“In the next 20-30 years, Prince George will need to find a way to pivot away from being so dominated by the forest industry.”
That is according to Prince George Mayor Simon Yu, in response to yesterday’s (Thursday) news of 400 jobs being impacted by multiple Canfor shutdowns and curtailments.
One line of the Northwood pulp mill is shutting down, impacting 220 jobs, and the Bear Lake Polar sawmill is ending its curtailment and permanently closing, impacting another 180.
Canfor also announced they have suspended plans to upgrade its mill in Houston, which has also been closed.
“I am very concerned about the workers and their families,” Yu said. “Having said that, I believe Prince George as a people are resilient and we will find a way to get through this together.”
“We need to put our heads together – the government, the industry, first nations – we need to sit down and find a strategy to move forward for the next 5-10 years,” he said.
Despite wanting less dependence on forestry in Prince George, Yu said he also wants to see more biodiversity and secondary manufacturing in the area.
He is also concerned for young people getting their start in the industry, saying “now we are really in trouble. Even if trees grow back in 20-30 years time, it will be difficult to restart the industry.”
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