Skip to main content

“I am a Canadian, free to speak without fear, free to worship in my own way, free to stand for what I think right, free to oppose what I believe wrong, or free to choose those who shall govern my country. This heritage of freedom I pledge to uphold for myself and all mankind.” ~~ John G. Diefenbaker

Forestry job placement co-ordination offices open, however forestry critic John Rustad says governments done nothing to address the core problem of bringing down costs and helping get the industry back on its feet

The forest industry was in crisis throughout  most of 2019 and will continue to get worse ~~ John Rustad

According to a BC government media release yesterday, displaced (doesn’t that sound so clinical?) forestry workers are now able to access direct, hands-on supports at job placement co-ordination offices five forestry reliant communities in interior and northern BC.

These dedicated offices are in 100 Mile House, Fort St. James, Fort St. John, Mackenzie and Clearwater, and each of the offices is staffed with a co-ordination officer who is a displaced forestry worker. According to the Labour Ministry, these co-ordinators will be able to understand what individuals, who are seeking assistance in finding new jobs or training opportunities, are experiencing.  

I asked BC Liberal Forestry critic John Rustad about his thoughts on this, and he was quick in stating that while he was happy to see this type of help, for struggling forestry workers, he wondered why a press release now?

His question to me was, “Did it really take them a year to respond to the forestry crisis, and take this step?”

Eligible forestry workers will have their needs and goals assessed, before being connected to government programs or services that match them with other jobs, supports or training, according to Harry Bains Labour Ministry. This, apparently, will include education upgrades, special designations, credentials or certifications ranging from trade tickets to driver’s licence classifications.


Forest critic John Rustad
Part of the assessment will also look at other factors, such as a worker’s willingness to move to where similar job vacancies are available, or hobbies and skills such as carpentry or cooking, where with additional help, the worker can participate in different sectors and trades facing labour shortages.

Rustad raised an important point, however, in asking, “Most forestry workers want to stay in forestry. Government has done nothing to address the core problem of bringing down costs and helping to get the industry back on its feet”.

In addition to his comments to me yesterday, Rustad also stated this afternoon that:

“The forest industry was in crisis throughout most of 2019 and it will continue to get worse without immediate government intervention”.

-------------------------------------------------------------------

CLICK HERE for office locations, or to apply to the job matching program online

CLICK HERE to learn more about all the forestry supports available
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

FORSETH -- Focus on the nine things I mentioned. That’s what will allow the Conservative Party to win the next election

IMAGE CREDIT:   Darryl Dyck, the Canadian Press. I thought I had already made up my mind who I would be ranking on my ballot, in the Conservative Party of BC leadership race; now I am not so sure.  That means that, at least for me, and perhaps many others, it’s a good thing voting hasn’t already taken place. There were initially only one or two of the candidates that I thought might be a little too right of centre for my liking, now it seems that list is growing. I consider myself more closely aligned with what used to be called a Progressive Conservative, regardless, I feel more than comfortable within the Conservative Party of BC.  Some, however, in messages to me on my political Facebook page, have been rather, shall we say, a bit mean-spirited in comments they’ve made about my ‘purity’ as a conservative. To tell you the truth, I really don’t care! Some leadership candidates, in comments made online, have also been raising the issue of who is a pure enough conservati...
Post a Comment
Read more

WARD STAMER -- Those are REAL forestry numbers, not just made-up numbers

The following is a condensed version of remarks Kamloops – North Thompson MLA Ward Stamer’s made, regarding Forestry, in the BC Legislature, on Tuesday afternoon (02/24/2026)   Let’s talk a little bit, when we talk about Budget 2026, about the forest industry, which is near and dear to my heart. Forestry remains one of British Columbia’s foundational industries. It’s a pillar that built this province. Entire communities depend upon it. Interior towns, northern communities, Vancouver Island regions, the Kootenays, the Lower Mainland, with manufacturing facilities in Surrey and Maple Ridge, just to name a few — everywhere in BC is touched by forestry. One word that was not mentioned in Budget 2026 was forestry. That’s a shame, an incredible shame. It wasn’t an oversight – it was intentional. This government has driven forestry into the ground .... INTO THE GROUND! We can talk a little bit about some of the initiatives that this government has brought forth, to try to resurrect ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Your government has a gambling problem (Troy Media)

Provinces call it “revenue,” but it looks a lot like exploitation of the marginalized The odds of winning Lotto Max are about 1 in 33 million. You’re statistically more likely to be struck by lightning than to win it. But your government is betting that statistics won’t hold you back; they’re counting on it. Across Canada, provincial governments not only regulate gambling, they also maintain a monopoly on lottery and gaming by owning and operating the entire legal market. That means every scratch card is government-issued, gambling odds are government-set, casino ads are government-funded and lottery billboards are government-paid. And these are not incidental government activities. They generate significant revenues that governments have powerful incentives to expand, not constrain. It would be one thing for our governments to encourage us to engage in healthy activities. We can quibble about whether the government should be trying to convince us to be more active or eat more vegetabl...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more