Image Credit: CFJC Today

By James Peters

B.C. Forestry

Canfor closes Vavenby sawmill, lays off 178 workers

Jun 3, 2019 | 5:14 PM

VAVENBY, B.C. — Canfor has announced the closure of its mill in Vavenby. Employees received the news Monday afternoon.

United Steelworkers Local 1-417 President Marty Gibbons confirms that 178 people will lose their jobs in the closure.

The Canfor mill has been the major employer in Vavenby, and a significant employer for nearby Clearwater as well.

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This mill was already on curtailment, and will not re-open. Gibbons says the mill had been on curtailment for seven weeks already in 2019, and employees had a feeling something more significant was in the offing.

Gibbons says the news is “absolutely devastating for the community” and says members are quite upset today. We’ll follow up this news with more tomorrow.