As Northern Pulp, Glasgow, N.S., Canada, ramps up production after a 10-day annual maintenance shutdown, several local businesses are bidding farewell to some much-appreciated patronage. As in previous years, the influx of workers to the county has generated an economic bump, local newspaper The News noted in an article this week. Northern Pulp said for 2014 they hired a number of skilled workers, including 160 term employees, 125 boilermakers, and more than 200 other contractors to work alongside Northern Pulp employees to get the job done.

 

The increased workforce this year has been good news for Preston Parson, one of the owners of the Lionstone Inn in Pictou. "It’s been awesome," Parson said in the newspaper article. "The mill is bringing in quite a bit of business, as these workers come to stay in the county." While he noted there are others booked for a stay at the inn, workers with rooms have meant the motel has been booked solid. "When there’s a shutdown, these guys need a place to stay so you can definitely notice it."

 

They also need food. Stavros Cougias, manager of Acropole in Pictou, noted the workers have been in and out of his restaurant for lunch and supper. "We’ve had a lot of workers here for the shutdown," he said. "It’s mostly the workers who are new customers. There hasn’t been anything extravagant, no new tourists flooding the market here lately; so this helps."

 

Cougias noted in the article that during the annual shutdown, Pictou gets flooded with workers looking for places to stay, eat, and shop. Northern Pulp stated that more than $8 million has been invested in this particular shutdown, funding wages and materials, much of which will aid the local economy. "The company works closely with local trade unions to hire workers needed for the shutdown activities," Northern Pulp said in a press release.

 

This year’s shutdown included finalization of the natural gas system, work on the current precipitator and recovery boiler to improve its operation, a new damper, and nozzles to be installed on the power boiler scrubber to improve its efficiency. The installation of a full new set of 1,200 MODO scrubber spray nozzles that will aid in an increased removal of particulate matter also took place during the shutdown, according to The News article.

 

Parson noted that he hopes the plant can make these upgrades and stay open long into the future. "If the plant does close, it will definitely have a negative effect on business here," he warned.

In the photo above, workers and contractors conduct maintenance on the old electrostatic precipitator as construction on the new precipitator continues outside of the Northern Pulp Nova Scotia Corp. facility.