The Norbord OSB mill in 100 Mile House will be closing permanently.
The mill was originally curtailed in August 2019, in response to a wood supply shortage in the Cariboo and rising fibre costs.
Norbord says in their third-quarter statement that the 100 Mile House OSB mill was the company’s highest-cost operation, and it was unlikely to play a role in the future. According to the company, the Cariboo region has had a number of difficulties leading to the wood supply, including the mountain pine beetle epidemic and the recent wildfires. Norbord says this led to a 50% reduction in the Cariboo’s annual allowable harvest, and the decision to close the OBS mill.
100 Mile House Mayor Mitch Campsall says the community figured the mill would not be coming back but recognizes the challenges of losing a mill. “Losing a mill is never a good thing”, Campsall says, “It’s going to be hard on our community”. Campsall adds that the community has been preparing for the mill to close.
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