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By Caden Fanshaw

Canfor Closures

‘It tugs on the heartstrings’: Chetwynd Mayor reacts to closure of Canfor mill

Jan 26, 2023 | 4:59 PM

CHETWYND – For 41 years, the Mayor of Chetwynd called the Canfor Sawmill his place of work, for the facility to now be closing down he said is a devastating decision on many levels.

“Terrible. It’s horrible. We could use all the words that caused that kind of feeling, but it doesn’t give us back what we have had in the mill,” said Allen Courtoreille, Mayor of Chetwynd. “When a company comes in and permanently says we’re done, the effect is harsh on our community.”

The Chetwynd Sawmill and Pellet Plant will both close permanently this April as part of a series of changes by forestry giant Canfor as the company restructures operations in Northern BC.

The sawmill has been in operation since 1963 in the community, a steady supporter of the economy in Chetwynd.

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The permanent closure of the mill has been something those in Chetwynd have talked about for some time said the Mayor, and now the day has come to fruition, not a good one for the region.

“The end is not the end,” said Courtoreille, who noted there are still two coal mines in operation, a West Fraser sawmill, and the Coastal Gaslink pipeline still providing employment and economic diversity in a time of need.

Pattison Media is owned by Jim Pattison Industries, a majority shareholder in Canfor.