'How many times will this happen?': Mayors fear impacts of softwood tariffs

New tariffs on Canadian lumber exports to the U.S. have mayors of logging communities in B.C. worried about how localeconomies and people will endure.

U.S. lumber tariffsranging from three to 24 per cent are expected to come into effect next week.

Castlegar Mayor Lawrence Chernoff still remembers previous rounds of duties, which he says affected every aspect of life in the city.

He fears this round will be worse.

• Wilbur Ross says Canada is 'dumping lumber,' as Ottawa vows to push back

"Without a doubt in my mind, I'm worried,"Chernoffsaid. "The forest industry plays such a big role in the community.

"Our community depends on small business and small business depends on the employers that surround our community ...We lose employment, people leave.

"People are feeling, how many times will this happen?"

• Political leaders vow to fight for B.C. forestry workers amid U.S. lumber dispute

High prices, demand could soften blow

Quesnel is home to aWest Fraser Timber Company facility,one of North America's biggest sawmills.

But Mayor Bob Simpson told Radio West host Rebecca Zandbergenthat staff are actually relieved the tariff wasn't higher and said most mills had braced for such a duty as talks stalled.

"As much as we don't like the tariff, it's not an irrational number," he said. "We are one of the most forest-dependant communities in the province ... at least 40 per cent of our employment base is employed, in one way or another, in the forest sector."

• U.S. imposes preliminary duties up to 24% on 'subsidized' Canadian softwood lumber

Simpson says high prices and demand for Canadian lumber could lessen the damage of the tariffs, at least in the short term.

"We really don't know what the hit's going to be and we aren't going to understand that for some time," the mayorsaid.

Listen to the full interview with Quesnel Mayor Bob Simpson:

With files fromAnitaBathe and CBC Radio One'sRadio West