Canfor announced Wednesday it would close its sawmills in Vanderhoof and Fort St. John, B.C., by the end of the year. …Canfor blamed the mill closures on “increasing regulatory complexity, high operating costs and the inability to reliably access economically viable timber.” …Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen said the city was “deeply shocked and saddened” by Canfor’s announcement. “This news is a significant hit to our community and the families directly affected,” she said. Brian O’Rourke, the president of United Steelworkers Local 1-2017 in Prince George, B.C., said the job losses would hit hard for Vanderhoof and Fort St. John. …O’Rourke pointed a finger for the continued mill closures at the BC government. “We had a forestry summit a number of months ago in Victoria where three of the largest unions came together, and we pointed out to the government all of the faults and things they needed to do,” the president said. “And since that time, it’s been crickets.”
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