Mackenzie, Houston, Chetwynd, Prince George – these northern B.C. towns and cities have been affected by major sawmill and pulp and paper mill closures over the last couple of years. A number of closures have happened in recent months and weeks.
“We have about 300-plus employees out of work,” Brienen said, adding the mill closures will also result in job losses for loggers. “What has been our saving grace – as opposed to when we had a big downtown in 2008-09, and every mill shut down and people gave their keys back to the bank – in 2011 Mount Milligan opened,” said Mackenzie Mayor Joan Atkinson. “And then Conuma Coal, many people in Mackenzie now work at those coal mines. We have 100 families supported by the mining industry.”
“Prince George is still growing, attracting investment and is very busy,” said Joel McKay, CEO of Northern Development Initiative Trust. Last year, Prince George had $250 million in development permits issued for residential, commercial and industrial projects – a record. Kitimat is also booming, thanks to heavy industry – specifically aluminum smelting and liquefied natural gas . About 5,000 workers are employed building the $18 billion LNG Canada project in Kitimat, and about 1,000 are employed at the Rio Tinto BC Works aluminum smelter.
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