Tolko Industries Begins Two-Week Shutdown at Its Armstrong, BC, Sawmill

According to a statement from Tolko Industries spokesperson Chris Downey, the company has implemented a two-week shutdown of its lumber plant in Armstrong, British Columbia, citing ongoing market challenges and resource shortages, Coast Mountain News reported (9-16-24).

The closure is scheduled to last from September 16th to October 1st.

Downey attributed the temporary halt to multiple factors, including limited access to affordable fiber in British Columbia, weak market conditions, and increased tariffs from the US.

“Unfortunately, the availability of economic fiber in BC, combined with weak market conditions and increased US tariffs continue to have an impact on our operations,” Downey said. “As we’ve seen recently, the entire industry is feeling this pressure, and while we prefer to be fully operational, difficult decisions are needed to ensure we are sustainable for the future.”

Scales in the region will remain open, Downey said.

The shutdown is the latest hit on the local forest giant and its employees and contractors. Harvest and hauling activities across the Southern Interior were paused earlier in the summer to get inventories in line and to manage log quality, cost, and market risks.