'When you’ve got a government that’s outright hostile to the forest sector, this is what happens,” - Nechako Lakes MLA John Rustad
John Rustad has already seen the one mill town in his Nechako Lakes riding lose its major employer this year when West Fraser Timber announced in January it will close Fraser Lake Sawmill.Canfor’s announcement on Thursday that it will hold off on a state-of-the-art reinvestment in Houston Sawmill and that the company intends to permanently shutter Polar Sawmill at Bear Lake and indefinitely curtail one of its pulp lines at Northwood Pulp and Timber has sent shockwaves through the region.
The Northwood curtailment will result in an annual reduction of close to 300,000 tonnes of market kraft pulp. Canfor intends to continue operating both its Northwood pulp lines for next few weeks and the closure will take effect by the third quarter of 2024. The company will also keep its pulp line open at Intercon in Prince George.
“All I can do is think of the families who suddenly discovered they don’t have an income and they have no job and when you look at the cumulative total across northern B.C. the number is staggering, it’s over 700 jobs lost,” said Bond. “The calculation of the impact of the announcement also has to take into account all the other jobs that support the forest industry.
“It’s time for the government to recognize this is a big province and the very parts of the province that drive the economy in British Columbia are ignored,” Bond said. “Look what’s happening now, companies choosing to leave and workers paying the price for that.” Another factor that’s changed the forest landscape is the cost of doing business. B.C. is the highest lumber cost producer in North America and Rustad says that’s scaring away investors.
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