“We have been sounding the alarm that the situation in BC is dire, and today is further evidence that the sector needs an urgent response from our government, Kim Haakstad, president and CEO of COFI said in the statement. “While softwood lumber duties and trade uncertainty add significant pressure, not everything can be blamed on the dispute.”
Haakstad said the province and industry need to “focus on the areas within our control”, including access to a predictable and economically sound wood supply.
The opposition B.C. Conservatives made a public call for the resignation of forests minister Ravi Parmar, who said the mill’s closure was “a clear sign that B.C.’s coastal forest sector is collapsing right before our eyes.”
“We’ve been clear about what needs to happen: speed up permits, scrap the broken stumpage model, move to a fibre-based AAC, rebuild the workforce through skills training and emergency support, ban glyphosate aerial spraying, restore proper wildfire management, and take a real stand on internal trade barriers and foreign tariffs.”
The provincial government awarded $6.65 million in funding to the mill in August 2025 to improve emissions from the facility.
A combined $18.8 million in provincial and federal funding was announced in January 2023 to ensure the security of the mill’s future as it shifted into new pulp products, which reduced the need for single-use plastics.
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