The province is providing just under $1 million as part of an aid package to communities affected by the mill closures or shift reductions due to recent challenges in the forestry sector.
Roughly $875,000 has been distributed by the B.C. government to 11 communities, one of which includes Area B of the Regional District of East Kootenay (Jaffray), according to an announcement on Monday.
Jaffray, which is home to Galloway Lumber, will receive $75,000 through the Community Support Grants Program (CSGP), which will be used for transition and support servcies for affected forestry workers, according to a government press release.
A nearby mill in Elko, operated by Canfor, has also experienced curtailments and is currently shut down between Dec. 23 to Jan. 3 due to high costs of fibre and and weak lumber markets.
“The challenges facing Interior forest communities are unprecedented, and that’s why we are getting these resources where they are most urgently needed,” said Doug Donaldson, Minister of Forests, Lands, Natural Resource Operations and Rural Development. “Funds from these community support grants are going directly to the local governments, as they have first-hand knowledge of what supports are most needed in their communities.”
trevor.crawley@cranbrooktownsman.com
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