The Kamloops-North Thompson MLA says a decision around the Trans Mountain Pipeline to come soon will now have a huge impact to the Clearwater area.

Peter Milobar says there could be opportunities for some of the 178 people who will be losing their jobs at the Canfor mill in Vavenby, which will be shut down next month.

“Not so much for direct local employment working on the pipeline right away, although there will be some, but there’s also still that spinoff opportunity for some of the other businesses that might not be impacted as hard with this mill closure,” Milobar says.

“I think there’s some opportunities there, definitely. There’s definitely going to be those 178 families who are impacted, and we need to figure out how best to support them.”

If its pipeline expansion is approved, Trans Mountain will have work camps set up in five communities close to Kamloops, including Clearwater, Blue River and Valemount, and the project would brings hundreds of direct jobs to the area.

The federal government will make a decision on the project by June 18.