SASKATOON — The Saskatchewan NDP and the provincial government are trading blame on the issue of Carrier Forest Products’ decision to scale back its production at the Big River sawmill later this year, which could affect 117 jobs.
For the Opposition, this is part of a series of failures by Premier Scott Moe’s government and broken promises on the province’s forestry industry. The government, meanwhile, blamed the company’s decision on US tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on Canadian lumber.
Forestry and Northern Affairs Shadow Minister Jordan McPhail, on Friday, July 17, blamed Carrier’s indefinite curtailment on years of provincial government inaction, arguing poor forest management, inadequate wildfire response, rising energy and fuel costs, and a lack of support for the sector.
"What we see from this government is just absolute absenteeism. They're not listening to industry. They're not listening to the people that have come to our team,” said McPhail, as he accused the provincial government of failing to respond adequately to the industry's concerns after the wildfires.
He added that the challenges faced by the province’s forestry sector and their impact on workers have eroded the industry's competitiveness, and that the closure will have economic consequences well beyond the sawmill itself, affecting contractors and communities across northern Saskatchewan.
McPhail said the ripple effects of the sawmill’s impending closure will be felt throughout northern Saskatchewan. He urged the government to provide immediate assistance to the workers who will be affected by the company’s decision and called for stronger measures to protect the forestry industry.
He said that last year's record wildfire season, which burned about 2.9 million hectares of forest, severely damaged the timber supply available to forestry companies, which have repeatedly sought government action on issues ranging from reforestation and salvage logging to rising diesel costs.
"It's not like a farmyard in southern Saskatchewan where you plant a crop in the spring and harvest it in the fall. These are trees. These are things that take 20 to 25 years to see the full potential of that growth in that forest," said McPhail, the MLA for Cumberland.
"The forestry sector is the other driver of our economy. The government doesn't seem to want to talk about it at all outside of press conferences, patting themselves on the back and saying they're willing to double it, but showing no action."
The government, however, said it will support the 117 workers whose jobs will be affected by Carrier’s Big River closure through the Canada–Saskatchewan Rapid Response Team, while blaming the shutdown on US tariffs, weak market conditions and a falling exchange rate.
“[The] announcement by Carrier is extremely difficult for the 117 workers, their families and the community of Big River and the surrounding area,” said the government, as they also reaffirmed their commitment to strengthening the province's forestry sector.
“We are committed to supporting the individuals and families affected by this closure and have deployed the Canada-Saskatchewan Rapid Response Team. We will provide whatever additional support we can through this difficult time.”
The government added they will continue working closely with their partners in the forestry sector to ensure the province’s lumber mills have enough timber to support their operations, and said they made significant changes to the timber royalty system.
The government said it aligned the changes with other resource royalty structures across the province to improve the industry's competitiveness, while also blaming the situation on unjustified US tariffs and duties, a weak pricing environment, and a falling exchange rate.
“Our goal as a government is to create and maintain a strong and prosperous forestry sector. We will not deviate from that goal and will continue to look at all options to support it,” added the government in the statement.
