Brandon Nicholson

PRINCE ALBERT, Saskatchewan — This week marks the first round of layoffs at the Big River sawmill, and workers want to see more action to protect Saskatchewan’s forestry sector. Brandon Nicholson from the United Steelworkers said “I’ve had members from the community that don’t even work at the mill reaching out to me and expressing their concern”. Earlier this year, sawmill operator Carrier Forest Products announced that it would be curtailing operations at the Big River sawmill, affecting 117 jobs. The company attributed it to tariffs, market conditions and forest loss from last year’s wildfires. Nicholson said increased access to trees further north and a boost in domestic demand for forestry products could help prevent job losses in the sector. …The province said it is helping tariff-impacted workers with the Canada-Saskatchewan Workforce Tariff Response program, supported with $15.6 million in funding.