A new land-based steelhead fish farm is being proposed in Gold River at the site of a former pulp and paper mill that closed in the ‘90s.
Ushered by Gold River Aquafarms, the development project would be a “win” for the small Vancouver Island village, said Gold River Mayor Brad Unger.
“We haven’t had a major economic development push for a long time,” he said. “It’s going to improve our community.”
With the potential to create 75 to 100 new jobs, Unger said he hopes they can get shovels in the ground “as soon as possible.”
The company’s president, Rob Walker, has been working in the closed-containment aquaculture sector since the late-90s. With the infrastructure that’s already in place, he said they can grow around 3,000 tons of fish per year…