Trudeau and Canadian G20 delegation still in New Delhi after plane grounded

VANCOUVER – Canfor Corp. has announced it is shutting two northern British Columbia sawmills in a move it says will affect about 500 workers, partly blaming “punitive” U.S. tariffs imposed last month.

It said in a statement Wednesday that shutting the Plateau mill in Vanderhoof and its Fort St. John operation would also remove 670 million board feet of annual production capacity.

The company blamed the closures on the challenge of accessing economically viable timber, as well as ongoing financial losses and weak lumber markets, but said the final blow was the big increase in U.S. tariffs.

President and CEO Don Kayne said in a statement that Canfor’s B.C. operations had lost “hundreds of millions of dollars” in recent years, something he also connected to “increasing regulatory complexity.”

But the company’s challenges were exacerbated by the “punitive U.S. tariffs” announced on Aug. 14, he said.

He said that delaying the closures of the Vanderhoof and Fort St. John mills would “prolong the punishing anti-dumping duties and put additional operations at risk.”

On Aug. 14, the U.S. nearly doubled duties on softwood lumber, in a move the Canadian government called unfair and unwarranted.

The duties increased from 8.05 per cent to 14.54 per cent.

Kayne said the wind down of operations at the mills was expected to be completed this year, calling it “an incredibly difficult decision.”

“We are devastated by the decline in our province’s foundational forest industry, and we recognize the impact these closures will have on our employees and their families, as well as our First Nation partners, contractors, suppliers, communities and customers,” Kayne said.

He said Canfor would work with union partners on an “employee transition plan, including severance.”

Fort St. John Mayor Lilia Hansen said the community was “deeply shocked and saddened” by Canfor’s announcement.

“This news is a significant hit to our community and the families directly affected,” Hansen said in a statement.

“City Council has worked closely with industry partners like Canfor through recent challenging times, and we remain committed to advocating for better regulatory conditions to support our local economy and workforce.”

Peace River North MLA Dan Davies called the closures “an unbelievable turn of events.”

“Canfor has been a part of this community for years. Again, horrible government forestry policy that needs to be fixed. My heart goes out to all of the families,” he said on social media platform X, formerly known as Twitter.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2024.

Companies in this story: (TSX:CFP)

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

VANCOUVER – A co-founder of the specialized HandyDART transit system that provides accessible door-to-door service says he supports staff “100 per cent” as their strike in Metro Vancouver continues.

Former Vancouver councillor Tim Louis says HandyDART drivers’ job are more demanding than those of conventional bus drivers, and they deserve to be treated and paid fairly.

His comments come on the second day of the strike that has halted most HandyDART service in Metro Vancouver, although trips to certain medical treatments continue under an essential-service agreement.

Amalgamated Transit Union Local 1724 President Joe McCann says he’s trying to remain hopeful about mediated negotiations with employer Transdev Canada that are scheduled to commence on Sunday.

But McCann says it’s “impossible to tell right now” whether a deal to end the strike will be reached on the weekend.

Louis, a lawyer and advocate for people with disabilities, lobbied for the creation of HandyDART in 1981 and says most of its drivers “love their jobs,” and have waited too long in Metro Vancouver for pay parity with other transit workers.

“I would just say to the HandyDart workers, I am behind you, 100 per cent,” said Louis.

McCann said TransDev’s last contract offer was rejected by 83 per cent of union members who participated in the vote, and he hopes Transdev can “adjust their offer accordingly and provide something the members will be ready to vote ‘yes’ for.”

“We need to close that gap, and we’re hoping to close that gap as best we can and make it fair for our members,” said McCann.

TransDev said on Tuesday after the start of the strike that its priority “remains to reach a fair contract that balances the needs of our employees, HandyDART clients, and taxpayers.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2024.

The Canadian Press. All rights reserved.

A pair of BC United legislators have announced they are running as Independents in next month’s provincial election after the collapse of the Official Opposition’s campaign last week.

Both Mike Bernier and Tom Shypitka suggested in separate announcements Wednesday that Independent MLAs could influence the balance of power in the province after a tight election.

They were among BC United MLAs who entered uncertain waters last week when Leader Kevin Falcon shut down his party’s campaign and threw support behind the Conservatives led by John Rustad.

The parties have pooled candidates, and some former BC United contenders have joined the Conservatives while others have opted to withdraw from the fall election.

But Shypitka, the BC United MLA for Kootenay East, which forms part of the new Kootenay-Rockies riding, said in a Facebook live announcement Wednesday that the situation had created a “perfect storm” for Independent candidates.

“There’s never been a time in B.C. history when an Opposition (has) ever collapsed like it has here. So of course there’s going to be a lot of Independents that will be running,” he said.

“And the story right now is that in this election it will be so close that the independents will have the balance of power.”

Bernier, who represents the Peace River South riding, said Wednesday he did not want to “bend” his morals and values by running with the provincial Conservatives, describing some of the party’s candidates as holding views that are “anti-women’s rights, anti-climate change” and “anti-First Nations.”

Shypitka said Rustad had limited experience as a party leader and “we don’t really know who the B.C. Conservatives are.”

“An Independent can sit back and examine the situation. I don’t want to get involved with a bunch of folks … to find out I might be in the wrong spot,” he said.

Bernier also had doubts about the party’s candidates.

“I think that they put together a bunch of people that were right for the (B.C. Conservative) party that I would just really have a hard time working with,” Bernier said in an interview.

“And I believe, unless they can moderate some of their views, they’re going to really struggle in resonating with the majority of British Columbians.”

Bernier had said previously that he might run as a B.C. Conservative if asked, but said when announcing his decision to go Independent that he “never spoke to them at all.”

Bernier said many voters in his region vote to support a particular candidate rather than a political party, and that people pushed him to stay in the race.

Bernier was first elected in 2013 and won his seat in the 2020 provincial election with 51 per cent of the vote.

Shypitka was first elected in 2017 and won in 2020 with 57 per cent of the vote.

He said he told the Conservatives he was willing to run for them in his current riding, but that would have meant moving a candidate already in place and “that didn’t happen.”

Bernier predicted the election would be close, potentially giving Independent MLAs the balance of power in the legislature, citing the 2017 race when neither the BC Liberals nor the NDP secured a majority. The New Democrats secured power through a deal with the Greens.

“There’ll be a lot of different scenarios that could play out. But again, for myself, at the end of the day, it’s just really getting up and fighting for the people,” he said.

Bernier called Falcon’s actions last week “the dirty side of politics” and said BC United had been running centre-right candidates who “could have filled that void” between left and right-wing parties.

“We have a very diverse province, and I know people shouldn’t feel like they have to be told who to vote for, because I don’t want to see that polarizing kind of politics in British Columbia that sometimes we see down south,” he said.

A joint list of 140 previously endorsed candidates from both parties is being whittled down to fit the 93 ridings up for grabs, and three United MLAs — Ian Paton, Peter Milobar and Trevor Halford — on Tuesday announced they were running as Conservatives.

The shakeup has also meant the shuffling and, in some cases, the dropping of former B.C. Conservative candidates in favour of those from BC United.

They include Dupinder Kaur Saran who has said she is also planning to run as an Independent in Surrey-Panorama after losing party endorsement.

Kevin Acton, the mayor of Lumby and the former BC United candidate in the Vernon-Lumby riding, also announced he would be running as an Independent after losing his endorsement in the shuffle.

“While the party model of government has certain benefits, it also has a number of obvious flaws — including the ability of a party leader to remove previously vetted and duly elected candidates from participation as that party’s candidate, without the benefit of consultation or agreement from local constituents or the declared candidate,” Acton said in a statement posted online.

The Conservative slot on the ballot in Vernon-Lumby is now slated to be filled by former Kamloops-Centre candidate Dennis Giesbrecht, who was moved from the Kamloops spot to make room for Milobar.

Elections BC director of communications Andrew Watson said in an email that while a political party can withdraw its endorsement of a candidate, only the person who is running can withdraw their nomination.

That means it is up to the person who is nominated to withdraw, run as an Independent, or run as an unaffiliated candidate, in which case only their name would appear on the ballot, without the “Independent” label.

Candidate nominations close in B.C. at 1 p.m. on Sept. 28.

This report by The Canadian Press was first published Sept. 4, 2024.