Hundreds of forestry jobs eliminated with permanent pulp mill closure near Prince George

VANCOUVER — Canfor announced Tuesday it will permanently close its Northwood Pulp Mill near Prince George by the end of 2026, resulting in the loss of approximately 300 jobs..Canfor ranks among Prince George’s largest employers and this most recent closure represents another major economic blow to Prince George and surrounding communities, which rely heavily on the forestry industry. It follows Canfor’s 2023 closure of its Prince George pulp and paper facility and comes amid broader pressures on the sector. The loss of high-paying jobs is expected to ripple through local suppliers, contractors, businesses, and community organizations, including sports teams and charities.Forests Minister Ravi Parmar issued a statement Tuesday describing the news as “heartbreaking for the workers, their families, contractors and the entire Prince George community and region.” He said staff from multiple ministries will offer support through WorkBC centres and that the province will work with federal partners under a cooperative prosperity agreement.However, as of Wednesday morning, Parmar had yet to comment publicly on the closure through his official social media channels. On Tuesday — the same day the Canfor announcement and his government statement were released — he posted a video of himself being interviewed by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation..“Hitting the CBC radio circuit to talk about how we’re making more in BC,” Parmar wrote. “From strengthening our working forest to growing value-added manufacturing and supporting good jobs, we’re focused on getting more value from every log harvested right here at home.”The contrast between the promotional post about growing value-added manufacturing and supporting good jobs, and the permanent loss of hundreds of those jobs in one of northern BC's key forestry hubs the same day, has drawn notice..The BC Conservatives described the closure as the latest blow to an industry that has seen more than 30 mill closures since the NDP took office nearly a decade ago. In a statement released Wednesday, the party blamed excessive environmental regulations, shifting definitions of old growth, third-party agreements, punitive stumpage fees, permitting delays, and uncertainty around land claims for driving up costs and pushing investment out of the province.“None of this had to happen. Instead of chasing photo ops and social media, Forests Minister Ravi Parmar should have been fighting to save forestry jobs,” said Ward Stamer, Shadow Minister for Forestry. “BC’s forestry sector has been crippled by soaring log costs, excessive regulation, permitting delays and growing competition from overseas. These problems have been obvious for years, yet the minister did nothing. He blamed everything on the trade dispute with the U.S., but this closure wasn’t caused by tariffs. Years of government failure led to this.”“My thoughts are with the 300 hardworking employees of the mill and their families who depend on them. They did not deserve this,” said Kiel Giddens, Shadow Minister for Labour and MLA for Prince George-Mackenzie. “The NDP has failed workers time and again. Government’s own target is a 45 million cubic metre annual harvest across BC, yet the industry is struggling to reach 29 million cubic metres. Mill after mill has closed, good-paying jobs have disappeared, and hardworking British Columbians are paying the price for the NDP’s negligence..The Northwood closure adds to a pattern of mill curtailments and permanent shutdowns as companies navigate fibre constraints, regulatory uncertainty, international trade barriers, and shifting global demand. Since Premier David Eby took office in late 2022, the BC forestry sector has lost an estimated 15,000 jobs, according to industry figures, with more than 20 permanent or indefinite mill closures reported since 2023.

Hundreds of forestry jobs eliminated with permanent pulp mill closure near Prince George

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