News
West Fraser to curtail some lumber production at B.C. sawmills with 135 jobs impacted

November 14, 2018 – West Fraser Timber Co. has announced it will permanently curtail approximately 300 million board feet of combined lumber production at its Fraser Lake and Quesnel sawmills, which will lead to approximately 135 jobs being impacted.

The curtailment will be realized through the elimination of the third shift at each sawmill.

The reduction in lumber production is expected to impact approximately 60 employees atFraser Lakeand 75 employees at Quesnel sawmill over the first and second quarter of 2019. The company expects to mitigate the impact on affected employees by offering them work opportunities at other West Fraser operations.

British Columbia  faces a well‑documented timber supply shortage owing to the devastating mountain pine beetle infestation. In anticipation of this decline, West Fraser has invested in excess of$500 millionin its B.C. assets to improve the safety and competitiveness of its mills to attain maximum value from the available timber resource. Today’s decision better aligns West Fraser’s production with current timber supply.

West Fraser is a diversified wood products company producing lumber, LVL, MDF, plywood, pulp, newsprint, wood chips and energy with facilities in westernCanadaand the southernUnited States.