Mill to shutter in 100 Mile House, B.C., taking 165 forestry jobs with it

CBC News

· Posted: Nov 07, 2025 4:42 PM EST | Last Updated: 1 infinitesimal ago

A large leader successful B.C.’s South Cariboo is shutting down its lumber mill for good, with section officials informing the interaction volition scope acold beyond the 165 radical straight losing their jobs.

West Fraser Timber Co. Ltd. says it volition permanently adjacent its mill successful 100 Mile House by the extremity of the year, citing an inability to reliably entree capable economically viable timber, combined with anemic softwood lumber markets and mounting U.S. commercialized actions.

The institution says it volition effort to soften the stroke by offering enactment astatine different operations wherever imaginable but says astir 165 employees astatine the tract volition beryllium affected.

100 Mile House Mayor Maureen Pinkney says the fig of radical touched by the determination volition beryllium acold higher.

Mayor Maureen Pinkney says past closures amusement the economical fallout volition beryllium significant, and adds it volition beryllium a situation to support radical from moving away. (Jenifer Norwell/CBC)

“At slightest 500 indirect jobs and our full assemblage volition beryllium affected greatly,” she said.

Pinkney says 100 Mile House, a assemblage of conscionable implicit 1,900 people, is inactive recovering from the nonaccomplishment of 2 different large mills — the Chasm mill and the oriented strand committee works — that unopen down successful 2019.

“Young families had to determination distant erstwhile that occurred,” she said. “We recognize this volition again beryllium the situation.”

With different mill gone, she worries astir the taxation basal that keeps section infrastructure running.

“Our main relation arsenic politician and assembly is looking aft a fund that looks aft h2o and sewer infrastructure and roads. And without that taxation, we are going to beryllium successful a batch of trouble.”

Pinkney called the quality “very sad” for a assemblage that has agelong seen itself arsenic a lumber town.

“Large mills that were the full hub of enactment successful our assemblage are gone, that is precise devastating,” she said. 

She says she hopes impacted workers tin find immoderate guidance successful a handbook the territory made with the state aft the 2019 closures called The Path Forward, which compiles grounds from workers and families who mislaid their jobs then.

WATCH | New U.S. tariffs connected Canadian lumber present successful place:

Cariboo-Chilcotin MLA Lorne Doerkson called the closure “absolutely devastating” successful a connection connected societal media, saying the interaction volition beryllium felt passim 100 Mile House, the South Cariboo and the wider region.

Minister ‘heartbroken,' pushes Ottawa for support

B.C. Forest Minister Ravi Parmar said helium is “heartbroken implicit the decision” and said helium “can’t ideate the fearfulness and choler that forestry workers and their families successful 100 Mile House indispensable beryllium feeling.”

He besides linked the closure to U.S. commercialized actions targeting Canadian softwood lumber.

“Let’s beryllium clear, this closure is different effect of Donald Trump's unfair onslaught connected Canada's forestry sector,” helium said.

B.C. Forests Minister Ravi Parmar said helium is 'heartbroken implicit the decision.' (Ben Nelms/CBC)

“This is besides a stark reminder to the national authorities that they indispensable unrecorded up to their committedness to radical successful B.C. and guarantee our state receives its just stock of forestry enactment dollars. The radical of 100 Mile House, and everyplace successful B.C., can’t beryllium near behind.”

At a forestry acme successful Vancouver earlier this week, B.C. and national politicians agreed to signifier a moving radical to fig retired however champion to enactment the province's forestry sector. Prime Minister Mark Carney successful August announced $1.2 cardinal to enactment the softwood lumber manufacture crossed Canada.

Opposition professional points to fibre proviso decline

B.C. Conservative forestry professional and Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer said helium is some saddened and aggravated astir the closure, arguing the informing signs person been determination for years.

“I'm precise atrocious that this really had to travel to this,” helium said. “Now this is conscionable different crushed that we person to beryllium precise acrophobic astir the absorption of this wood manufacture close now.”

Stamer criticized the provincial authorities for focusing excessively heavy connected U.S. duties and national inaction, saying portion of the occupation lies successful provincial logging policies and regulations.

“We person to look astatine the wide proviso of fibre,” helium said. “We request to beryllium capable to beryllium astatine slightest 45 cardinal cubic metres.”

According to the B.C. Council of Forest Industries, entree to economical fibre has fallen from 60 cardinal cubic metres successful 2018 to 35 cardinal cubic metres of existent harvest successful 2023.

As the assemblage grapples with the latest loss, Pinkney says it’s important to deliberation astir what comes adjacent for 100 Mile House.

“We person a precise bully concern onshore country and we look guardant to moving with the [province] to get much manufacture enactment up there, arsenic good arsenic we're going to person an inquire connected immoderate infrastructure dollars,” she said.