Lumber producers in northern BC continue to be under siege due to low prices, high fibre costs, and poor market conditions.
The latest company to announce a lengthy shutdown is Sinclar Forest Products which will have staggered curtailments in PG, Vanderhoof, and Fort Saint James between May 14th to July 29th.
PG Mayor Simon Yu told Vista Radio keeping the impacted workers at Lakeland Mills will be the number one priority.
“We need to work with the mill to make sure the people in the industry will stay here. A lot of the time, the problem with the curtailments is the trades and the millwrights of those mills and if they are leaving that creates different problems in the long term.”
“This will definitely affect the local economy. You know, 400 some people (out of work) for a couple of months is not good news.”
Vanderhoof Mayor, Kevin Moutray stated having Nechako Lumber shut down the entire time is a massive blow.
“Of course, it is going to be very tough on those workers there as that is a long curtailment. But also, this will impact the workers in the bush and the community in general – that’s a very long curtailment, we understand the market conditions but it is a very tough position Sinclar is in – it will be tough on the community too.”
Mountray added money will be tight for many families this summer.
“You always see a tightening of the belt whenever you have a curtailment like this of course. Everybody needs to watch what their family can afford and make the decisions accordingly.”
Apollo Forest Products in nearby Fort Saint James will halt production from June 4th to June 30th.
Lakeland Mills curtails its operations from July 2nd to 29th.
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