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

RUSTAD -- BC's forest industry is struggling. Is it too great an ask for governments to set aside an area for a working-forests


The following, are the remarks of Nechako Lakes MLA, and BC Liberal Forestry Critic, John Rustad ... they were made this morning in the BC Legislature.  Please note, this is the initial draft transcript:



Statements
(Standing Order 25B)

FOREST INDUSTRY AND WORKERS

J. Rustad: B.C.'s forest sector workers are proud what they do. They like to get up in the morning and work a hard but fulfilling day. More than 120,000 men and women across this province depend directly or indirectly on a healthy forest sector. More than 140 communities depend on a vibrant, competitive forest industry. Forestry feeds these families. Forestry is the backbone of these communities and of my riding of Nechako Lakes.


B.C.'s forest sector has driven technological development. It has opened areas for recreation, hunting, exploration and so much more. It supports agriculture and countless small businesses. Forestry is a foundational industry to the economic health of B.C. and to the quality of life we all enjoy.

Today thousands of these hard-working men and women, along with their families, will make their way to Victoria. They're here not to shut down anything, but they're here to raise their voice. These people are simply asking that the land base they work on is there for them and their children.

More than 15 percent of this great province is already protected through parks. Significant protections have been put in place through the Great Bear Rainforest and other initiatives to ensure a balanced environment while supporting a robust forest sector.

Is it too great an ask for governments to set aside an area for a working-forests?

Forestry is the most renewable industry on the planet. It gives us carbon-friendly building material. It provides with us a wide range of recyclable products. Most importantly, it establishes new trees that are the key to sequestering carbon and supporting our future. 
 
B.C.'s forest industry is struggling.

It needs our support and people to understand its important role in our society. It needs to be competitive, it needs markets, and it needs to receive the recognition it deserves.

The people we'll see today are raising their voices. It is not a complex ask. It is not a political ask. But it is an ask in desperation, as people are afraid for their future.

Who will be listening to them?

Will there be action?
Labels:

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Budget 2027: After a Decade of Decline, NDP Budget Delivers an Assault on Seniors, Working Families, and Small Businesses

Peter Milobar, BC Conservative Finance Critic, condemned the NDP government’s latest budget as the result of a decade of decline that has left British Columbians broke, unsafe, and paying more for less.   “After ten years of NDP mismanagement, this budget is an assault on seniors, working families, and the small businesses that drive our economy,” said Milobar. “The NDP have turned their back on the people working hardest to make ends meet and the seniors who built this province.” Milobar pointed to a new $1.1 billion annual income tax increase and warned that the government is piling new costs onto households already struggling with affordability.   “This government keeps asking British Columbians for more, while delivering less,” Milobar said. “The question people are asking is simple: Where has all the money gone?” Milobar noted that BC has gone from a surplus in the first year of NDP government to a projected deficit of more than $13 billion this year, while prov...
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

FORSETH -- Before anyone gets excited about one poll showing a candidate with a 25 percent lead, and 44 percent support overall, let’s give it a few more weeks

Is this based in reality -- how accurate are the numbers? In the past couple of weeks a couple of candidates, for the leadership of the BC Conservative Party, have been presenting polling results that they lead the pack – one even going so far as to say they have a lock on 44% of those who will be voting, and a twenty-five percent lead over the individual ranked second. I am going to say that this one, from Kerry-Lynne Findlay, is highly suspect. First of all the company conducting the poll, ERG National Research, is not a Member of Industry Bodies (the Canadian Research Insights Council), meaning they do not adhere to established industry standards for research, such as transparency, privacy, and methodological rigor. AI Overview states that ... based on alerts from the Canadian Research Insights Council (CRIC) and reports, ERG National Research should be treated with extreme caution regarding its reliability, and legitimacy, in conducting political polling. Before I even read this in...
Post a Comment
Read more

Labels

Show more