Quesnel River Pulp curtailment sidelines workers until at least November

QUESNEL, B.C. — Close to a hundred employees will be affected by an extended production curtailment at Quesnel River Pulp, as challenging conditions continue to weigh on British Columbia’s forestry sector.

Operations at the pulp mill will remain shut down until at least November this year. According to the company, the curtailment is being driven by the factor of unfavourable market conditions.

Although the shutdown has been described as temporary, B.C. Conservative forestry critic Ward Stamer said workers, and their families face uncertainty over whether the affected jobs will return.

“Nobody wants to hear about curtailments, because sometimes those curtailments can be indefinite and they can be permanent,” Stamer said. “I’m really disappointed, and I know those families are devastated to hear that type of news, with those good-paying forest jobs being sidelined.”