Canfor Corporation will permanently shut down its Northwood pulp mill in Prince George, British Columbia, a decision that will affect approximately 300 employees and reduce the company’s annual production capacity by 300,000 tonnes of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) pulp.
According to the company, the decision reflects ongoing pressures facing the pulp and paper industry, including what it described as a structural transformation in global pulp markets.
Canfor stated: “Substantial additional pulp production capacity has come online globally, creating an oversupply in the market and downward pressure on global pulp prices.
“Combined with the persistent challenges accessing fibre, these factors have resulted in a prolonged period of unsustainable financial losses for Canfor Pulp.
“With no foreseeable improvement in the outlook, Canfor has made the difficult decision to close its Northwood facility.”
The company expects the mill to cease operations in late Q4 2026 after completing an orderly wind-down process.
Susan Yurkovich, President and Chief Executive, said: “The team at Northwood has worked tirelessly to improve performance, navigating challenging conditions to support their operation and we are grateful for their efforts.
“In the weeks ahead, we are committed to supporting our employees through this transition, including providing severance, and exploring opportunities to redeploy impacted employees to our other operating locations where possible.”
