Challenges abound
DFP faced many challenges, including the renewal of the Canada-U.S. Softwood Lumber Agreement in 2000, which imposed new tariffs on Canadian wood; a significant increase in electricity costs in 2002; and the denial of stumpage in 2004. These were difficult times for the forestry sector. The PFE eventually closed in 2008. In Canada, 400 sawmills were forced to close between 2004 and 2009.
Of the eight mills Buchanan owned in Ontario, DFP operated the longest. The owner's son, Ken Buchanan Jr., said it was "one of the best in eastern Canada, one of the most productive, with a good workforce.