The provincial NDP are saying work and programs are underway to support the forest sector, as the industry faces layoffs, but according to Conservative forest critic Ward Stamer, that is not enough.
Provincial leaders are at odds on how to address challenges in the province’s forest industry.
The discussion comes in light of the recent announcement of the pending closure of a Williams Lake pellet plant on Nov. 26 and the previously announced West Fraser Mill closure in 100 Mile House on Nov. 6.
B.C Forest Minister Ravi Parmar said his thoughts are with the workers and their families impacted by Drax’s closure of the Lake City pellet plant. He said he spoke with Williams Lake Mayor Surinderpal Rathor to “express how determined I am to support their community and the impacted workers.”
Parmar said resources are available, such as employment assistance and skills training opportunities through WorkBC, and Employment Insurance, among other supports, through Service Canada.
“Our forest sector has been operating against a backdrop of challenging market conditions over the past couple of years, the end of the beetle kill harvest and unprecedented wildfires, all exacerbated by the impact of Trump’s tariffs and duties,” said Parmar in an emailed comment.
But while Parmar points at the Trump tariffs, MLA for Kamloops-North Thompson Ward Stamer, Conservative forest critic, said the ministry was unwilling or unable to make the wholesale changes needed to address the U.S. trade tariffs, despite knowing they were coming.
“Another domino is falling in our forest industry,” said Stamer of the closure of the pellet plant.
The information from Minister Parmar said programs like the BC Manufacturing Jobs Fund have secured hundreds of millions in investment into local forestry operations, and work is already underway through value-added accelerators and fibre flow forums to support the sector.
The province is also looking to expand its international markets to make the forest sector more resilient in the face of U.S. trade actions.
But Stamer said the province needs to be doing a lot more, including work on forest health, which could help address a lack of fibre.
He pointed to a number of opportunities for changes which he believes could support a more sustainable industry in the long term, like going back to using fish culverts instead of much more expensive bridges in more instances, enabling more trade between forestry companies in multi-species stands, looking at fuel reduction in some protected areas for forest health purposes and to reduce wildfire impacts.
“Let’s be proactive. Let’s go in there and clean it up, even if we have to be super careful in how we do it,” he said.
“I’m not an environmentalist, but I’m also pragmatic,” said Stamer, noting his goal of sustainability for the long term.
He wants to see companies able to access forests impacted by fires and more biomass plants providing the energy and heat the province needs. He pointed to Sweden as an example where a similarly sized land base has been able to maintain a high-producing forest industry and uses biomass for a large amount of heating and electricity.
He said he wants to see the province able to get the full value out of every tree cut.
“We should be getting a whole lot more out of our natural resources,” he said.
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