The right kind of red tape to save forestry jobs
And Prince George prepares for another wildfire season
Yesterday I saw a group of guys playing cricket with tennis balls on a tennis court. It was awesome — basically the cricket version of ball hockey. Just thought I’d share that.
More reaction to Canfor’s decision to downsize in the north: Here is Andrew Mercier, the Minister of State for Sustainable Forestry Innovation, on CBC who says the provincial government worked very closely with Canfor to assure the company it would have access to timber supply, to no avail. Why not? He says they’ll have to speak for themselves but the province did its part (for the record, Canfor has very much blamed the province).
Meanwhile, the Prince George Chamber of Commerce — through former Citizen editor Neil Godbout — is taking Canfor’s side, saying it is the fault of “red tape” at a government level and calls for cuts so more cutting can go ahead.
The District of Houston and Houston Chamber of Commerce is taking a different approach and asking for if not more, perhaps some different red tape, calling on the province to restore a policy repealed in 2003, back when Gordon Campbell was premier, that required timber to be processed in a community near to where it was harvested (this is particularly interesting because the mayor of Houston is Shane Brienen, who is running in the next election for the B.C. United — the new name for the B.C. Liberals who were in power when this policy was repealed).
Finally, mayor Simon Yu says it’s not the time to try and lay blame and instead seek solutions.
News roundup:
Proposed cannabis production not sitting well with Reid Lake community members.
The city says 154 Fort Nelson evacuees have arrived in Prince George (via CBC Radio).
Local Fire Smart representatives assist BC residents in protecting their homes.
Rain in Prince George welcome sight, but won't be nearly enough to alleviate drought.
Yet another stay of proceedings for an RCMP officer charged following the death of Dale Culver.
Community Safety Town Hall extending hours to give people more time for open house.
Nechako Lakes School District part of pilot project integrating child care spaces into schools.
English professor Kevin Hutchings has released a new album putting the poems of John Buchan to music.
Today’s song:
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Send feedback by emailing northerncapitalnews@gmail.com. Find me online at akurjata.ca.
This is the important perspective missing from your forestry media round up: https://pgdailynews.ca/index.php/2024/05/13/opinion-deregulation-of-forest-industry-is-the-real-culprit-behind-mill-closures/
I have no love for the NDP, but The BC Liberals/UCP put the final nail in local forestry in 2002 when they ripped up FRPA. If you want an actual nonpartisan view of what going on you have to talk to MLA Mike Morris who is the only person in government who will give a straight answer: "we are simply out of wood".
Also this video is a bit old, but still relevant: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JoQ2XGbCHxQ&t=2s
The Liberal's 2002 policy change to FRPA destroyed my home community and yet the community's TFL is still logged at 180 000 cubic meters a year, with almost no local jobs to benefit. But the community takes on all the risk and losses: increased fire risk of a young conifer plantation forest, loss of natural ecosystem, loss of biodiversity, increased carbon loss.