West Fraser Timber will indefinitely curtail its oriented strand board mill in High Level, Alberta in spring 2026 after an orderly wind-down and consumption of existing log supplies.
The curtailment follows a significant weakening in demand for oriented strand board and will reduce company’s production capacity by 860 million square feet, measured on a 3/8-inch basis. West Fraser plans to offer work opportunities at other operations to support approximately 190 affected employees at the High Level site.
The company also confirmed that the idling of one production line at its Cordele, Georgia OSB facility, which has been inactive since late 2023, will continue indefinitely. The Cordele line has a production capacity of 440 million square feet on a 3/8-inch basis. Combined, the High Level and Cordele reductions will lower West Fraser’s total OSB capacity by about 1.3 billion square feet.
West Fraser expects to record a $200 million asset impairment loss in the fourth quarter of 2025 related to the High Level curtailment. The company stated that its OSB products are primarily used in residential construction, repair and remodelling, and industrial applications.
