Thoughts on BC Politics and More

The Council of Forest Industries wrote a letter to the New Democrats earlier this month, outlining more than a dozen proposals to rescue a struggling industry. “BC’s forest industry is in crisis,” wrote COFI President Kim Haakstad in the July 14 letter to Forests Minister Ravi Parmar. “Fibre availability is at historic lows, permitting systems are gridlocked, and investment is retreating in the face of prolonged uncertainty. The risk is not gradual decline — but accelerated facility closures, job losses, and the permanent erosion of forest industry capacity" ... CLICK HERE for the full story 

... “Forestry in B.C. has long been more than just timber and mills; it quietly supports infrastructure, rural access and emergency response in many regions,” said Jerome Gessaroli, the report’s author and a senior fellow at the Macdonald-Laurier Institute and the Montreal Economic Institute, in a Monday statement. “If that foundation erodes, it could trigger disruptions in everything from wildfire suppression to Indigenous economic development.” The report notes that forestry companies have built and maintained an estimated 620,000 to 700,000 kilometres of remote roads across BC ... CLICK HERE for the full story

Conservative critic for Forestry, MLA Ward Stamer, is speaking out following the announcement of a full curtailment at Western Forest Products’ Chemainus sawmill, which will put 150 workers out of a job starting June 18 with no set date for reopening. The company cited a lack of viable log supply, higher U.S. duties, and weaker lumber demand, but Stamer says the blame lies squarely with the Ministry of Forests for poor sector management, permit delays, and broken promises about harvest availability. “This curtailment isn’t just a business decision, it’s a crisis for dozens of families who are now left in limbo,” said Stamer. “The NDP government promised stability and sustainable harvest levels. Instead, their policies have made it harder to access timber, stalled cutting permits, and driven investment out of our province.” With forestry towns already struggling, Stamer says the timing of this curtailment couldn’t be worse. He warns that in a period of economic uncertainty, the ripple e...

  U.S. argues Canada's 'stumpage fee' system amounts to unfair subsidies on Canadian lumber   The federal government is pushing back against the latest U.S. decision to keep imposing duties on Canadian softwood lumber.   Canada has filed for a judicial review of last month's U.S. Commerce Department assessment of the levies, which International Trade Minister Mary Ng described in a statement as "unfair, unjust and illegal."   Ng framed the move as an effort to escalate the concerns of exporters while encouraging the U.S. to consider a negotiated solution to a dispute that has plagued Canada-U.S. relations for decades ...   CLICK HERE for the rest of the story