WHITE RIVER, Ont. — A slowly improving lumber market is expected to lead to the resumption of production at two northwestern Ontario sawmills later this month.
White River Forest Products and Hornepayne Lumber were both shut down on March 27, putting about 300 workers off the job.
The operations are owned by WRC Timber.
WRC president Tony Wyszkowski says COVID-19 caused the lumber market to "fall apart" after construction activity ground to a halt.
"What demand there was left, the pricing just fell through the floor," Wyszkowski said.
In an interview Wednesday, he told Tbnewswatch the company has been keeping a close eye on the market.
Lumber prices are stabilizing, Wyszkowski said, so the company currently plans to restart the planer line at Hornepayne on April 20 and the sawmills at Hornepayne and White River on April 27.
NOTE: An earlier version of this story stated in error that the Hornepayne sawmill will start up on April 20
