The NDP is destroying BC's softwood industry as 100 Mile House mill shuts down and jobs vanish

No more than a few days after the province hosted its much-touted summit to discuss the continuing impact of U.S. softwood tariffs, and with Statistics Canada reporting another decline in BC’s softwood production, the axe has fallen on West Fraser Timber’s 100 Mile House mill.

Lorne Doerkson, MLA for Cariboo–Chilcotin, says the devastation now hitting the South Cariboo is what happens when government ignores every warning sign coming from the forest sector. “One hundred and sixty-five people in 100 Mile House just lost their jobs,” said Doerkson. “That’s 165 families wondering how they’ll pay their bills and whether they can stay in their own community. The ripple effect will hit every business on main street, from the gas stations and restaurants to the grocery stores.”

“The Minister’s thoughts and prayers aren’t enough for those families facing unimaginable hardship. It’s time this minister did his job and not another photo op,” said Doerkson. “The Minister thinks the answer is shipping workers to other operations, but who’s even hiring under these circumstances? It’s an empty gesture that avoids the real issue while still blaming Donald Trump, the pine beetle, or anyone but themselves. This government was warned and refused to act.”

Kamloops-North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer and Conservative forest critic, said the closure is “devastating” and yet another sign of the NDP’s gross neglect. “Alarm bells were ringing long before the tariffs,” said Stamer. “The industry warned about permitting delays, rising costs, and shrinking fibre access, all ignored by this government. The Minister is just as responsible, because it’s his government’s restrictive policies that got us here in the first place. Their so-called ‘Path to 45’ has become a path to collapse. Harvests have dropped from 60 million cubic metres to barely 30 million, and the damage is spreading.”

“Even Premier Eby admits forestry is ‘one of the largest employers and contributors to our GDP,’ yet his government refuses to act on that reality.”

Doerkson added that the NDP continues to deflect blame instead of fixing what it controls here in BC. “The government keeps pointing fingers at Ottawa while ignoring failures in its own backyard,” said Doerkson. “Instead of hiding behind the federal government, the NDP should set measurable goals and deliver a real plan to protect jobs and secure fibre access.

The Minister says this is ‘a stark reminder to the federal government.’ No, Minister, it’s a stark reminder to you.”