By Ute Juras

Village of Canal Flats Mayor

Canfor announced on February 5 that iy will be reducing the Canal Flats Mill operation from two shifts to one effective May 4. This decision was made due to the fibre supply in the region not being sufficient to support the processing capacity and will affect 81 employees. Canfor will be offering these employees the option to transfer to other facilities in British Columbia.

Since the purchase of the Canal Flats Mill in 2012, Canfor management and I have been working very hard on establishing good communication, by trying to meet on a regular basis. At one of those meetings, I was assured that the village would be informed of any major announcements and changes. True to their word I was contacted just prior to the announcement. Kevin Horsnell and Roland Kemperman were at the Canal Flats Council meeting on Tuesday, February 10 to give a presentation and an opportunity for council to ask questions. I am very grateful for their transparency and willingness to work with the village.

In addition, I was contacted by the Ministry of Jobs, Tourism and Skills Training (JTST) informing me that they are aware of the announced layoff by Canfor and have already initiated steps under JTST Division’s Community Transition. This means that they will be working closely with the Human Resource Department of Canfor to ensure supports are in place and available to Canfor employees and the community.

JTST has already established a Canal Flats Canfor Transition Team that will be working with Canfor and the village to address worker and community needs by linking them to programs, services and resources. The CAO and/or a council member will be invited to partake in the process. JTST will also work with those employees who opt out of being relocated to other operations and will assist them through the WorkforceBC program to find other employment or re-training. Employees will be contacted in the very near future.

Although this is a big blow to our community, I strongly believe that by working together with Canfor and the province we will get through this. We are faced with a difficult situation, but we need to remember that everything is being done to make the transition easier.

I would like to take this opportunity to thank Canfor for keeping us informed and the province for stepping in so quickly.

We are a strong community who sticks together especially in a time of need and we will clear this hurdle by looking after each other and helping out wherever we can. For those of you directly affected, please know that the community is behind you and we will do everything we can to help you through this difficult time.

In the meantime, I will keep you all updated with any new information I receive through special mail outs such as this and my Facebook page.

Please don’t hesitate to contact me if you have any questions (Phone: 250-489-9070, E-mail: [email protected]).

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