Northwood closure to end family's involvement after three generations

Ryan Zanette's second day on the job as union president leaves him with major headache

It wasn’t his first day on the job, but just about for Ryan Zanette. On Monday he took over the duties as president of Unifor Local 603, the union that represents 250 workers at Northwood Pulp Mill. On Tuesday afternoon, right after the markets closed, Canfor announced it is permanently closing the mill.

Zanette was left holding the bag, suddenly put on the spot to answer questions from the media, politicians and union executives and the go-to guy for co-workers wondering how they’ll be able to cope with losing their jobs. “It sucks,” said Zanette. “We kind of seen it coming but we didn’t know it would be this quick.

We knew there was another pulp mill (closure) coming but we didn’t think it would be this one because it was the biggest in North America. Not anymore, because it’s down to one (production) line.”

Zanette was first vice-president of the union until he took over as president this week from Jonathan Blacker, who had his last day at the mill on Thursday. “We’ve been heckling Jonathan steady,” he said. Zanette is a third-generation Prince George mill worker and his family history dates back to the time the mills were built in the mid-1960.

His grandfather, Ian Wiseman, worked at Canfor’s Prince George Pulp and Paper Mill as a steam engineer almost from the time it opened. His father Dennis drove a truck delivering chips to Northwood from the adjacent Prince George Sawmill and made that his career for four decades. Ryan, 40, was hired as a millwright nine years ago and like many Northwood workers he thought he had a job for life.

“I’m kind of OK. I’m a trades guy so it shouldn’t be too hard to get a job, but the production guys are going to struggle,” said Zanette.

“That was my plan (to work there until retirement). My grandpa worked here for 40 years, my dad retired three years ago after 45 years. I thought I was set, but I guess not.

“My dad couldn’t believe we closed, he thought it was going to be Intercon, just because of the size (of Northwood) and the sawmills right beside us and we supply power to the sawmill. My dad started at the sawmill when he was 17, running the chip trucks.” Multiple factors contributed to Canfor’s decision, but the bottom line was the smell of money being made in the long-term future was no longer possible for its Northwood operation.

“Canfor Pulp has experienced a prolonged period of unsustainable financial losses,” said Canfor spokesperson Natali McGladrey in an email to The Citizen. "We have not been profitable since 2018 and financial losses have exceeded $460 million over the past eight years. “This decision is the result of major challenges facing our industry.

The pulp and paper sector continues to face significant challenges, including a dramatic structural shift in global pulp markets. Significant additional pulp production capacity has come online globally, creating an oversupply in the market and downward pressure on global pulp prices.” Northwood opened in 1966 and has been serving the Prince George region ever since.

But there’s been nothing but bad news on the forestry front in BC for the past five years, with several small-town sawmills closing in the region. This is the second pulp mill to close since Domtar closed the Crofton Pulp and Paper Mill on Vancouver Island in December 2025. Zanette said it’s been a perfect storm of factors that weighed against Northwood surviving the rough waters the industry is in right now.

“It’s everything, the economy, government not helping out, tariffs, Trump,” said Zanette. “The BC Government could have done a lot, they should have reacted sooner, instead of allowing raw logs to be shipped overseas. “Prince George needs to get another industry.

We pushed away that plastics plant, we pushed away the hydrogen plant, now there’s nothing. Soon as Intercon closes there will be nothing, just the mines on the outskirts.” Once Northwood is shut down, Canfor’s Intercontinental Pulp Mill will be the only pulp mill in Prince George.

It supplies the high-quality paper production line at PG Pulp and Paper. Until December 2023 there were four pulp lines in the city. Quesnel continues to be served by two pulp mills.

Northwood employees will be eligible for severance pay but to get that they’ll have to remain at the their jobs for next few months until they get their layoff notices. “That’ll be Christmastime and no one’s really hiring around then,” said Zanette. Unifor will establish a committee in the plant at 5353 Northwood Pulp Rd., to work through the logistical issues of shutting the mill down and the timelines involved.

Zanette said the last supply of chips will be delivered through late November and then the process of shutting down mill operations will begin. Some employees might be retained to monitor environmental duties at the site. “Our focus is on supporting our employees through this challenging period and we are committed to communicating with employees throughout to provide regular updates and ensure they are aware of the transition supports that are available,” said McGladrey.

“Impacted salaried employees will be paid severance in accordance with our consistent practices and applicable employment standards and the collective agreement for our hourly employees. We will also explore opportunities to redeploy impacted employees to our other operating locations where possible.”