The closure of Western Forest Products’ Somass Mill in Port Alberni should be a wakeup call for the federal government, says Courtenay-Alberni NDP MP Gord Johns.
Western Forest Products announced on July 27 it was closing the mill ‘indefinitely’ due to a lack of log supply. The mill had been curtailed, or not operating, since February and prior to that had been reduced to a single shift. There are 77 hourly employees affected by the news.
“Following Western Forest Products’ announcement that operations at the Somass sawmill will be indefinitely closed, I am renewing my call on the federal government to wake up to the crisis, understand our needs and take action to support British Columbians,” said Johns, the NDP critic for small business and tourism.
“New Democrats and I have been calling on the federal government to secure a fair deal to protect the good-paying forestry jobs that tens of thousands of Canadians rely on,” he said in a statement. “However, federal government inaction has ultimately failed Canadians, including the the 77 hourly employees at the Somass sawmill.”
Johns vowed to work with provincial counterparts to keep logs in B.C. for processing “and grow investments in reforestation.”
Provincial Mid Island-Pacific Rim MLA Scott Fraser said he has reached out to Steelworkers Union Loc. 1-85, affected workers and the mayor of Port Alberni, Mike Ruttan.
“This is a significant blow to our community,”” he said, adding that he will be meeting with Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development to discuss the closure. He echoed Johns’ call to keep wood processing local, saying the provincial New Democrats will also look at fewer log exports by increasing processing opportunities in B.C.
“Minister Donaldson is committed to working with both communities and industry to develop a fair, lasting strategy to create more jobs by processing more logs in B.C. and to renew our forest by expanding investments in reforestation,” Fraser said.
Western Forest Products also operates Alberni Pacific Division (APD) sawmill in Port Alberni as well as locations in Nanaimo and Cowichan Valley.