HyLife flying high as multi-million dollar feed mill gets go-ahead
BY KIM LANGEN
Plans to build a multi-million dollar state-of-the-art feed mill just northeast of town got the green light this week.
HyLife Ltd., who had applied for a conditional use permit to erect the facility, received a unanimous vote in favour of the application from the Municipality of Killarney-Turtle Mountain’s six council members on Wednesday morning.
“We are very excited,” said Dave Penner, chief operating officer for HyLife Ltd., based in La Broquerie, Manitoba, who made a presentation to council before the vote. “We were hopeful that we would get the use permit, but you never know. I feel good about today, and I feel good about the project. We have operated here for 14 years now, and we will contribute to the local economy with this project. We are estimating around 20 direct jobs, and the project will also produce marketing opportunities. It will create a new demand for wheat, corn and barley, the main components of our feed pellets.”
The feed mill will produce 250,000 tonnes of feed pellets per year, and 70 per cent of these pellets will be made from grain, he said. That translates to 86,000 acres of cereal grains to supply the feed mill’s annual production target.
“We will be sourcing our grains directly through producers and through grain elevators,” said Penner. “We should be in full operation in September of 2018.”
Plans are to erect the feed mill on a quarter section of agricultural land (not yet purchased) just east of the vet clinic, on the Neelin Road.
Elizabeth McGill, whose property borders the proposed site, had a number of questions, which she presented prior to the vote.
“Will underground water be contaminated? And how will water be disposed of?” she asked the HyLife team.
The response was that the feed mill would be accessing water from the town supply, and this water would be used only the boilers, more to supply heat as part of the manufacturing process than for the actual pellets.
“Because it’s only in the boilers, this water is not contaminated,” said Sheldon Stott, director of environmental affairs with HyLife. “We intend to eject it on the land or through the sewers.
Councillor Joan Kemp, who did not vote due to a conflict of interest, did voice her support for the project.
“We have no concerns of the project, and we are in favour of the conditional use being proposed,” she said.
The feed mill will produce complete feeds, in the form of pellets, solely to supply their sow, nursery, and finishing pigs in HyLife hog barns within a three-hour radius of Killarney.
“This new mill will will help us to consolidate our feed manufacturing into a central location, and allows future growth,” said Penner.
The design/builder for the project will be the FWS Group from Winnipeg, who also constructed the company’s Randolph Mill in the southeast of the province. This new mill will be a carbon copy of the same design, said Penner.
The company plans to build a number of new hog barns in the western part of the province, they said, but did not disclose whether these plans included the Killarney area.
Last year a number of the local barns were improved, expanded, and/or upgraded, they said.
LOOKING FORWARD TO FEEDMILL FUTURE – Employees with HyLife Ltd. got the go-ahead this week to proceed with their feed mill plans, after council voted unanimously to approve their application on Wednesday. From left are: Marv Magwood, senior production manager for HyLife; Geoff Stevenson, feedmill construction project manager; Dave Penner, chief operating officer for HyLife; Elroy Peters, business analyst for HyLife; and Sheldon Stott, director of environmental affairs with the company.
FLYING HIGH – HyLife executives flew into Killarney last month to discuss details of their planned feed mill with the municipality. Council voted unanimously in favour of their application for a conditional use permit to erect the multi-million dollar facility.