City councillor urges billionaire Jim Pattison to personally deliver final cheques to laid-off mill workers

By Andrew Kurjata
CBC News
August 4, 2026
Category: Business & Politics
Region: Canada West

A Prince George city councillor is challenging billionaire Jim Pattison to personally hand out final paycheques to workers losing their jobs at Canfor’s Northwood Pulp Mill. Pattison owns the Jim Pattison Group, the majority shareholder in Canfor. …Canfor has closed multiple mills around B.C., impacting hundreds of workers. The latest is 300 people at the Northwood Pulp Mill. At a July news conference, Coun. Brian Skakun — himself a former Canfor employee — said he wanted to see Pattison … personally hand out cheques as the workers leave the job site for the last time. “If Jimmy Pattison really wants to live by his decision, then I would encourage him to come out to these mills when they’re shut down and hand out the last cheques to each employee personally and say, ‘I am sorry for what is going on,'” Skakun said, accusing Canfor of being more concerned about shareholders than communities.

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