File Photo (Image Credit: CFJC Today)

By James Peters

Forestry

Forests critic warns Shuswap-area Interfor mill curtailment could lead to domino effect

Oct 19, 2025 | 1:00 PM

KAMLOOPS — B.C.’s official opposition forests critic says he fears a curtailment announced at the Interfor sawmill at Adams Lake could lead to a series of falling dominoes in the province’s beleaguered forest industry.

On Friday (Oct. 17), Interfor announced a 26 per cent curtailment in its manufacturing capacity, evenly split between operations in Canada and the United States. In announcing the move, President and CEO Ian Fillinger blamed “reduced market demand” and weakening lumber prices.

“While necessary, we fully recognize the impact these actions will have on our employees, contractors, suppliers and communities,” said Fillinger in a news release.

The Interfor-Adams Lake sawmill happens to sit in the Kamloops-North Thompson riding represented by BC Conservative Forests Critic Ward Stamer.

On Sunday (Oct. 19), Stamer told CFJC Today he has been informed the mill will be completely shut down for two weeks, affecting about 400 employees.

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“If a sawmill goes down, that affects a pulp mill,” said Stamer, who noted the Kruger pulp mill in Kamloops receives chips from Interfor-Adams Lake.

“If a pulp mill goes down, that affects four or five sawmills,” he continued. “It’s significant and we’re all in this together. That’s why there’s so much concern right now, because I think it’s going to get a whole lot worse before it gets better.”

Interfor’s Grand Forks mill is already about a month into an indefinite shutdown. In that case, Fillinger blamed the move on an additional 10 per cent softwood lumber tariff imposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Forests Minister Ravi Parmar has called on Ottawa to fast-track distribution of a previously announced $1.2-billion relief fund for the industry.

However, Stamer notes that money is earmarked as loan guarantees for “retooling and re-innovation,” not direct support for Canadians thrown out of work by curtailments and shutdowns.

“You get laid off for two weeks, there’s no [employment insurance], there’s no nothing. There’s no paycheque. That’s what concerning to all of us,” said Stamer. “We need the (provincial) government do be able to do other things other than just complain to the federal government. We need made-in-B.C. solutions.”

Stamer adds the industry could benefit from a federal forests minister who advocates for softwood lumber tariffs to be included in the ongoing major trade discussions between Canada and the United States.