Canfor Pulp to Permanently Close Kraft Pulp Line at Prince George Mill

Jan. 12, 2023 - Following extensive analysis of its operating footprint and the long-term supply of economic residual fibre, Canfor Pulp Products is announcing the decision to permanently close the pulp line at its Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill located in British Columbia, Canada.

The closure of the pulp line will result in a reduction of 280,000 tonnes per year of market kraft pulp.

Canfor pulp said the Specialty Paper facility at the site will continue to operate.

"In recent years, several sawmills have permanently closed in the Prince George region due to reductions in the allowable annual cut and challenges accessing cost-competitive fibre," explained Kevin Edgson, President and CEO of Canfor Pulp. "This has had a material impact on the availability of residual fibre for our pulp facilities and we need to right-size our operating platform. As a result, we have made the very difficult decision to shut down the pulp line at Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill and will continue to operate the Specialty Paper facility."

Over the next few months, Canfor Pulp will be following an orderly wind-down process. The pulp line is expected to close by the end of the first quarter of 2023 and is anticipated to impact approximately 300 positions across the organization by the end of the year.

"We greatly appreciate our valued team members who have been helping to navigate a very challenging business environment," Edgson said. "We understand and regret the impact today's announcement has on our employees, their families, the businesses that support our operations, and the local community. We will be working in the weeks and months ahead to support our employees through this transition."

Canfor Pulp Products is a leading global supplier of pulp and paper products with operations in the central interior of British Columbia. Canfor Pulp owns and operates three mills in Prince George, BC with a total capacity of 1.1 million tonnes of Premium Reinforcing Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft ("NBSK") Pulp and 140,000 tonnes of kraft paper, as well as one mill in Taylor, BC with an annual production capacity of 230,000 tonnes of Bleached Chemi-Thermo Mechanical Pulp ("BCTMP").

SOURCE: Canfor Pulp Products Inc.