A move by Teal-Jones Group to shut down all its logging operations on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley highlights a deepening crisis in the coastal forest sector, the B.C. Truck Loggers Association said Tuesday.
Times Colonist
September 11, 2019
A move by Teal-Jones Group to shut down all its logging operations on Vancouver Island and in the Fraser Valley highlights a deepening crisis in the coastal forest sector, the B.C. Truck Loggers Association said Tuesday.
Dave Elstone, executive director, said the latest news comes amid a lengthy strike at Western Forest Products and plans by Interfor Corp. to permanently close a sawmill in Maple Ridge.
“This is not a Teal-Jones story,” said Elstone, whose association represents logging contractors. “We’re actually in a crisis here. I don’t know if everyone’s woken up to the fact yet.
“It’s one thing when one company maybe takes some down time, but you’ve got almost all the major players taking a break here and that has a huge impact,” he said.
“Contractors are bearing the brunt of this and they don’t earn enough return when things are going good to help sustain them through tough times like this. So it’s a very painful thing to take.”
With a file from Andrew Duffy
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