Province sends team to Big River following mill curtailment announcement

Carrier Forest Products in Big River. (Image Credit: file photo/paNOW)

Province sends team to Big River following mill curtailment announcement The Saskatchewan government said it is committed to supporting the 117 workers affected by Carrier Forest Products’ decision to indefinitely curtail operations at its Big River sawmill starting this October. Energy and Resources Minister Chris Beaudry said the province has deployed the Canada-Saskatchewan Rapid Response Team, which helps connect laid-off workers with employment services, training and income supports. Beaudry said the curtailment is the direct result of “unjustified U.S. tariffs and duties, a weak pricing environment and a falling exchange rate.

In a statement emailed to paNOW, Beaudry said, “Our government continues to work closely with our partners in the forestry sector to ensure that Saskatchewan forestry mills have enough timber to support their operations. We have made significant changes to the timber royalty system to align it with other resource royalty structures in the province to help improve the industry’s competitiveness.”