Western Forest Products to Reduce Production and Staffing at Its Chemainus, BC, Sawmill
Fifty-five workers to be laid off at Chemainus Sawmill
Citing a shortage of viable logs, Western Forest Products (WFP) is reducing production and staffing at its Chemainus Sawmill in British Columbia starting this month, My Coast Now reported (6-9-25).
According to North Cowichan mayor Rob Douglas, WFP has informed the municipality they intend to start curtailment of the jobs on June 18, which is a direct result of the inability to find materials.
“The company has indicated the reason for the shutdown is due to their inability to find a viable supply of fiber,” Douglas says. “We don’t have a date as to when WFP is going to resume operations at the Chemainus Mill, but we hope it’s very short term.”
“I have reached out to the BC Forest Minister Ravi Parmar to relay these concerns and discuss how the province might address some of these issues raised by the company,” Douglas added. “The province wants to make sure the company gets up and running as soon as possible, especially recognizing these are 55 local workers.”
Delays in permits and cutting fiber is a long-standing issue in BC, which has led to shutdowns and impacting production, but Douglas says he has been reassured by Parmar that the province is addressing the issue.
In October 2024, WFP said it planned to reduce lumber production at its BC sawmills by approximately 30 million board feet during 2024Q4.
Western Forest Products is one of the largest private sector employers on Vancouver Island, supporting 3,500 jobs.
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