 The two mills Weyerhaeuser and Slocan-Canfor were positioned side by side on the north side of the river until, in 2002, Weyerhaeuser shut down its Vavenby operation choosing to focus on other locations in western Canada.This resulted in a significant depletion of employment in the region and a rapid population reduction.Weyerhaeuser retained logging rights in the area, keeping the local loggers and foresters employed.