Image Credit: CKPG Today

By CKPG

TRUCKER CONVOY

Truckers protesting mill closures and layoffs

Sep 25, 2019 | 8:06 AM

MERRITT — A convoy of as many as 200 logging trucks is to arrive in Vancouver today as owners and drivers highlight the effects from dozens of mill closures and thousands of layoffs in British Columbia’s forest industry.

The convoy began in Prince George at 2:00 AM Wednesday morning, and stopped in Quesnel, Williams Lake, Merritt and Hope, where additional truckers joined the convoy.

It will be escorted by police to downtown Vancouver where local and provincial politicians are gathered for the annual Union of B.C. Municipalities convention.

Merritt business owners and log haulers Howard McKimmon and Frank Etchart are helping to organize the convoy and say participants have come from all parts of the province.

McKimmon says they have lost work because sawmill closures mean they are no longer needed to carry logs to the mills.
He says the effect of the forest industry downturn is widespread, disrupting businesses from barbers to grocery stores and everything in between.

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One trucker said Williams Lake contractors have only worked a month since February.

The truckers say the province isn’t doing nearly enough to help and neither is the federal government.