Ainsworth Appoints New President and CEO

Ainsworth Lumber Co. Ltd. (TSX: ANS)(TSX: ANS.WT) announced today that its Board of Directors has appointed Richard Huff as the new President and Chief Executive Officer of the Company.

Jay Gurandiano, the Chairman of the Board of Directors, said, "We are very pleased to have Rick Huff joining Ainsworth Lumber Co. Ltd. We look forward to the benefit of his extensive experience in senior management positions in the energy and forest industries, including most recently as CEO of the Sinclar Group, a privately-owned diversified forest products group with mills in the British Columbia interior and before that as the head of OSB operations for Tolko."

Mr. Huff will join Ainsworth on January 19 at its head office in Vancouver, BC. Robert Allen will step down as interim-CEO and resume full time responsibilities as Chief Financial Officer of the Company.

Jay Gurandiano said, "I would also like to express the Board's appreciation for Bob Allen's leadership as interim-CEO since the completion of the Company's recapitalization in July, 2008."

Forward-looking information provided in this news release relating to the Company's future prospects are forward-looking information pursuant to National Instrument 51-102 promulgated by the Canadian Securities Administrators. The Company believes that expectations reflected in such information are reasonable, but no assurance is given that such expectations will be correct. Forward-looking information is based on the Company's beliefs and assumptions based on information available at the time the assumption was made and on management's experience and perception of historical trends, current conditions and expected further developments as well as other factors deemed appropriate in the circumstances. Investors are cautioned that there are risks and uncertainties related to such forward-looking information and actual results may vary. Important factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking information include, without limitation, factors detailed from time to time in the Company's periodic reports filed with the Canadian Securities Administrators and other regulatory authorities. The forward-looking information is made as of the date of this news release and the Company assumes no obligation to update or revise them to reflect new events or circumstances, except as explicitly required by securities laws.