Williams Lake City Council announced Tolko Industries sawmill in Soda Creek would soon be closed temporarily.
The announcement came during last night’s round table discussion, where Mayor Surinderpal Rathor had said the 30-day closure would begin Monday, September 30th.
Tolko said “The planer will continue operating for approximately two more weeks to process inventory, and approximately 50 employees will be impacted.”
The downtime is attributed to the challenging lumber markets, increased US tariffs and the availability of economic fibre in the province.
They recognize the impact on their workforce, but is a business decision to ensure operations are suitable for the future, and doesn’t reflect their commitment to Soda Creek employees.
Rathor said next year’s budget isn’t looking rosy, getting indication that it will be tight.
He added this isn’t good news, as the forestry sector isn’t doing very well.
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