Daily Archives: June 13, 2019

Deep in the tree-studded interior of British Columbia, the tiny town of Clearwater is facing a problem that’s sweeping across the province: Surrounded by nothing but trees, somehow, there isn’t enough timber to support a local sawmill. …As communities like Clearwater search for a way forward amid a shrinking forestry sector, some see an opportunity to change the type of products that are manufactured from local woods. Rather than mass produce lumber or any other product for export, he wants the town’s residents to gain access to the provincial land that Canfor had used to harvest timber for the mill, so they can build businesses that create new products. …His idea gained some currency in May, after B.C. legislators passed Bill 22, which creates a new obligation for companies to demonstrate a “public interest” before they can sell or transfer their licenses.

Merlin Blackwell

Clearwater is a very resilient town, we are a town of doers, not a town of doubters. This week’s announcement of the closure of the Canfor mill at Vavenby is a very big blow, but we’ve been through this before, and we’re still here because we pick ourselves up, come up with a new plan and we move forward. This time will be no different. I have full confidence in the resilience of our people. We will make a new plan, and we will move forward once again. This past week has been a whirlwind of phone calls, of concern and condolences from our friends far and wide and from our neighbours close by. Our partners on the TNRD board, our MLA and MP, our former Mayor, Council and MLA, as well our Business, Social, and Government leaders… all have offered their assistance.

100 MILE HOUSE — After recovering from the devastation left behind by the 2017 wildfire season, a sense of unease has replaced that brief period of relief for 100 Mile House residents. 160 jobs will be impacted by Tuesday’s announcement of an indefinite curtailment at the Norbord Mill, and come August, many people working in related fields will feel the effect of the mill closure. All throughout the Cariboo, the lumber industry has been a major driver of the area’s economy, and employed thousands. The curtailment means 100 Mile House joins the growing list of B.C communities facing mill shut downs. …The impact of the mill shutting its doors indefinitely will trickle down to the rest of the community of 1,900. …While there has been no confirmation of a permanent closure, workers in the area hope something can be done in the meantime to see the mill re-open.

At least a few Smithereens are chipped off at noise from the Pinnacle wood pellet plant. At their May 28 meeting council heard a letter written by Kay Lindberg, who lives adjacent to the plant. Among her concerns were a devaluation of her property value. …According to director of development services Mark Allen, the land that the plant is on was already zoned for heavy industrial use — things like blasting, hammer mill operations and event concrete crushing. …Bachrach said that he has been impressed with the management at the plant’s receptiveness to community concerns and hopes this bodes well for finding a positive solution for all parties.

Bob Simpson

It seems contradictory, at the same time a major sawmill closure looms over the Interior B.C. town of Quesnel, costing 150 well-paying jobs, contractors report having difficulty taking on projects because they can’t find workers, according to Mayor Bob Simpson. …“The reality is we need to look at (that) workforce and re-tool them for where the jobs are,” he said. Then, on a provincial basis, there is the expected ramp-up for the LNG Canada liquefied natural gas mega-project. …For some of those workers losing jobs in forestry, however, there are no guarantees. “Undoubtedly there is an opportunity for those who have what we call the skills or transferable skills,” said Chris Atchison, president of the B.C. Construction Association. …However, if a construction company is looking for ticketed welders, there isn’t a direct path for a forestry worker.

The B.C. forest industry is sliding into a crisis and a new law on the books has many observers worried it could make things worse, while others are hoping it has the exact opposite effect. In recent weeks, some saw mills have permanently closed while others have curtailed operations. The list of these disruptions is already a lengthy one and it will continue to grow. …Also creating uncertainty is Bill 22, which amended the province’s Forests Act. The key change gives the government the power to stop forest companies from selling their logging rights to each other following a mill closure. …One clue to what the NDP has in mind is its commitment to respecting First Nations’ interests in whatever happens on land use decisions and changes to forestry operations. …The whole process is now being revisited but it is hard to see an outcome that does not have the support of local First Nations.

The latest reductions in B.C. sawmill output may be enough to stop the slide of lumber prices after they hit record highs last year. Canfor’s province-wide sawmill shutdowns were announced this week as North American prices for spruce-pine-fir two-by-fours and two-by-sixes slipped below $300 per 1,000 board feet, according to the latest figures from Madison’s Lumber Reporter. A year ago the two-by-four price was above $650, and the downward trend has continued since the beginning of 2019. Canfor’s curtailments take effect next week, with a target of reducing B.C. lumber production by 200 million board feet. …Tolko Industries announced in May it will permanently shut down its Quest Wood sawmill in Quesnel, and Canfor followed suit last week with the pending closure of its Vavenby sawmill near Clearwater. …Interfor is reducing operating days at three B.C. Interior mills, at Castlegar, Grand Forks and Adams Lake. 

Shelley Loring

The Chief and Council of Simpcw First Nation advise they are speaking out after Interfor recently announced its intention to acquire $60 million in forestry assets from Canfor. “It’s a non-starter”, said Chief Shelly Loring. “Unless and until Simpcw has a meaningful role in management of our forests, this transaction will not go forward”. …Simpcw is not only looking out for our own interests but the local interests up and down our valley.” …Simpcw goes on to say, “Bill 22 is a clear opportunity for the Province to ensure not only that the public interest is protected from the monopolization of the forest resource, but that economic reconciliation with Indigenous communities is front and centre as a matter of public policy. Simpcw has advised Minister Donaldson of its expectation to sit down with the Province to design a process of how this proposed transaction will be evaluated.

There are no immediate solutions to prevent more sawmills closures in the B.C. Interior as the amount of timber available for logging has been significantly reduced by the mountain pine beetle epidemic. Both the B.C. government and industry agreed on that point. …“I think we are dealing with the reality of the timber supply coming home to roost. It’s not something that wasn’t known,” B.C. Forests Minister Doug Donaldson said. …Donaldson said the focus needs to be on maximizing the value of timber, not the volume, and finding a way to give smaller wood-manufacturing facilities access to wood fibre. The BC Council of Forest Industries president, Susan Yurkovich, said… what is needed is for industry, government, First Nations, communities and workers to work collectively through the transition period. “But going forward, when rebalancing milling capacity with a sustainable timber supply – we have to ensure conditions that allow us to be competitive globally,” she said.