Meetings set for those affected by looming closure of Northern Pulp
HALIFAX, N.S. — On Monday, the premier’s office put out a press release announcing information sessions around the province for forestry workers put out of a job by the looming closure of Northern Pulp.
The Pictou County kraft pulp mill will have to cease operation by Jan. 31 to comply with the Boat Harbour Act, which demands it stop using the provincial government-owned effluent treatment facility.
The mill has already stopped taking deliveries of wood chips from sawmills and pulp wood from cutting operations, threatening the viability of many sawmills around the province and independent harvesting contractors.
“I know this is a time of uncertainty for businesses and workers across the forestry sector,” Premier Stephen McNeil says in the press release. “We are committed to supporting them through a variety of programs and services. Government and our partners are on the ground today meeting with affected Northern Pulp employees to ensure they know about these valuable resources. We will continue to be there throughout this transition for mill workers and others affected in the sector.”
Andrew Fife won’t be at any of the public information sessions.
“Rural Nova Scotia is done,” said the 24-year-old, who owns and manages just under 200 hectares of woodland and blueberry fields in Diligent River, Cumberland County. “The worst part about it is, I love Nova Scotia.”
Fife grew up on a blueberry farm and woodlot half an hour away in New Canaan, Cumberland County.
In 2014, he bought his own land in Diligent River and began commuting to an oil and gas job in Alberta.
The idea was that he would get his farm established and eventually move home to work full-time between his land and his father’s. But blueberry prices have been terrible over recent years — at times below the cost of production.
Now, stumpage rates have gone down significantly for studwood and there’s no market anymore for pulpwood.
A pre-commercial thinning job slated to start in January, which would have seen shortlived, low-value trees like balsam fir cut to allow room for longer lived species like yellow birch and red spruce to grow, has been cancelled.
As have most progressive forest treatments aimed at creating a higher value resource in the long term because there’s no market for the pulp byproduct.
With his land devalued and a new baby daughter, he’s given up on bringing his young family home to live.
“Why would a young person ever get into farming or landowning in this province now?” said Fife. “It’s just a lot of work and a lot of headaches.”
A public information session will be held in New Glasgow at Career Connections on Jan. 14, and another will be held at Career Connections in Antigonish on Jan. 16. For more information, call 1-844-344-1369 or email information@careerconnections.ca.
Times will be posted on https://www.novascotia.ca/forestry-sector-support as they are confirmed.