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21 Northern BC mayors call on feds to help forest industry

Yesterday, 21 northern B.C. mayors sent a letter to the federal government asking for support as B.C.’s forestry industry continues to struggle.

According to Houston-Today, the letter is addressed to minister of natural resources Amarjeet Sohi; minister of foreign affairs Chrystia Freeland; minister of employment, workforce development and labour Patricia A. Hajdu; and director of Natural Resources Canada Jeffrey Biggs.

The letter states that the forest sector employs 140,000 people in the province, making it one of the largest employers in B.C., but since May 1, there have been 45 announcements of curtailments or closures, mostly as a result of high lumber costs and challenging market conditions.

Consequently, many northern communities dependent on forestry are suffering. The mayors say getting through the crisis would require a collective effort with industry, all levels of government, municipalities and workers, Houston-Today reports.

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