PRINCE GEORGE — 400. That’s the approximate number of how many jobs will be impacted by Canfor’s announcement that they would be indefinitely curtailing one production line at Northwood Pulp Mill as well as the permanent closure of the Polar Sawmill and the suspension of planned reinvestment in Houston, B.C. The President & CEO of Canfor Pulp, Kevin Edgson, told us what led to the decision regarding the Northwood curtailment. …“One year ago, we were forced to shut down the PG Pulp line. At that time, we felt confident that we had enough fibre supply to be able to continue to operate the remaining two lines at Northwood and one at Intercon. Unfortunately, the continued impact of policy decisions have made fibre or chips scarce.” …Owner of Brink Forest Products Ltd., John Brink says that the industry is in “major distress” and that “as long as we have politicians and bureaucrats involved, we will not have a viable industry.”

Related coverage in Business in Vancouver by Ted Clarke: Northwood Pulp workers facing hundreds of job losses

Victoria News (Black Press), by Rod Link: Canfor cancels planned new northern B.C. mill, closes another, curtails a 3rd

Vancouver Sun, by Cheryl Chan: Hundreds of B.C. jobs lost as Canfor closes one mill, cuts production at another

Prince George Daily News, opinion by James Steidle: Deregulation of forest industry is the real culprit behind mill closures