Canfor announces closure of sawmills in Vanderhoof and Fort St. John
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Northern B.C.— Canfor has announced that it will be closing Plateau Sawmill in Vanderhoof and Fort St. John Sawmill. They say the closures will impact around 500 employees and will remove 670 million board feet of annual production.
“Our company has proudly operated in BC for more than 85 years, supporting jobs and economic activity in communities around this province. During that time, we have always been prepared to manage through challenging times and market fluctuations, recognizing the cyclical nature of our business. However, in recent years, increasing regulatory complexity, high operating costs and the inability to reliably access economically viable timber to support our manufacturing facilities has resulted in hundreds of millions of dollars of losses in our BC operations,” says Don Kayne, President and CEO of Canfor.
Canfor adds that the August 13 increase in US tariffs has exacerbated the situation – tariffs that are expected to more than double next year. They say that continuing under these conditions would prolong the anti-dumping duties and put additional operations at risk.
“We are deeply shocked and saddened by this announcement from Canfor. This news is a significant hit to our community and the families directly affected,” reacts Mayor Lilia Hansen in a post on the social media platform X. “City Council has worked closely with industry partners like Canfor through recent challenging times, and we remain committed to advocating for better regulatory conditions to support our local economy and workforce.”
