Canfor announced on Wednesday that it is restructuring its BC operations to better align manufacturing capacity in the province with available long-term timber fiber supply. As a result, Canfor said it was permanently closing its Chetwynd sawmill and pellet plant.
News in mill capacity changes
Fire Significantly Damages Control Room at Canfor’s Houston, BC, Sawmill Facility
The Terrace Standard, a local newspaper in Terrace, BC, is reporting that an early morning fire on Sunday at Canfor’s Houston Sawmill facility has severely damaged an interior control room. As a result, the full reopening of the mill, which has been closed during the prior five weeks, will be further delayed.
Sinclar Group Forest Products Announces Temporary Curtailments in BC
Sinclar Group Forest Products Ltd. announced on Monday that, effective January 30th, it will curtail lumber production at three locations in BC for two weeks: Apollo Forest Products in Fort St. James, the Lakeland Mills in Prince George, and Nechako Lumber Co. in Vanderhoof.
Tolko Extends Curtailments at Two BC Facilities
On Monday, Tolko Industries announced that downtime at its Soda Creek and Armstrong Lumber divisions in BC will continue through the month of February. The extended curtailments will reduce production by approximately 35 million board feet of stud lumber.
BC Provincial and Canadian Federal Government Offer Financial Support to Paper Excellence for Retooling Its Crofton Mill Facility
The Government of British Columbia and the Government of Canada announced that they are contributing a combined $18.8 million (CAD) to join with Paper Excellence’s investment in retooling their Crofton Mill facility to manufacture new pulp products.
Wisconsin-Based WholeTrees Structures Hopes to Reopen Shuttered Mill in Ashland, Maine
WholeTrees Structures has announced its intentions to reopen the shuttered MooseWood Millworks flooring plant in Ashland, Maine. WholeTrees plans on using the facility to become Maine’s first manufacturing plant for a natural log product known as structural round timber.
Mercer International Announces Three-week Curtailment at Its Celgar, BC, Pulp Mill Starting in March
Mercer International announced on Tuesday that due to a lack of appropriate fiber availability, its pulp mill located in Celgar, British Columbia, Canada is planning to take an approximately three-week downtime. The curtailment is scheduled to begin in March.
Grand River Pellets Spending $30 Million on Capital Project to Increase Drying Capabilities
Grand River Pellets Ltd., located in St. Leonard, New Brunswick, is spending $30 million (CAD) on a capital project that will increase its drying capabilities from 140,000 tons annually to 220,000 tons, once the project is fully operational. The project will essentially double all outdoor equipment.
Canfor Pulp Products Announces Permanent Closure of Pulp Line at Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill
Canfor Pulp Products Inc. announced on Wednesday that a decision has been made to permanently close the pulp line at its Prince George Pulp and Paper mill. The closure will result in a reduction of 280,000 tons of market kraft paper annually.
Interfor Announces Plan to Reduce Lumber Production in Q1
Interfor Corporation on Wednesday announced it plans to reduce its lumber production output in Q1 of 2023 by at least 100 million board feet, or 8% of quarterly capacity. A press release said the move was the result of economic conditions and market uncertainty continuing to impact lumber demand.