Fifty-five workers are scheduled to be laid off after a shortage of viable logs has forced production at the Chemainus Sawmill starting this month.
According to North Cowichan mayor Rob Douglas, Western Forest Products has informed the municipality they intend to start curtailment of the jobs on Jun. 18, which is a direct result of the inability to find materials.
“The company has indicated the reason for the shutdown is due to their inability to find a viable supply of fiber,” Douglas says. “We don’t have a date as to when Western Forest Products is going to resume operations at the Chemainus Mill, but we hope it’s very short term.”
Douglas says losing jobs in the current economy is devastating, which is why he has been in contact with the province to find a resolution.
“I have reached out to the forest minister (Ravi Parmar) to relay these concerns and discuss how the province might address some of these issues raised by the company,” he says. “The province wants to make sure the company gets up and running as soon as possible, especially recognizing these are 55 local workers.”
Delays in permits and cutting fiber is a long-standing issue in BC, which has led to shutdowns and impacting production, but Douglas says he has been reassured by Parmar that the province is addressing the issue.
“The minister is aware of this issue and is working on it to ensure we’re not getting more shutdowns like we’re seeing at the Chemainus Sawmill.”
On Oct. 7, 2024, Western Forest Products addressed the reduced lumber production by stating they were going to reduce lumber production by approximately 30 million board feet, and it can be attributed to a combination of market challenges.
“The curtailments are due to a combination of challenges including weaker lumber demand and higher U.S. softwood lumber duty rates,” they said in a media release. “These relate to factions in the BC operating environment creating a lack of economic log supply at certain sawmills.”
Western Forest Products is one of the largest private sector employers on Vancouver Island, supporting 3,500 jobs in nearly 20 communities in BC.
