The Saskatchewan NDP says the provincial government failed to provide enough support to the forestry sector ahead of the indefinite curtailment of Carrier Forest Products’ Big River sawmill.
The closure was said to directly affect 117 workers.
NDP forestry critic Jordan McPhail says industry had been warning government for years about growing challenges.
“The warning signs were there, and now the consequences are here for ignoring that,” McPhail told MBC Radio News.
McPhail argues the province could have offered more relief as the industry dealt with U.S. tariffs and weak market conditions, pointing to NDP proposals to remove the provincial gas tax and PST on construction labour, including work on temporary forestry roads.
He also criticized the province’s management of northern forests following recent wildfire seasons, arguing more investment is needed in forest management, salvage work and reforestation to protect future timber supplies.
Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry says the province is committed to supporting the 117 affected workers and their families and has deployed the Canada-Saskatchewan Rapid Response Team.
In a statement, Beaudry said the curtailment is a direct result of “unjustified U.S. tariffs and duties, a weak pricing environment and a falling exchange rate.”
The province says it has also changed the timber royalty system to improve competitiveness and continues working with forestry companies to ensure mills have access to enough timber.
Carrier has said the Big River mill will wind down production in October, with limited work continuing into January, while the company evaluates whether conditions could allow the operation to reopen in the future.