B.C. forest industry crisis deepens; more mill closures inevitable

Canfor’s plan to permanently shut down the pulp line at Prince George Pulp and Paper by March and potentially put as many as 300 mill workers out of work is not the only grim reality facing the north central B.C. wood industry. The lack of economical fibre in the region and low lumber prices that have forced curtailments and reduced the availability of residual wood chips from sawmills means at least one more pulp mill in the region will likely be targeted for closure, according to forest industry expert Ben Parfitt. “I think people don’t ...