Canfor Restructures B.C. Operations, Sawmill Closing

Vancouver-based Canfor says one of its mills is closing for good and another will be shut down for an extended period of time as it restructures its B.C. operations.

The sawmill in Houston, west of Prince George, will be closed temporarily as the company plans to build a new, modernized plant - it’s not known how long the shutdown will last.

Canfor’s sawmill and pellet plant in Chetwynd, north of Prince George, is expected to close in the second quarter.

BCs Ministers of Forests and Economic Development and Innovation issuing a joint statement on the news.

They say while the announcement is "incredibly difficult" for the workers, their families and the communities they live in, the government is committed to supporting workers impacted by closures and also to support good, long-term jobs in the forestry sector.

Their statement says community support teams have been activated and will be there to connect workers with the services they need.

The province says the Annual Allowable Cut has declined due to the end of the beetle kill harvest and unprecedented wildfires around the province. In the Houston area, the annual harvest has declined by more than 25% compared to 2008 during the height of the beetle epidemic.

In the last week, the government says it has announced the $90-million BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund that will promote value-added innovation in the forestry sector, and $50 million in funding to increase fibre supply.