A 50-year-old Saskatchewan company is fearing for its future after a wood preservative has been discontinued in Canada.

Health Canada says it launched a special review of the preservative called pentachlorophenol in July 2020.

“In 2022, prior to completing the special review and publication of a final decision, the sole Canadian registrant of products containing pentachlorophenol notified Health Canada of their intention to discontinue the sale of all their registered products and requested a one-year phase-out period,” a spokesperson told CTV News in an email.

Health Canada said they cancelled the registration on October 4, 2022, allowing a year for companies using the product to pivot their businesses.

Something that Natalie Tarini, executive director of Wood Preservation Canada, said was an unrealistic timeline.

“In the US, not only does the treated wood industry have a longer phase-out deadline for Penta, they have two oil-borne alternatives that have been in use for over seven years,” she said in an email.

“Utility poles in Canada are largely Douglas Fir, which needs to be treated with an oil-borne pesticide in accordance with the governing CSA Standard. Contrary to what the (Pest Management Regulatory Agency/PMRA) may claim, there is no approved oil-borne alternative in Canada,” she said.

The decision is something that has one Saskatchewan company deeply concerned.

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