A representative for mill workers in North Cowichan addressed council to oppose the idea of a special task force to identify why mills are closing in the region.
Adrian Soldera, president of Public and Private Workers of Canada Local 8, spoke to North Cowichan council on Feb. 4, saying everyone already knows why the mills are closing and that a new task force would be a waste of time.
“On the surface it sounds reasonable, but this task force is not just unnecessary. It’s also a dangerous distraction,” Soldera said. “We don’t need more explorers; we need a rescue plan.”
He said the Crofton mill is ending several jobs at its plant and that the Chemainus sawmill now faces extended curtailment efforts due to what he called a fibre crisis. Soldera added that putting another group together to investigate why the mills are closing would be redundant.
Industry reporting shows the Crofton pulp mill is closing permanently, with about 350 jobs affected, and the Chemainus sawmill’s curtailment has been extended amid weak market conditions and log supply challenges.
“Asking a task force to study these things is like asking for a committee to study why a house is on fire while the roof is already collapsing,” Soldera said. “Every day this task force spends sitting in a boardroom another family in a mill town wonders if they can pay their mortgage. Task forces are where things go to die.”
The motion to form the task force was eventually withdrawn during the Feb. 4 meeting, and Soldera said he is appreciative council decided to change direction so resources can be diverted to support workers and families who need it.
“We have a situation where a number of workers in our community no longer have jobs, and those are the members who need assistance,” he said. “We don’t need to waste time and money getting reports, we need action to get this to government.”
Soldera said the forestry industry in B.C. is in a dire situation and that government needs to look at sustainable forestry to make changes. Industry groups have warned that mill closures reflect long-standing challenges in B.C.’s forest sector, including weak markets and limited access to affordable fibre.
