I worked at the Netherlands Sawmill for 27 years. At first, I worked for a Dutch family, but they were bought out by Balfour Forest Products, which at the time wanted to buy the Slocan Sawmills. However, the BC government said no, as they were concerned it would create a monopoly.
In the end, we were bought by Canfor in the late ’80s, I think. The Liberals in charge at the time let Canfor buy Northwood’s mill and the pulp mills. Funny how there was no monopoly then.
I knew we were in trouble right away. First, they shut down our big side for a lack of big wood, yet we could watch the big wood come into our yard and be sent south.
The Liberals of the day sold out to Canfor, gave them one tree farm permit to cover the whole province, and then the closures started.
Now, pretty much all the mills are gone, which I predicted back when we shut down in 1999. Yet truck after truckload of logs goes south every day.
So, in closing, I will just say that the blame falls squarely on the government’s lap.
Les Colebank
Prince George
