The Big River sawmill is set to curtail operations this fall, a move the local reeve says will be felt throughout the community. The sawmill operator, Carrier Forest Products, says it will curtail operations on Oct. 16, affecting 117 workers. Workers at the mill received news about the layoffs in a letter Thursday from Carrier Forest Products Inc., stating it would “indefinitely curtail production” beginning Oct. 16. RM of Big River Reeve Clint Panter says local businesses and schools could also feel the effects if workers and their families leave. According to the 2021 census, the Town of Big River has 666 residents, while the surrounding RM has a population of 994. “The impact on the community is definitely going to be far reaching,” Panter said in an interview. He says the community has faced similar challenges before and has found ways to adapt. “The last time the sawmill shut down, it gave an opportunity for some diversification,” he said. “A lot of development started in the municipality and there was a lot of entrepreneurial activity that got rolling.” Carrier Forest Products says the decision to curtail operations is due to weak market conditions, the declining Canadian dollar and the impact of last year’s wildfire season, which significantly reduced the timber supply. In a statement, the company says, “many challenges, including the cumulative and ongoing effects of persistent weak market conditions.” It says the weak Canadian dollar means the cost of cross-border financing has increased and that last year’s wildfires reduced the amount of timber available for the Big River facility. Jeff Bromley of the United Steelworkers Wood Council said the announcement was devastating for union members. Bromley says northern Saskatchewan’s forest industry has largely avoided the layoffs and production curtailments seen in British Columbia. “Northern Saskatchewan and the Saskatchewan forest industry, for the most part, has been largely unscathed throughout this whole tariff mess,” he said. Bromley says workers at numerous mills in British Columbia have faced similar news. “Saskatchewan has managed to stay going and get through this mess,” Bromley said in a phone interview. Carrier Forest Products says the curtailment is not permanent and says it remains committed to reviewing options to resume operations in the future. Carrier says some workers will remain at the site until the end of January in order to ensure the curtailment is orderly. It says it regrets the impact the curtailment will have on employees, their families, their communities, suppliers and customers. “Management has not determined that the facility will be permanently closed and remains committed to reviewing all options to resuming operations in the future,” its statement said. Jordan McPhail, the Opposition NDP’s forestry critic, says in a statement the Saskatchewan Party government has refused to protect the sector from U.S. tariffs, and has allowed disease, insects and fires to devastate forests. “My thoughts are with the 117 workers and their families who will be impacted by this decision,” McPhail said in the statement. “These are families being thrown into financial anxiety, because of the total mismanagement of Saskatchewan’s forestry industry by Scott Moe and the Sask. Party.” Saskatchewan Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry says in a statement the government is committed to connecting laid-off workers with support services. He adds the province wants a “strong and prosperous” forestry sector. “We have made significant changes to the timber royalty system to align it with other resource royalty structures in the province to help improve the industries competitiveness,” Beaudry said. “Today’s announcement is a direct result of the unjustified U.S. tariffs and duties, a weak pricing environment and a falling exchange rate.” --with files from the Canadian Press
