PRINCE GEORGE, BC, July 15, 2026 /CNW/ — Canfor’s announcement of plans to close its Northwood pulp mill would eliminate 300 forestry jobs and further hobble the forestry supply chain in B.C. if it is allowed to proceed, says Unifor.
“B.C.’s forestry sector is teetering on the brink, and with each mill closure we get closer to the complete collapse of the forestry sector in this province,” said Unifor National President Lana Payne. “Forestry workers, their families, and their communities need urgent support from the provincial and federal governments.”
Northwood’s threatened closure comes shortly after the federal government’s forestry task force published recommendations to rebuild the sector and create good jobs. Payne represented workers on the task force and emphasizes that the federal and provincial governments cannot continue to sit on the sidelines while key supply chain facilities close every month.
“The trade war with the U.S. has taught us that we must stand up for Canadian jobs and a more resilient economy,” said Payne. “It’s time to get to work on implementing a national forestry strategy while supporting the workers who have become casualties of government inaction.”
Although Canfor is a Canadian company on paper, it has shifted most of its production to the U.S. and Europe in recent years.
“Decades of profits from Canfor’s Canadian operations have subsidized its global expansion, and now Canadian workers are being shown the door,” said Unifor Western Regional Director Gavin McGarrigle.
Unifor says that the provincial government has a clear role to both support laid off workers and actively prevent forestry infrastructure from crumbling during economic slowdowns: “Laid off workers and impacted communities need a real plan. The piecemeal approach we’ve seen from all levels of government neither addresses underlying challenges nor supports the families facing real struggles to make ends meet,” said McGarrigle.
Read more about Unifor’s campaign for forestry jobs in British Columbia and across Canada.
Unifor Local 630 represents 220 workers at the Northwood facility. Unifor is Canada’s largest union in the private sector, representing 320,000 workers in every major area of the economy. The union advocates for all working people and their rights, fights for equality and social justice in Canada and abroad, and strives to create progressive change for a better future.
SOURCE Unifor
