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Kelowna-Mission MLA Steve Thomson is taking aim at the governing NDP as Kelowna’s Tolko sawmill is the latest to be hit by a crisis sweeping B.C.’s lumber industry.
Vernon-based Tolko Industries announced the indefinite closure of its Kelowna operations on Thursday. This following a temporary closure that was already underway.
The announcement affects more than 120 jobs.
So far this year, dozens of mills across the province have curtailed production, reduced shifts or closed entirely, with industry sources citing weak lumber markets, the high cost of fibre and a reduced cut since the harvesting pine beetle ravaged forests in the Central Interior has wound down.
Thomson says Premier John Horgan and the NDP remain have been “missing in action” as the forestry sector continues to free fall.
“The BC Liberals have repeatedly warned the NDP and have offered tangible ideas to help address the crisis, but there’s still been zero action from John Horgan or his incompetent forests minister,” Thomson said. “Communities across B.C. are being hit almost daily with closure announcements, and there is still no response from John Horgan.”
So far in 2019, there have been at least 150 weeks of operational downtime announced at mills in B.C. In addition, there have been 10 permanent and indefinite closures, significant shift reductions and hundreds of millions of board feet curtailed.
“We need John Horgan and his government to take meaningful action—any action—to help our forestry communities get through this difficult time,” Kelowna-Lake Country MLA Norm Letnick said.
The Liberal MLAs said in just this past week job losses in the forestry sector include at least 300 logging contractors and more than 600 mill workers.
Also this week, Teal-Jones halted its coastal harvesting operations, which in a matter of weeks will impact hundreds of employees at its Surrey mill.
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