Not out of the woods yet
Uncertainty with forestry industry has many considering their options
TRURO, N.S. – Jeff Tanner has endured a difficult Christmas, as uncertainty over Northern Pulp’s status has kept both him and his truck off the road.
But Tanner may finally have some good news for his two daughters, as J.D. Irving Inc. is hiring. His children already know he went to a protest in support of forestry workers whose jobs are in jeopardy.
“They’re eight and 10 and they asked me, ‘did you win?’ They think in terms of hockey and swimming,” said Tanner, from Bass River. “The industry is in bad shape now because of this, nobody has any answers.”
Tanner was recently one of six truck owner-operators seeking new contracts with Irving, who hosted a job fair in Truro. One harvester machine operator also attended, but most of them spoke with Irving representatives by phone beforehand.
But Tanner said there were possibly hundreds of trucking contractors like himself across Nova Scotia, who could be out of a job owing to Northern Pulp’s possible closure.
Paper Excellence Canada, Northern Pulp’s parent company, says 2,700 rural jobs and another 8,300 forestry jobs may be lost if the Pictou County mill closes.
The provincial government remains committed to closing the Boat Harbour effluent pond by Jan. 31. Northern Pulp says it will continue with the environmental process for a new waste treatment plant to replace Boat Harbour.
Tanner himself has hauled wood for Northern Pulp for nearly four years. Previously, he cut wood and has been working in forestry since his school days.
If Tanner cannot find fresh employment in Nova Scotia, his only other choice will be moving to Western Canada.
“You don’t really want to leave home, that’s why I’m here,” said Tanner after speaking with recruiters from Irving. “I’ve always been in the forestry industry.”
Jim Ketterling, director of contracting and recruitment for Irving’s Woodlands Division, said Irving already runs the Sproule Lumber sawmill in Valley. The Truro region is one of his company’s operating areas.
“The job fair is something we do on a regular basis,” said Ketterling. “There’s a lot of uncertainty right now. We have job opportunities for experienced people.”
The six trucking contractors who met with Irving in Truro own their vehicles.
However, uncertainty did not necessarily mean desperation in the forestry sector, with Ketterling saying it was “business as usual,” for Irving.
Before Christmas, Irving committed to keeping the mill in Valley running, provided it could secure a steady supply of wood.