West Fraser – 100 Mile Lumber will be closing its doors by the end of 2025.
On Thursday, Nov. 6, West Fraser Timber Company announced that it will be permanently closing both its 100 Mile House lumber mill and its Augusta, Georgia lumber mill following an orderly wind down over the next two months. In its release, West Fraser cited timber supply challenges and current soft lumber markets as reasons behind these decisions.
“The 100 Mile House lumber mill is no longer able to reliably access an adequate volume of economically viable timber. Challenging softwood lumber demand, higher duties and additional tariffs have compounded this situation,” West Fraser stated. “The mill closure will impact approximately 165 employees at the site and reduce West Fraser’s capacity by 160 million board feet.”
West Fraser said it plans to “mitigate the impact” on affected employees by providing work opportunities at other company operations, where available. In the Cariboo, the closest West Fraser Sawmill is located an hour north in Williams Lake.
This news comes six years after West Fraser shuttered its Chasm Sawmill between 70 Mile House and Clinton and five years almost to the day since Norbord announced the permanent closure of its sawmills in 100 Mile House. West Fraser – 100 Mile Lumber was the last major mill left standing in the area.
“The closure of these mills better positions West Fraser to compete in this challenging environment,” West Fraser said. “The Company expects to record restructuring and impairment charges in the fourth quarter of 2025 associated with this announcement and the factors outlined herein.”