Irving closes Georgetown Timber sawmill
Last Updated: Thursday, September 13, 2007 | 3:55 PM AT
CBC News

Thirty-three employees in Georgetown, P.E.I., are out of work following a decision by forestry conglomerate J.D. Irving Ltd. to shut down the province's largest lumber yard indefinitely.

The North American lumber industry has been going through some trying times, and the closure of the Georgetown Timber plant in eastern P.E.I. is unavoidable, J.D. Irving spokeswoman Mary Keith told CBC News Thursday.

"[There's a] drop in market demand as a result of the slow down in the U.S. housing market. We're also challenged with a record high Canadian dollar, and also a slump in market prices," Keith said.

"All of those things combined, unfortunately, have had an impact. And when you consider that roughly 85 to 90 per cent of the wood from Georgetown is bound for the U.S. market, it's a challenging situation."

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/prince-edward-island/story/2007/09/13/georgetow...