Citing Transportation Challenges, West Fraser Moves to Three-Day Week at B.C. Sawmills

In an email sent to Black Press Media, the owner of British Columbia’s Nelson Star newspaper, West Fraser Corporation confirmed that it is temporarily rolling back its operating schedules at their lumber mills across British Columbia, from 5-days a week to 3-days a week, due to ongoing transportation challenges.

Of the approximately 740 mill employees expected to be impacted, 110 are in Williams Lake and 150 in Quesnel.

In the email, West Fraser’s spokesperson Joyce Wagenaar said, “The transportation crisis in Western Canada that started with flooding in the Lower Mainland last fall has left our industry with significant inventory challenges. To manage our inventories, West Fraser is temporarily moving from a five to three-day operating schedule for our B.C. lumber mills and working to minimize the impact on these employees.”

“We continue to assess the situation and look forward to moving back to our regular operating schedule as soon as we are able,” Wagenaar said.

West Fraser announced a reduction in November of 2021 due to catastrophic rainfall and flooding in southern B.C. that damaged multiple highways, killed livestock, and forced thousands of people from their homes.