So, forestry is in trouble

Plus, avoiding a bear crisis

Apr 09, 2025

Just when it looked like Canada had avoided the worst of the tariffs, the United States decided to jack up duties on softwood lumber to 34 per cent. The softwood lumber dispute stands outside the tariffs, with clashes between Canada and the United States over how the product is priced dating back decades, and lasting through the Biden era. Still, it’s not good news and there’s a lot of opinions on it, and forestry writ large. As he promised, premier David Eby raised the issue with Mark Carney when they had a meeting in Victoria this week and Carney saying he would be sure to fight it, as well as creating new markets for the product. John Rustad of the provincial Conservatives levelled the regular criticism around too much regulation, the province promised to support workers, etc etc. It’s unfortunately all too familiar at this point. Still, between this and COFI last week, there is forestry news to catch up on:

The Tyee has confirmed through searches of a provincial government database that in 2024 logs from as far as an hour’s drive north of Fort Nelson were being hauled by truck all the way to Prince George, a distance of more than 900 kilometres. Logs have travelled even farther into Prince George from B.C.’s remote northwest corner, distances that have pushed driver safety into the danger zone.
Meanwhile, what little natural forests remain closer to home are getting logged too, and Wilkins says he’s had enough.
At the end of January, he joined guide outfitter and trapline owner Scott Pichette to urge Kevin Hoekstra, the provincial Ministry of Forests’ district manager in Prince George, to take action.
“Nearly 10,000 hectares of wildlife habitat have been clear cut in recent decades and hundreds of kilometres of roads now fragment this trapline. The subsequent plantations lack the habitat features required by small and middle-sized carnivores, not to mention the big timber for moose and deer during winter,” Wilkins and Pichette wrote in a letter to Hoekstra.
So extensive has that logging been that the forests no longer intercept rain and snow and moderate water flows as they once did. The result is often catastrophically intense water flows in the spring and almost no water flow in the fall.
“The fluctuation has just about decimated the salmon runs,” the pair continued.
Their request? That “no further logging activities be approved for this trapline... until cumulative effects are properly acknowledged.”

Preventing a crisis point for bears:

At Monday’s meeting, council was presented with a list of recommendations from the commmittee on bear awareness that was struck in response to the record killing of black bears in the city in 2023.

The recommendations were:

That Council: a. ESTABLISH a City staff position with a focus on sustainable waste management that includes achieving Provincial Bear Smart Status and reducing human-wildlife conflict; and b. COMMITS to sustained financial support of this position for each year of the 2025 to 2030 5-Year Operational Financial Plan.

That Council DIRECT Administration to establish a Bear Aware Technical Committee that meets regularly with membership.
That Council: a
1. DIRECTS Administration to incorporate multiple automated bear-resistant solid waste garbage bins based on industry standards as a two-year pilot project to select a brand compatible with City operations and to be established in areas known to have high-bear encounters; and
2. DIRECTS Administration to return a report to Council within two months following the end of the pilot project advising on the results and budget implications for implementing bearresistant bins city-wide, with a priority roll out on high bear conflict areas.
That Council DIRECTS Administration to continue to phase in bear-resistant solid waste receptacles in public spaces, including parks and bus stops.
That Council DIRECTS Administration to consider the following tools when addressing bear-related issues:
1. Actively participating in and supporting programs aimed at reducing bear attractants through initiatives such as bear-resistant garbage bins, fruit gleaning and harvest sharing, and public education; and
2. Combining support for these programs with the enforcement of section 11 in the City of Prince George Property Maintenance Bylaw No. 8425, 2014, would effectively mitigate human-bear conflicts. Additionally, this approach offers an opportunity to foster community engagement and enhance local food security.
That Council ADOPTS a new bylaw specific to wildlife attractants and solid waste.
That Council DIRECTS Administration to amend the City of Prince George Zoning Bylaw No. 7850, 2007, and other applicable bylaws, to permit electric fencing to secure wildlife attractants specifying requirements for voltage, installation, and maintenance.
That Council:
1. DIRECTS Administration to include educational materials on human-bear interactions with the City’s utility bills for the spring and fall billing cycles; and
2. DIRECTS Administration to continue incorporating bear awareness information on the garbage collection schedule, social media platforms, and website.

Althought 2024 saw bear deaths drop significantly, council was warned another crisis point will be reached unless preventative measures are taken.

As reported in the Citizen, though, there were also concerns about the cost of doing all of this.

In the end, here’s what was passed, as summarized by the city:

Council voted to move ahead with the recommendations that had no immediate budget impacts, including to continue to phase in bear-resistant solid waste receptacles in public places, adopting a new bylaw specific to wildlife attractants and solid waste, and consideration of amending the City’s Zoning Bylaw to permit electric fencing to secure wildlife attractants. Council also supported the recommendation to direct administration to include educational materials on human-bear interactions on utility bills, as well as directing administration to continue incorporating bear awareness information on the garbage collection schedule, social media platforms and City’s website.

Meanwhile, Kamloops is rolling out bear-resistant garbage cans for everyone who wants one on an opt-in basis at a cost of an extra $20 a year.

Election news

For candidate profiles, the Citizen has now profile Cory Longley of the NDP in the Prince George-Peace River-Northern Rockies riding, the only person aside from the incumbents who is running a second time around.

The former Dawson Creek radio host-turned-plumber and union activist is challenging Conservative incumbent Bob Zimmer once again.
During a phone interview from Haida Gwaii, where he was picking up what he referred to as his “mobile command centre,” Longley said he wasn’t satisfied with the result in the 2021 election.
“I was disappointed, but I’m also realistic,” Longley said.
“The Conservative machine has been in place for a long, long time and it’s tough for a person that’s progressive and actually care about people to break through that sometimes, so I thought I would give it another try because I deserve it and so does every member of my riding.”
..
Longley said that when you look at where the riding is since the last election, including what Zimmer has accomplished, not much has changed.
“Hardly anything (has changed) other than the temperature down south has been turned up and we’re looking for our leaders to help us out with what’s going to be happening in the future and whether or not we’re going to have jobs, whether or not Americans are going to try to turn us into a 51st state, tariff our health care, that kind of stuff,” Longley said.

Also up, the Liberal candidate for Cariboo-Prince George, Clinton Emslie:

Originally from South Africa, Emslie said, he and his partner came to Quesnel in late 2023 from Ontario so they could be closer to their goddaughter who lives in Prince George.
He runs both an immigration practice and business consultancy out of the Gold Pan City.
Though this is his first time running for public office, Emslie said he’s been politically active for a long time, working with former Mississauga mayor and current Ontario Liberal Leader Bonnie Crombie on what he called grassroots initiatives and receiving a community leadership award in 2018 from former prime minister Justin Trudeau.
As someone in a same-sex relationship, Emslie said a large part of why he was drawn to run to the Liberals he feels it is the party most welcoming to marginalized people.
“For me, working with marginalized communities like the LGBTQ side of the world and all the First Nations is where my passions lie because they are the communities that need a loud voice to fight for them and to stand up for them when decisions are made,” he said.

Meanwhile, Quesnel lawyer Kenneth B. Thompson has decided to run as an indpendent in Cariboo-Prince George.

And the Citizen has its full list of candidates.

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Send feedback by emailing northerncapitalnews@gmail.com. Find me online at akurjata.ca.

4streegrrl 🇨🇦

Apr 9Edited

Re: Peter Njenga who is from the coast and running for the Liberals for PG-PR-NR.

when I was driving to the vet on Monday morning to pick up on of my cats who spent the weekend there (she's doing much better and well worth the mint she cost me), as I was going through the 15th and Victoria/Patricia intersection I noticed someone holding up a Liberal sign and waving and smiling at vehicles on the corner by D'Lanos. It was Peter Njenga. I recognized him from the local election articles and photo.

I guess he came up for the day to have a presence?

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