Millworkers heartbroken over West Fraser-100 Mile Lumber closure

West Fraser-100 Mile Lumber employees like Kris Taylor are taking each day as it comes, following the announcement of the closure of their mill. Taylor is one of 165 West Fraser employees who were informed earlier this month that they’ll be losing their jobs by the end of the year. He said receiving the news on Thursday, Nov. 6, was absolutely devastating for him and his coworkers. “One week, we were told, ‘Hey, we’re doing really, really well, we have permits for logs.’ Just the way they put it, we thought we were doing really well, that we were going to go from four shifts maybe back to five,” Taylor recalled. “Then, last week, we were all brought into the lunchroom, and I got to see the heartbreak on everyone’s faces. It was a devastating bombshell that came right out of the blue; it impacted everyone. “It’s pretty sad. After we heard the news, I could see the look on some people’s faces, the heartbreak. Some people just bought brand new houses, brand new trucks, broncos, toys, everything, and then we get this dropped on us.” Coming home to his family that night was rough, Taylor said. He noted he called his wife after the news and almost broke down. His daughter, meanwhile, found out about the closure at work before he got a chance to tell her. An employee of West Fraser for the last 15 years, Taylor said he’s been a jack of all trades for the company. He’s worked as a lumber grader, supervisor, stack operator and most recently bin attendant. Despite how it’s ending, Taylor said he still looks back on his time with West Fraser fondly. For Taylor, the best part of working at the mill was the number of opportunities it provided him. He noted that 12 years in, he got the chance to become a supervisor, which had been a long-time goal of his. Traylor said the experience of learning how to lead a team was a rewarding one. “I would like to personally thank West Fraser for believing in me, giving me the opportunities I dreamt of. They’re a great company to work for,” Taylor remarked. “I love these guys, I love the people I work with, but it’s just a sad way to end it like this.” Now that he knows the mill is closing, Taylor said he and many of his co-workers are trying to figure out what’s next. Taylor said he’s considering trying to get a job at a mine or hibernating through the winter and trying to get a job on Enbridge’s upcoming Sunrise Expansion Project. “As for relocating, it’s probably last on my list, but if I can’t find anything around here, I’ll probably sit down with the wife and maybe talk about a potential relocation. I’ve spent three-quarters of my life here. I’m 42 years old, this is the place I thought I would retire,” Taylor said. “But, in a situation like this, I have to do what’s best for my family.” Taylor said he has talked with his coworkers about their plans in the past to get a sense of where their mentality was and what their Plan B was. For those who have been there for more than 40 years, he predicts they’ll just retire early. People like him, who still have families, will struggle with this change. “If I were 22, there are opportunities elsewhere. They always say the grass is greener on the other side. When I went through job to job like this before at a young age, it was no biggie, but 42 years old, it’s tough because we envisioned our careers at West Fraser,” Taylor remarked. “We’re trying to lift each other’s spirits up, but I can see deep down inside, I sense heartbreak and fear.” He did note that West Fraser is working to come up with a list of jobs at other mills they could potentially transfer to. Taylor noted that some people are afraid that if they pack up and move to a new mill, this might just happen all over again. “There’s a lot of uncertainty,” Taylor summarized. BC Minister of Forests Ravi Parmar told the 100 Mile Free Press that the news of West Fraser’s closure was heartbreaking. He asserted that it is the result of United States President Donald Trump’s attack on B.C. Forestry Sector. In its statement announcing the closure, West Fraser alluded to tariffs and called the fibre available to their 100 Mile operations “uneconomical.” “Forest workers pay the price, pay cheques get impacted, and livelihoods get impacted. This is a big deal for the 160 workers, but this impacts not only those workers, but also the workers and people living in 100 Mile,” Parmar said. When asked how his ministry will be supporting workers on the ground in 100 Mile House, Parmar said they’ll have people on the ground who will connect with workers like Taylor about next steps. Parmar pledged the government would not “allow 100 Mile to go through this alone.” He also indicated he plans to visit the community himself in the future. “The Province of British Columbia will be there every step of the way to not only help during these challenging times, but also help restore confidence in the forest sector in 100 Mile House and the Cariboo,” Parmar remarked. “We’ll have more to share on that in the days and weeks ahead.” Mayor Maureen Pinkney said the District of 100 Mile House is also ready to support workers in any way they can. She noted that the WorkBC Centre is a good place to start and that the district is updating its Path Forward booklet, originally written following the closure of the Norbord OSB Plant. She said they also plan to meet with ministers like Parmar and send letters to other levels of government. In the short term, she said, members of the Jobs and Economic Development Group from the Ministry of Jobs and Economic Growth. They’ll be sitting down with workers to provide counselling and job training. “We’ve definitely been talking to the agencies that are going to be talking to the workers, and we’re happy to see there is a lot of support for the workers who are directly impacted,” Pinkney said. Hopefully, some of the contractors who didn’t work at the mill but worked very closely with them are also able to get into that assistance. Our main focus is on our community, the loss of taxation and getting replacement jobs for all those jobs.”