More troubling news from B.C.’s struggling forest industry.
Canfor has announced the indefinite curtailment of its Mackenzie sawmill and the permanent elimination of one shift at its Isle Pierre sawmill west of Prince George.
The forestry firm blames the immediate Mackenzie shut-down on a combination of high fibre cost, poor lumber markets, and what it calls challenging operating conditions.
Canfor says the Isle Pierre sawmill will move to one shift effective September 20, 2019. Canfor says the move is the result of insufficient timber supply due to the mountain pine beetle and the related decline in the annual allowable cut.
“We deeply regret the impacts that these capacity reductions will have on our Mackenzie and Isle Pierre employees, contractors, their families and the local communities,” said Stephen Mackie, Senior Vice President of Canadian Operations, Canfor in a news release. “The BC forest industry is continuing to face very significantchallenges. None of our temporary or permanent curtailment decisions have been made lightly, nor are they a reflection on the hard work and dedication of our employees.”
The cuts will reduce Canfor’s annual production output by approximately 400 million board feet in addition to previously announced reductions.
