Mill closures hit town’s economy

MACKENZIE, B.C. ― The indefinite closure of the Canfor mill in this B.C. town is having a ripple effect on the industry in the area, CBC News reports. East Fraser Fibre Mill relied on Canfor’s mill for surplus trim blocks, and is now squeezed for raw materials. “We were running three shifts, then it got down to two shifts and now down to one. We’re trying to keep our people employed,” owner Pat Glazier told the CBC. Several residents have banded together in a group called Mackenzie Matters to lobby the provincial government and raise morale. Realtor Linda Moreland wants to avoid a repeat of the last forestry crisis, which started in 2007. “A ghost town” is how she describes the area at the time: “it was devastating, everybody left and we had tons of foreclosures. It was just a grim time.”