90 Quesnel forestry jobs impacted by pulp mill curtailment

Aug 12, 2026 | 11:20 AM

QUESNEL — Workers in Quesnel are facing an uncertain future after Quesnel River Pulp announced it will temporarily curtail operations until at least November, affecting 90 employees and raising concerns about the continued challenges facing British Columbia’s forestry sector.

According to the company, the curtailment is being driven by unfavourable market conditions. While the shutdown has been described as temporary, there are concerns the affected jobs could be lost permanently if conditions fail to improve in the coming months.

The announcement is the latest setback for a forestry industry that has seen numerous mill closures, production curtailments, and job losses across B.C. in recent years. Forestry remains a major economic driver in many Interior communities, including Quesnel, where hundreds of families depend directly or indirectly on the sector for employment.

Prince George-North Cariboo MLA Sheldon Clare says the impact will be felt throughout the community.

“This is devastating news for Quesnel,” Clare said. “These are 90 good-paying jobs in a community that depends on forestry. The community would see a huge drop in economic benefit, and local government could see a significant drop in tax revenue. This curtailment will hurt people and businesses.”

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B.C. Conservative forestry critic Ward Stamer also criticized the provincial government, arguing current policies have contributed to the industry’s decline.

“Forestry Minister Ravi Parmar’s idea of a transition is nothing but the destruction of British Columbia’s forestry industry,” Stamer said. “Mill workers, loggers, fallers and forestry families should not be forced to pay the price for a government that has abandoned them.”

Shadow Labour Minister Kiel Giddens echoed those concerns, saying workers are bearing the consequences of what he describes as policy failures by the NDP government.

The provincial government has maintained that changes to the forestry sector are necessary as the industry adapts to shifting market conditions, timber supply challenges and evolving economic realities.

Quesnel River Pulp’s curtailment is expected to remain in place until at least November.

by CKPG News

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90 Quesnel forestry jobs impacted by pulp mill curtailment

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