Thoughts on BC Politics and More

One year ago, the Plateau sawmill was the largest single employer in Vanderhoof, a community of 4,500 people about an hour's drive west of Prince George that bills itself as the geographic centre of BC. Today, its lumber yard sits empty — one of dozens of mill closures and curtailments around the province that have sent hundreds of people who had held long-term union jobs seeking employment elsewhere. Those sorts of losses keep Coun. Brian Frenkel up at night, especially as the industry prepares for another hit in the form of U.S. tariffs set to come into effect this week ... CLICK HERE for the full story

As more northern BC forestry jobs are lost amid continued pressure on the lumber industry, food bank operators in small towns say they're seeing an increase in demand. The communities of Vanderhoof and Fort St. John are set to lose 500 jobs at the end of December when mill operator Canfor is slated to close sawmills in both communities. Food bank operators in both places say they've already seen an uptick in usage this year as the cost-of-living crisis continues to hit small communities hard ... CLICK HERE for the full story

  The hay shortage caused by drought and wildfires in the province has hit an all time high, leaving farmers with irredeemable choices. Farmers and ranchers are selling off their cattle, including mature cows, says Mike Pritchard, manager of the BC Livestock Producers cooperative in Vanderhoof and president of the Nechako Valley Regional Cattlemens Association .. CLICK HERE for the full story

RCMP photo -- illegal grow-op in the Pemberton area VANDERHOOF (December 9, 2019) ­– With the forestry crisis worsening, and John Horgan and the NDP still yet to introduce a comprehensive strategy to address the litany of layoffs and closures plaguing both the interior and coastal forestry sectors, attention is turning to a relief fund for illegal cannabis growers quietly announced by government last month.   The Cannabis Business Transition Initiative designates $675,000 dollars to help existing illegal cannabis growers in the Kootenays “overcome the barriers to operating in the legal economy” as they transition out of the black market. “ To think that John Horgan and the NDP have created a relief program for illegal cannabis growers at a time when the forestry industry is imploding and forestry workers throughout the province are struggling to survive, shows you the misguided priorities of this government ,” said Forests, Lands and Natural Resource Op...

Yesterday George Heyman (Minister of Environment and Climate Change Strategy) and Michelle Mungall (Minister of Energy, Mines and Petroleum Resources) announced a n environmental assessment certificate had been issued to New Gold’s Blackwater Gold Project. New Gold proposes an open-pit gold and silver mine with a project footprint of approximately 4,400 hectares, located approximately 110 kilometres southwest of Vanderhoof. Blackwater is expected to extract 60,000 tonnes of ore per day with a net annual production of 22 million tonnes per year during the mine’s 17-year operational life. New Gold’s Blackwater Project is located 160 kilometres southwest of Prince George. The mine site will include an open pit, ore processing facilities, a tailings storage facility, waste rock dumps, water management facilities, offices, accommodation camps, warehouses, and a truck shop. To power it, a 140-kilometre transmission line would connect the mine site with an e...

Last night, I had the opportunity to meet one on one with BC Conservative Party Leader Dan Brooks, here in Kamloops.   He'd had a long drive, coming down from Vanderhoof, and I could tell the length of the day, and the miles, had worn him out.   Part way through the day, he let me know that he was going to be delayed. It seems that just a short distance out of Williams Lake, he'd received a phone call from someone in Quesnel wanting to talk to him about running as a Conservative candidate, in the Quesnel North riding, in the next election.   He turned the truck around and headed back North to meet with the individual, and then headed back on his way to Kamloops; no wonder he looked worn! What's with political life that it takes someone young and vibrant, and seems to wear them down before your eyes?   I remember the provincial campaign, in the late 70's, when Dave Barrett's NDP government went down to defeat after just one term.   I also remember B...