West Fraser Timber Co. to temporarily halt operations at Quesnel mill
The Canadian Press | Posted: February 8, 2023 12:15 AM | Last Updated: February 8, 2023
Company says downtime will be used to plan for future
West Fraser Timber Co. says it is curtailing operations at Cariboo Pulp & Paper in Quesnel, B.C., beginning in mid-April for one month and then for another month in the third quarter.
The Vancouver-based company says the decision is the result of a decline in availability of sawmill residuals, which it says is due to infestation, fire and government policy decisions.
West Fraser says the downtime at the Cariboo mill will help the company align its production capacity, though its plans may change if the fibre forecasts do.
The company says the mill expects to mitigate some of the impact on employees through vacation scheduling and alternative work assignments.
The mill is jointly owned by West Fraser and Mercer International.
West Fraser announced in January that it was indefinitely curtailing its Perry Sawmill in Florida due to high fibre costs and softening lumber markets.
Ongoing industry downturn
West Fraser is just the latest company to announce closures or curtailments at mill operations this year.
In January, Canfor announced it is eliminating one of its pulp lines in Prince George, permanently shutting down its sawmill and pellet plant in Chetwynd and planning an extended shutdown of its mill in Houston, B.C., as it revamps its strategy in the province to deal with a declining timber supply. About 700 employees are expected to be impacted by the changes.
In addition, both Tolko Industries and Sinclair Forest Products announced further curtailments at operations throughout B.C.'s Interior and north, impacting more than 700 employees.
And on Vancouver Island, more than 100 workers in Port Alberni are facing layoffs after Western Forest Products confirmed it will not restart its sawmill there.
In response, the province announced several supports for the industry, including a $90-million manufacturing jobs fund, $50 million to access hard-to-reach fibre in fire-damaged regions, and a $4.5-million investment to help re-open a Vancouver Island pulp and paper mill.