Canfor Reopens Houston B.C. Sawmill as Rail Congestion and Wildfire Concerns Ease
Canfor mill re-opens after two-week closure
The Houston B.C. Today Newspaper is reporting that Canfor reopened their Houston Mill facility on Monday, August 9, 2021. This follows a two-week shutdown caused by rail system bottlenecks and other problems in southern B.C. resulting from wildfire outbreaks in the area. The transportation problems resulted in a backlog of lumber that could not be taken to waiting markets easily, so Canfor closed the mill here and shuttered operations at its other Canadian mills until such time as things cleared up.
In a statement, Canfor’s Rosemary Silva said, “Houston serves our global customers, including the US and offshore, so the backlog across the rail system and shortage of cars has really impacted our ability to transport product to market.”
The paper is also reporting that Canfor’s other mill along Hwy16, Plateau, which is just west of Vanderhoof, is scheduled to open next Monday, August 16, 2021.
In all, the closure of Canfor’s mills resulted in a production loss of 115 million board feet of lumber.
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