Live News • Jul 29
Canfor to Shut Fox Creek Sawmill as Market and Supply Pressures Mount Canfor plans to permanently close its Fox Creek sawmill in Alberta, with operations scheduled to end by late summer. The company cited prolonged weak market conditions, high US softwood lumber duties and tariffs, and fibre supply challenges linked to recent wildfires and the end of mountain pine beetle management.
The closure affects Canfor’s production capacity and its presence in the Fox Creek region. It reflects how combined market, trade and supply pressures have made continued operations at this site untenable.
Canfor’s share price is around CA$13.64 and the stock is up about 10.4% year to date, while it has slipped about 2.3% over the past day.
This decision highlights the operational risk that trade policy and resource constraints can pose for Canfor, and it raises questions about how efficiently the company can shift volumes and capital to its remaining mills. Announcement • Jul 29
Canfor Corporation Permanently Closes Fox Creek Sawmill in Fox Creek, Alberta Canfor Corporation announced on July 28, 2026 that it will permanently close its Fox Creek sawmill in Fox Creek, Alberta. The decision reflects the ongoing challenges facing the operation including prolonged weak market conditions, persistent high US softwood lumber duties and tariffs, and fibre supply impacts due to recent wildfires and the conclusion of the mountain pine beetle management strategy. The Fox Creek sawmill, destroyed by a fire in 2008, was rebuilt in 2011 as a single-shift operation to process the uplift in available timber as part of the Province of Alberta’s preventative strategy to reduce the amount of pine beetle susceptible forests. With support from Alberta’s Ministry of Forestry and Parks, the Fox Creek sawmill accessed additional sources of fibre to help sustain the operation and support local economic activity. However, with the end of the pine beetle strategy and with wildfire-damaged timber now largely exhausted, there is insufficient fibre in the region to sustain the operation over the long term. Coupled with prolonged weak markets and punishing duties and tariffs, this facility is no longer viable. The closure of Fox Creek sawmill represents a reduction of 120 million board feet of production capacity. Operations at Fox Creek are expected to be concluded by late summer. Announcement • Jul 15
Canfor Corporation Announces Closure of Northwood Pulp Mill Canfor Corporation announced the permanent closure of its Northwood pulp mill in Prince George, British Columbia. This closure results in an annual reduction of about 300,000 tonnes of Northern Bleached Softwood Kraft (NBSK) from Northwood. Approximately 300 employees in Prince George are directly impacted. The pulp and paper sector continues to face significant challenges, including a structural shift in global pulp markets. Substantial additional pulp production capacity has come online globally, creating an oversupply in the market and downward pressure on global pulp prices. Combined with the persistent challenges accessing fibre, these factors have resulted in a prolonged period of unsustainable financial losses for Canfor Pulp. With no foreseeable improvement in the outlook, Canfor has made the difficult decision to close its Northwood facility. Northwood will be following an orderly wind-down process and is expected to close in late Fourth Quarter 2026. 
