
forest industry.
[315] Some time after the initial visit to Vanderhoof, LPL purchased and installed a small portable
mill, called a “Scragg Mill”, at the mill site west of Watson Lake. However, it was never the
intention to use this mill in the long-term. This Scragg Mill was seized at a later date as the seller
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did not have clear title to the mill.
[316] Following the initial discussions with these representatives of LPL, Mr. Fehr and Mr.
Spencer travelled to Watson Lake to visit the mill site and to get a feel for the lay of the land.
[317] Also early in 1997, the Regional Office of DIAND was working on a reply to LPL’s letter
of November 6, 1996. According to both Mr. Ivanski and Mr. Sewell, it was the practice to have the
Regional Office draft the reply to correspondence sent to the Minister concerning issues in the
Region. Mr. Monty testified that he had some role in the drafting of this letter. The reply letter was
dated March 13, 1997 and was signed by the Minister.
[318] The letter dated March 13 th from Mr. Irwin as the Minister was specifically written in reply
to LPL’s letter of November 6, 1996. The letter was entered as Exhibit P-79, Tab 52. The operative
part of the letter provides as follows:
…
Under DIAND’s current interim allocation policy, over 350,000 m 3
of wood are available under commercial timber permits in the