The Alberta government is investing more than $1.5 million to support an almost $50-million expansion at the Alberta Newsprint Company facility in Whitecourt.
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The funding, provided through the province’s Investment and Growth Fund, will assist the company with modernizing its mill to produce multiple grades of paper and manufacture higher-value products.
Government officials said the expansion is expected to create 13 permanent full-time jobs and 25 temporary construction jobs, while helping retain more than 220 existing positions at the facility.
“Our government is proud to support Alberta Newsprint Company’s expansion in Whitecourt,” Joseph Schow, minister of jobs, economy, trade and immigration, said in a release. “This investment strengthens our forestry sector, supports jobs in rural communities and reinforces that Alberta is the best place to do business.”
Operating as Whitecourt Newsprint Company Ltd., the facility stands as Alberta’s sole newsprint mill and serves as a key component of the province’s forestry supply chain by processing local wood fibre into paper.
Company representatives highlighted the role of provincial backing in helping the operation diversify its production lines.
“We appreciate the Government of Alberta’s support as we diversify our products, strengthen our operations and support good-paying jobs in rural Alberta communities like Whitecourt,” said Mike Putzke, general manager of Alberta Newsprint Company.
According to provincial data, the Investment and Growth Fund leverages approximately $30 in private investment for every $1 of public funding allocated. The government committed nearly $28 million to the fund in Budget 2026.
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