Chuck LeBlanc

The president of the local representing unionized workers losing their jobs as the result of Canfor’s decision this week to close its Prince George Pulp division blames the move on “failed forestry policy.” …“Starting with the Liberals when they changed the forests code to recently the old-growth deferrals to recently the caribou habitat stuff… has definitely put pressure on them,” Chuck LeBlanc, Local 9 president of the union said. …“On top of that, we have five million cubic metres of raw log exports shipped overseas. That’s eight to 10 sawmills and it affects the pulp mills after that and it’s happening year after year. We need to change what we’re presently doing, otherwise we’re going to lose a lot more jobs in this area.” …City councillor Brian Skakun…“In my opinion, Canfor has not reinvested like they could have and have invested heavily in U.S. operations.”

Additional coverage in MyPGNow, by Brendan Pawliw: “It’s a dark day for Prince George,”: Union President, city councillor weigh in on Canfor closure